Journal of Zhejiang Agricultural Sciences ›› 2026, Vol. 67 ›› Issue (4): 1024-1034.DOI: 10.16178/j.issn.0528-9017.20250645

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Topographic gradient differentiation and spatio⁃temporal evolution of ecological sensitivity in the Chongqing section of the Three Gorges Reservoir Area

LI Hongrong1(), LI Jiao1, SHAO Jing'an1,2()   

  1. 1.School of Geography and Tourism,Chongqing Normal University,Chongqing 401331
    2.Chongqing Key Laboratory of Surface Processes and Ecological Restoration in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area,Chongqing 401331
  • Received:2025-09-07 Online:2026-04-11 Published:2026-04-17
  • Contact: SHAO Jing'an

Abstract:

To scientifically identify ecologically vulnerable areas in the Chongqing section of the Three Gorges Reservoir Area,so as to promote ecological protection and sustainable development,based on the analytic hierarchy process-criteria importance through inter-criteria correlation method(AHP-CRITIC),the study constructed a four-dimensional evaluation system for soil erosion,rocky desertification,human activities and natural disasters,and analyzed the spatial and temporal evolution of ecological sensitivity from the perspective of topographic gradient from 2000 to 2020. The results show that soil erosion modulus (weight 27.25%) and land use pattern(weight 23.49%)are the dominant factors influencing ecological sensitivity;the ecological sensitivity from 2000 to 2020 shows an overall improvement(sensitivity index decreased by 0.18)with localized degradation(degraded area accounting for 9.66%);the spatial distribution shows a pattern of "high in the northeast and low in the southwest",with a continuous high-sensitivity zone formed in the northern region due to the overlapping of severe rocky desertification and natural disasters;the transfer of sensitivity grades shows a characteristic of "expansion at both ends and contraction in the middle";in terms of topographic gradients,low altitude(0-400 m),gentle slope(<8 °),shallow cutting depth(<8 m),and low terrain position(levels 1-4)areas are hotspots of increasing sensitivity,while the 600-1 000 m elevation zone,15 °-25 ° slope zone,15-30 m cutting depth zone,and middle-low terrain positions are the core distribution areas of severe and extreme sensitivity;and finally,based on a comprehensive mountain ecological risk index,it is categorized into five sensitivity zones. The study provides a paradigm for ecological protection in the Yangtze River Economic Belt,serving as a concrete exploration of the "ecological priority and green development" concept,and provides a basis for ecological restoration of mountainous urban land space.

Key words: ecological sensitivity, spatio-temporal characteristic, ecological zoning, Chongqing section of the Three Gorges Reservoir Area

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