Construction of urban bird habitat network from a multi-scale perspective: taking the Cuihu-Shahe area in Beijing as an example

Objective In this paper, the Cuihu-Shahe area, located in the second green isolated area of Beijing, was selected for in-depth study, aiming to propose a multi-scale bird habitat network system method of “macro-ecological network, meso-ecological corridor, micro-habitat”.

Method Based on GIS technology, representative bird species of the study area were selected, which served as the basis for research at three scales: macro (ecological network), meso (ecological corridor) and micro (habitat). Secondly, using MSPA method and circuit theory, a 20 km buffer zone ecological network with the research area as the core was constructed. Moreover, through circuit theory and moving window method, the stopover probability and ecological break point of birds in the Cuihu-Shahe ecological corridor were further identified, focusing on the corridor connectivity. Finally, based on the suitability evaluation method, the suitability distribution of bird habitat inside the ecological corridor was obtained. Circuit theory and nuclear density analysis were used to evaluate the recreation service space, and finally the symbiotic overlap space between bird habitat and human recreation was superimposed.

Result (1) At the scale of macro ecological networks, the current density superposition map was obtained by simulation, 16 primary corridors with a total length of 108.77 km and 33 secondary corridors with a total length of 227.85 km were identified, the vast majority of which showed north-south connections, indicating that the north-south ecological connectivity in the study area has a priority conservation value. (2) At the meso ecological corridor scale, the areas with the highest probability of birds stopping over were identified around the Nansha River Channel, with a total area of about 3.5 km²; six ecological breaks were identified, which were mainly due to the obstruction of connectivity by urban road land, construction land, or bare land, and were in urgent need of ecological restoration to eliminate the obstruction. (3) In the micro habitat scale, the results of habitat suitability distribution of birds and spatial distribution of recreational services were obtained, and 2.74 km² of dominant bird habitat area, 1.52 km² of dominant recreational behaviour area, and 5.6 km² of overlapping area of human-bird symbiosis were finally classified, which provided scientific basis for the implementation of differentiated spatial management, and a mechanism for coordinating the activities of birds and humans was urgently needed in the overlapping area.

Conclusion The study area needs to focus on maintaining the structural integrity of the north-south corridor, proposing ecological restoration strategies for the areas with high probability of stopping and the six fracture points, and finally carrying out differentiated construction and management measures for the three types of habitat zones. The results of this study can provide methodological and data support for the construction and improvement of habitat network in the second green isolation area of Beijing, and also provide a reference for the ecological network, ecological corridors and habitat construction of bird areas in other cities.