Land use change has a significant impact on the sustainability of ecosystems, and ecological security patterns (ESPs) can improve environmental quality through spatial planning. This study explored a multi-scenario ESP framework by integrating future land use simulation (FLUS) and minimum cumulative resistance (MCR) for urban agglomeration along the Yellow River Basin (YRB) in Ningxia. The research involved simulating land use change in 2035 under four development scenarios, identifying ecological security networks, and evaluating network stability for each scenario. The study revealed that the ecological sources under different development scenarios, including a natural development scenario (NDS), an economic development scenario (EDS), a food security scenario (FSS), and an ecological protection scenario (EPS), were 834.82 km², 715.46 km², 785.56 km², and 1091.43 km², respectively. The overall connectivity values (O_G) for these scenarios were 0.351, 0.466, 0.334, and 0.520, respectively. It was found that under an EPS, the ESPs had the largest area of ecological sources and the most stable ecological network structure, which can effectively protect natural habitats. This study provides a valuable method for identifying ESPs that can respond to diversity and the uncertainty of future development. It can assist decision-makers in enhancing the ecological quality of the study area while considering various development scenarios.

Habitat quality (HQ) is recognized as a significant factor in biodiversity maintenance and ecological conservation advancement, and the land-use cover change (LUCC) can directly affect the spatial pattern and evolution of HQ. Land-use datasets spanning 2010, 2015, and 2020 were analyzed through the integrated application of the future land-use simulation (FLUS) model and the integrated valuation of ecosystem services and trade-offs (InVEST) model, supplemented by multiple analytical indicators, resulting in LUCC patterns and HQ variations being investigated within the urban agglomeration along the Yellow River in Ningxia, China. These findings demonstrate (Hall, Wiley on behalf of the Wildlife Society, 1997, 25(1), 173–82) a reduction in ecological land coverage during the previous period, which correlates with a decrease in the mean HQ. The value ratings in 2010, 2015, and 2020 were 0.4919, 0.4730, and 0.4654, respectively. Moreover, the evolution characteristics exhibited distinct divergence trends between the periods of 2010–2015 and 2015–2020. The spatial distribution showed a pronounced periphery–core gradient (Fahrig, Eution, and Systematics, 2017, 48(1), 1–23). The study area’s HQ was categorized within the moderate-to-good range, with mean values demonstrating a descending sequence: EPS (0.5348) > NDS (0.5165) > FSS (0.4967) > EDS (0.4681). Optimal ecosystem service performance was observed in the Helan Mountain Nature Reserve and Yellow River mainstream (Alaniz et al., Ecological Indicators, 2021, 126). Scenario modeling revealed that ecological conservation measures effectively enhanced biodiversity preservation and ecosystem service capacity. Scenario optimization was determined through the combined evaluation of ecological resource support limit and territorial development suitability. Multi-scenario methods and environmental simulation models were integrated in this study, enabling a more accurate assessment of the landscape spatiotemporal pattern. This approach provides decision-making insights and multiple perspectives for spatial planning under different developmental goal orientations.

The construction and optimization of urban green infrastructure (UGI) are regarded as effective strategies for harmonizing the natural landscape with human activities, particularly in ecologically vulnerable areas in the Upper Yellow River Basin, China. However, there is little attention paid to the scale effects and object effects as well as an absence of comprehensive assessments regarding landscape stability. Taking the Four-Lake Hydrographic Network (FLHN) in Shizuishan, a prefecture-level city, as an example, this study focuses on identifying the important sources of UGI by integrating both regional and interregional perspectives utilizing morphological spatial pattern analysis (MSPA). UGI networks were constructed and optimized based on trade-offs and synergizing relationships between individual objects using the minimum cumulative resistance (MCR) model, and the UGI network’s stability combined centrality and connectivity aspects, which were subsequently assessed. The results showed that a total of 19 important sources covering an area of 105.07 km² were identified in the FLHN, integrating both regional and interregional levels. It was deemed unnecessary to maintain lengths of 7.79 km key corridors, 9.42 km general corridors, and 29.89 km fragile corridors; furthermore, there was no longer a requirement to upgrade an additional 5.51 km of general corridors and 25.78 km of any corridor, as UGI corridors were extracted based on a trade-off and synthesized objective methodology. The overall connectivity index value (O_G) of UGI stability with respect to the multi-objective model demonstrated superior performance compared to the same index in scenarios involving the use of a single-objective approach and the straightforward overlay of each object. This study reveals the multifaceted requirements of urban landscape security and sustainability, indicating that multi-scale and multi-objective approaches in territorial space planning not only ensure the integrity of the landscape patterns but also reduce the costs associated with landscape construction. This model can be utilized to implement urban landscape entity protection and restoration for landscapes with various geographical characteristics, and it can provide valuable guidance for similar areas.