Assessment on socio-ecosystem vulnerability in shallow mountain area of Beijing under climate change background

ObjectiveUnder the background of climate change, regional vulnerability assessment under the perspective of socio-ecosystem can identify regional climate risks more comprehensively. In urban areas, shallow mountain area has their uniqueness because of the importance of climate regulation and the vulnerability of climate adaptation, and the coupling between social system and ecosystem is more obvious. As an important link of climate adaptation, the socio-ecosystem vulnerability assessment under climate change background in Beijing shallow mountain area is helpful to provide quantitative reference for climate adaptation strategies in spatial planning.

MethodIn this study, the assessment framework of “risk-exposure-sensitivity-adaptability” was adopted to construct an index set containing 44 indicators. Through the principal component analysis method, dimensionality reduction screening and weight determination of indicators were carried out to form the index system of social-ecosystem vulnerability assessment. Then the spatial distribution of the vulnerability of socio-ecosystem in the shallow mountainous areas of Beijing was evaluated under the present and future climatic conditions.

ResultThe current and future climate vulnerability showed a trend of gradually decreasing from the central urban area to the deep mountains, and the degree of vulnerability was mainly moderate and severe, while the overall future vulnerability showed an upward trend. Among administrative zones, the vulnerability of Changping, Shunyi and Haidian districts was at a lower level, and the vulnerability of Fangshan, Fengtai and Mentougou districts was more serious.

ConclusionBy evaluating the spatial distribution of the vulnerability of socio-ecological system in the shallow mountainous area of Beijing under current and future climatic conditions, the key areas of the climate adaptation in the shallow mountainous area of Beijing were obtained, which provide the basis for the climate adaptation policy in the shallow mountainous area, and provide the method or index reference for the regional vulnerability assessment under climate change background.