The construction of an ecological security pattern (ESP) is one of the basic methods to protect regional ecological security and enhance people’s well-being. In the case of Anhui province, located in the Yangtze River Delta region of China, regional ecological sources were assessed and recognized in terms of ecosystem services, and regional ESP was then constructed based on circuit theory. Current density was applied to analyze the significance of patches and corridors and recognize sticking points, and thereby strategies were introduced to optimize regional ESP. Results of ecosystem services function assessment showed that there were 47 ecological patches, 107 ecological corridors, 16 pinch points, and six sticking points in the ESP of Anhui province. The watershed of the Yangtze and Huai rivers divides the ESP of the northern and southern Anhui, which has huge landscape spatial heterogeneity. Areas with relatively good ecological resources were basically located between Dabie Mountain area in the west and the low hilly area in the south of Anhui, with mostly woodland and farmland as ecological sources. However, cities in the northern Anhui, also in the north of the watershed of the Yangtze and Huai rivers, face severe situations in terms of environmental protection. This study conducted spatial analyses on ESP with different thresholds and proposed to classify different ESPs according to ecological control. This helps to alleviate the contradiction between economic development and environmental protection, and improve the supply capacity of regional ecosystem services, in order to satisfy the regional demand for ecosystem services. Meanwhile, this study offers more methods to construct regional ESP and introduces targeted measures to improve connectivity, which is of practical guidance for the connectivity and optimization of ecological patterns.

Observations of energy and carbon dioxide fluxes in the urban centres of rapidly developing countries remain limited. In this study, one year of eddy covariance measurements was conducted in the city centre of Hefei to investigate how underlying urban surfaces and human activities influence surface energy and carbon dioxide fluxes. A strong correlation was observed between net radiation and sensible heat flux, with both fluxes being significantly lower in winter. Abundant summer precipitation substantially enhanced latent heat flux. Anthropogenic heat flux and storage heat flux ranged from 30 to 350 W m⁻² and from −100 to 350 W m⁻², respectively. Improved energy balance closure was generally associated with more unstable atmospheric conditions, while increased urban surface heterogeneity was linked to poorer closure. Traffic was identified as a major contributor to carbon dioxide emissions, with annual emissions reaching 12.73 kg CO₂ m⁻² yr⁻¹ in the city centre. Carbon dioxide fluxes were significantly higher in winter and slightly lower on weekends compared to weekdays. In addition, the increasing adoption of new energy vehicles (NEVs) has contributed to a reduction in urban CO₂ fluxes. Overall, human activity in urban centres substantially enhances anthropogenic heat release and carbon dioxide emissions, thereby intensifying urban heat island effects and carbon emissions.