Abstract: The source-sink theory provides an important framework for explaining the spatial distribution and interactions of matter, energy, and biological communities in regional ecosystems, which has been widely applied in the studies of ecological security pattern construction and regional ecological protection and ecosystem restoration. We reviewed the basic concepts of source-sink theory and summarized recent progress in ecological security pattern construction from three aspects: spatial identification and optimization of sources and sinks, extraction and design of ecological corridors and nodes, and dynamic management with adaptive layouts. Different construction methods were compared in terms of advantages, limitations, and application contexts. In response to the new development trends of disciplines, the construction of ecological security patterns based on the source-sink theory is expected to evolve from single-factor, single-scenario analyses toward integrated multi-factor, multi-scenario simulations. Refined model inputs, more accurate simulation outputs, and dynamic and comprehensive simulation of multi-scenario and multi-factor may be the hotspots of future research.

Key words: source-sink theory, ecological security, ecological pattern, ecological corridor