Abstract and Applied Analysis
Volume 2013 (2013), Article ID 207987, 8 pages
http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/207987
Research Article
Ecological Vulnerability Assessment Integrating the Spatial Analysis Technology with Algorithms: A Case of the Wood-Grass Ecotone of Northeast China
1State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, No. 19, Xinjiekouwai Street, Beijing 100875, China
2College of Geography and Tourism, Chongqing Normal University, No.12, TianChen Road, ShaPingBa District, Chongqing 400047, China
3Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, A11 DaTun Road, ChaoYang District, Beijing 100101, China
Received 25 February 2013; Accepted 27 March 2013
Academic Editor: Jianhong (Cecilia) Xia
Copyright © 2013 Zhi Qiao et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Abstract
This study evaluates ecological vulnerability of the wood-grass ecotone of northeast China integrating the spatial analysis technology with algorithms. An assessment model of ecological vulnerability is developed applying the Analytical Hierarchy Process. The composite evaluation index system is established on the basis of the analysis of contemporary status and potential problems in the study area. By the application of the evaluation model, ecological vulnerability index is calculated between 1990 and 2005. The results show that ecological vulnerability was mostly at a medium level in the study area, however the ecological quality was deteriorating. Through the standard deviational ellipse, the variation of ecological vulnerability can be spatially explicated. It is extremely significative for the prediction of the regions that will easily deteriorate. The deterioration zone was concentrating in the area of Da Hinggan Ling Mountain, including Xingan League, Chifeng, Tongliao, and Chengde, whereas the improvement zone was distributing in the north-central of Hulunbeier.