Ecological risk assessment and management under the influence of multi-hazards in the alpine canyon region

Abstract

Under the context of global climate change, geohazards occur frequently and often form chains, resulting in catastrophic events that cause significant loss of life and property, posing serious threats to humans and ecosystems. However, current research on the ecological risks of geohazards mainly focuses on isolated landslide or debris flow events, often overlooking the causal relationships between multi-hazards. To address this issue, we used a Bayesian network model to quantify the hazard, used landscape pattern indices to characterize ecological vulnerability, and calculated potential ecological loss based on ecosystem services, thereby comprehensively evaluating the ecological risks of geohazards. The results indicate that (1) geohazards are primarily concentrated near riverbanks and along roads, resulting from the combined effects of natural environments and human activities. (2) The ecological risks of geohazards exhibit significant spatial clustering characteristics, with medium to high-risk areas clustered linearly along rivers and roads, while low-risk areas account for the majority and are concentrated in contiguous patches, mainly located on the periphery of watersheds. The risk levels spatially align well with the distribution of geohazard points. (3) Based on ecological risk levels and composition types, four risk prevention and management zones are identified: avoidance and monitoring early warning zones, ecological protection and restoration zones, avoidance and protection zones, and natural adaptation and regulation zones. For each zone, the article proposes targeted action plans to address the escalating challenges of geohazards and ecological risks. This study aims to enhance the effective management of ecological risks and provide guidance for geohazard prevention and ecological environmental protection.