Abstract: With the continuous exploitation of mineral resources, the vulnerability of ecological environment is becoming more and more obvious. In this study, we evaluated the ecological vulnerability of northern mountain in Jiaozuo City in 2000, 2008 and 2017 by constructing an ecological vulnerability evaluation index system and improving the matter-element extension model based on side distance and continuous correlation function. The results showed that ecological vulnerability of northern mountain in Jiaozuo City had changed from moderate, high and extreme vulnerability to mild and moderate vulnerability from 2000 to 2017. The extremely vulnerable area significantly decreased and basically disappeared in 2017, while the mildly vulnerable area significantly increased. Affected by resource depletion and economic transformation, the ecological vulnerability of this area was at slightly and moderately vulnerable level. The area with mildly fragile level accounted for 67% of the total area, followed by moderate vulnerability (24.5%). Slight, high and extreme vulnerability areas together accounted for 8.5% of the total area. Spatially, the ecological vulnerability of the study area had obvious vertical zonal characteristics, showing a gradually increasing trend from north to South. The ecological situation of the study area was significantly improved from 2000 to 2017, with the vulnerability change tending stable.

Key words: ecological vulnerability, resource depletion, evaluation index system, matter element model.