Study On The Analysis Of Landscape Pattern And The Assessment Of Mountain Ecosystem Health

This paper studies two major contents based on the general principles in Landscape ecology. The first is the analysis of landscape pattern to deduce occurred processes through the description of the existing landscape pattern. The second is the assessment of mountain ecosystem health to quantitatively catch on the condition of the study area's ecosystem health. In assessing the ecosystem health, it has drawn some ideas from Economic Geography to judge the condition of mountain ecosystem health. This paper puts forward that consider the nature character as well as economic development and social & human factors in a health assessment. The research in large scale need consider the impact on ecosystem health that human activities have made. Ecological features, function indicators and social-human impact together constitute the fundermental system of regional ecosystem health assessment.Haxi forestry center is located in Tianzhu of Gansu province. In view of the natural conditions, land use type and forest map, we classify the research area into 15 landscape types. This study selects 8 landscape indexes to analyze landscape pattern. The research area contains 15 landscape elements and 885 patches. Among them, grassland has a 32.3% of the total area and is the matrix of the landscape. Qinghai spruce has a maximum of 245 patches and occupies 27.7% in all patches. The area of Qinghai spruce is 26.5% of that of the grassland. Since it, Qinghai spruce shows fragmentized. The statistics for the primary landscape elements distributed in different height state farmland concentrate between 2550 to 3000 meters in altitude; grassland distribute 3000-4350m in altitude; Qinghai spruce distribute 2550-3000m in altitude. Qinghai spruce concentrate in northern slope, northeast slope, east slope and northwest slope. There is Qinghai spruce scattered in south slope and southwest slope. Qinghai spruce is most anomalistic in patch distribute, is small in mean patch area and is close to each other. So, Qinghai spruce is easy tosuffer disturbance and converse succession which lead to the function of forest ecosystem degenerate.This paper use The Analyticl Hierarchy Process (AHP) and construct the standard for assessment of mountain ecosystem health adapted to arid zone. Indicators of assessment of ecosystem health can be divided into three groups: ecological features indicators, function indicators and social-human impact indicators. There are some sub-indicators in each group. Landscape indexes are introduced to the assessment of ecosystem health. Through the assessment of ecosystem health in the three distribute: Haxi, Maozang and Dahonggou, we conclude that Haxi > Maozang > Dahonggou in value of ecological features indicators; Haxi > Maozang > Dahonggou in total value of function indicators; Dahonggou > Haxi > Maozang in individual value of function indications; Maozang>Haxi>Dahonggou in value of social-human impact indicators. Haxi > Maozang >Dahonggou in total value of ecosystem health.Through the analysis of landscape pattern and the assessment of ecosystem health in Haxi forestry center, we hold quantitative information on ecosystem health and implemented policy in three districts. The study can help governor to make measures to decrease disturbance to environment, promote ecological construction and regional sustainable development. Also, this project provide a reference to future study on the assessment of Qilian Mountain ecosystem health and regional ecological security.