Table 1 Selection of ecological vulnerability evaluation indicators and ecological significance for Karst WHSs
Goal | Criterion | Factor | ID | Indicator | Ecological significance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ecological vulnerability of Karst WHSs | Ecological Sensitivity | Meteorology | X1 | Dryness | Reflects the wetness or dryness of the study area and the impacted region (+). |
X2 | Annual precipitation | Rich water resources support higher biodiversity and vegetation coverage, better sustaining agricultural, forestry, and other production activities, thus enhancing ecosystem resilience (−). | |||
X3 | Annual temperature | Higher temperatures favor vegetation growth, increasing biodiversity and contributing to ecosystem stability (−). | |||
Topography | X4 | Aspect | Karst mountainous ecosystems play a significant role, reflecting differences in solar exposure duration and solar radiation intensity across mountain orientations within the study area (+). | ||
X5 | Slope | The degree of surface slope reflects the scale and intensity of material flow and energy transfer on the surface (+). | |||
X6 | Topographic relief | Terrain roughness affects soil erosion conditions and water resource distribution (+). | |||
X7 | DEM | Generally, in cases of natural disasters such as earthquakes, landslides, or collapses, areas with greater elevation in karst WHS tend to suffer more extensive damage (+). | |||
Ecological recovery | Vegetation | X8 | NDVI | Reflects the distribution of surface vegetation under natural climate change and human activities, serving as a key parameter to indicate vegetation growth and nutrient information (−). | |
X9 | NPP | Represents the energy value of vegetation growth, development, and reproduction, indicating the production status of vegetation in the ecological environment (−). | |||
Ecological pressure | Human Disturbance | X10 | Landscape disturbance | Reflects the ability of landscape components to resist external disturbances and their self-recovery capability. The higher the disturbance applied to various landscape components, the greater their vulnerability (+). | |
X11 | GDP | Reflects the ability of landscape components to resist external disturbances and their self-recovery capability. The higher the disturbance applied to various landscape components, the greater their vulnerability (+). |
