Abstract: Ecological infrastructure networks provide a fundamental basis for natural ecosystems in support of urban sustainable development. These networks help maintain landscape connectivity and habitat continuity, as well as facilitate material and energy flows. Systematic analysis of changes in the connectivity of ecological infrastructure networks and the driving mechanisms holds significant theoretical and practical insights for achieving the integrated ecosystem preservation at the regional scale. Taking Shandong Peninsula urban agglomeration as a case area, we developed ecological infrastructure networks and identified key areas for conservation and restoration. We proposed a comprehensive connectivity metric by integrating the Integral Index of Connectivity (IIC) and the Omniscape algorithm, to quantify the connectivity of ecological infrastructure networks. Changes in spatial patterns of connectivity in 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2020 as well as the interaction mechanisms of factors influencing these changes were explored. A strategy for constructing the spatial pattern of ecosystem conservation was subsequently proposed. The results showed that the ecological infrastructure networks exhibited a spatial distribution pattern of “concentrated in the east, middle and coastal areas, and sparse in the west”. Changes in the ecological corridor layout were influenced by changes in spatial patterns of ecological source areas and resistance surfaces. The total area of ecological sources decreased by 33.5 km² and 28 new ecological corridors were added during the study period. The comprehensive connectivity increased by 0.7%, mainly concentrated in water bodies and wetlands such as Bohai Bay, west of the Yellow River Delta, south of Laizhou Bay, and the Nansi Lake region. The interaction of hydro-climatic factors (precipitation, temperature, and natural runoff) exerted a significant influence on the spatiotemporal variations in the connectivity of ecological infrastructure networks. Based on these findings, we constructed a spatial pattern of “two shields, three belts, multiple sources and corridors” for the ecological conservation, which provide a theoretical framework and practical reference for the integrated conservation and restoration of regional ecosystems.

Key words: ecological infrastructure network, connectivity measurement, driving mechanism, Geodetector, ecological conservation spatial pattern