Abstract:The rapid expansion of the desert poses a huge threat to the socioeconomic and environmental conditions of ecologically fragile areas. Dengkou County of Bayannaoer City, Inner Mongolia, which located in the desert oasis area, was selected as the study area. Remote sensing image data and digital elevation model (DEM) data were used as research materials, and 11 simulation scenarios of development strategies were set up for this region. A multiple scenario simulation model of the ecological network (the FG eco-network multi-scenario simulation model) was constructed, and the gravity model and the minimum cumulative resistance (MCR) model were used to extract the forest-grass ecological network (FG eco-network) in the study area. The complex network theory was used to analyze the topology and statistical characteristics of the FG econetwork in 11 development scenarios. The results showed that the ecological network connecting ecological patches in the study area was gradually destroyed with the increase of the proportion of economic development in the development scenario;the connection mode between some ecological patches was changed;and indicators such as network connectivity, coreness, and average number of node connections of networks showed a decreasing trend. It was found that the network density was increased slightly in the (0.9, 0.1) mode, while it was gradually decreased in other scenarios with the increase of proportion of economic development. Moreover, in the (0.9, 0.1) mode, although the destruction occurred at the edge of the desert, the FG econetwork within the sample circle was expanded. The economic development did not necessarily lead to the deterioration of the ecological environment in this area. Under the existing natural conditions, the study area still had room for economic development, but the space was limited. Finally, totally 36 key ecological nodes were extracted, and the skeleton corridors of the study area were identified as 1236.89km. The study proposed to strengthen the key construction and protection of ecological construction of key ecological nodes and skeleton corridors, and implement stricter ecological management and control measures.
