Enhancing Wetland Landscape Connectivity through Multi-Factor Optimization: a Case Study in Maduo County, Qinghai Province, China

Understanding the dynamic patterns of wetlands in the Yellow River basin and promoting connectivity among them are important for the protection and restoration of wetlands in this basin. Although many existing studies effectively optimize the structural characteristics of ecological networks, they often overlook the spatial distribution of the actual landscape to be optimized and the associated ecological risks. This study centers on Maduo County in Qinghai Province, employing the MSPA model and connectivity indices to meticulously analyze the spatial dynamics of wetland alterations and hydrological connectivity over the past two decades. The introduced concept of optimizing the importance index involves the stratification of low-connectivity wetland patches, identified as nodes for optimization. A theoretical assessment of the complexity and connectivity robustness of the river network before and after optimization was performed. Findings reveal: (1) The core area and connectivity of wetlands in Maduo County have exhibited persistent growth. The centroid of wetlands shifted southeastward in both periods, albeit at differing angles. (2) Hydrological connectivity of wetland patches in Maduo County experienced rapid enhancement from 2000 to 2010, maintaining stability from 2010 to 2020. (3) There are 44 nodes to be optimized, with 6, 13, and 25 nodes in levels 1, 2, and 3, respectively. As the number of levels increases, the nodes slated for optimization are more likely to be interconnected within the river network. Post-optimization, both the complexity and connectivity of the river network show improvement. The study will offer fundamental theoretical support for wetland research in the Yellow River Basin.