Sustainable development assessment of ecological vulnerability in arid areas under the influence of multiple indicators

The fragile ecosystems of arid areas are highly vulnerable, especially under the impact of human activities. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop appropriate ecological vulnerability assessment models for these areas. In this study, Zhongwei City was taken as the study area. And a multi-indicator comprehensive assessment system was constructed using the optimized featured indicators-vulnerability scoping diagram (FVSD) model. The weights for each indicator were determined using the analytic hierarchy process-entropy weight (AHP-EW) method, leading to the creation of the ecological vulnerability map of Zhongwei City. The results showed that the overall ecological vulnerability of Zhongwei City is high and there is a significant spatial aggregation. There was obvious spatial heterogeneity in the distribution of vulnerability, with high vulnerability mainly concentrated in Haiyuan County, showing a decreasing trend from south to north. Watershed area index, annual average temperature, PM10 and annual afforestation index were the most important indicators affecting the ecological vulnerability, the fragile environmental conditions and human activities combine to shape the spatial heterogeneity of ecological vulnerability. The results of the study have important theoretical and practical implications in guiding ecological management of Zhongwei City. Moreover, the research framework can be replicated in different areas and is instructive for ecological vulnerability studies.