Optimizing ecological corridors for urban sustainability by using remote sensing and decision modeling

Rapid industrialization and urbanization have led to the depletion of forests and green spaces in urban areas, resulting in urban heat islands, ecological crises, the alteration of microclimates, and the escalation of various other environmental problems. Restoring fragmented habitats and enhancing ecosystem services within urban environments fosters ecological resilience and plays a significant role in promoting social and economic development. These efforts also fortify urban resilience in the face of climate-change-related adversities. This paper systematically optimizes ecological corridors considering environmental factors, including carbon flux, biological diversity, landscape characteristics, topography, and associated environmental costs. A 1-year monitoring program was conducted to collect data, and a multicriteria decision-making method was then employed to identify suitable habitats within the study area. Additionally, a mixed-integer linear programming model was used to develop an optimized conservation plan to mitigate habitat fragmentation and maximize environmental benefits. The results of the proposed integrated approach revealed its effectiveness in addressing the depletion of green spaces and fragmentation of habitats in urban areas, thereby contributing to the overall sustainability and resilience of urban ecosystems and offering promising prospects for social and economic development. The results indicate that the linear programming approach effectively incorporates the shape index into the analysis. Consequently, ecological corridors are more concentrated while maintaining the same level of environmental protection capability. This leads to a reduction in the number of grid cells requiring restoration and a significant decrease in restoration costs, approximately 1/40 of the estimated expenses by conventional multi-criteria evaluation methods.