Integrating ecosystem reference conditions and vulnerability to identify ecological restoration priority areas

Ecological restoration, as a component of sustainable development, can mitigate ecosystem degradation and improve ecological diversity. Accurate identification of ecological restoration priority areas (ERPAs) is essential for developing restoration practice. However, few studies have considered both ecosystem reference conditions and vulnerability during ecological restoration. In this study, a comprehensive framework of ERPA identification was developed by integrating ecosystem reference conditions and vulnerability. Using the Jialing River Basin (JRB), a representative basin of the Yangtze River, as a case study, our results revealed that under average climate conditions, the areas with high values of ecosystem reference conditions were mostly in the eastern and southeastern mountainous areas of the JRB, whereas the potential areas for ecological restoration were concentrated in the central northern and southern basin. Additionally, regions with high ecosystem vulnerability were found in the northern mountainous areas and southern urban areas and were scattered along major tributaries. Overall, the identified ERPAs were predominantly in the central northern and southern urban areas, with some scattered areas in the central basin, accounting for 9.61% of the JRB. Consequently, the JRB can be divided into four regions with targeted management strategies to address ecosystem degradation and implement restoration activities. Moreover, we suggest that the proposed framework for identifying ERPAs is used for clarifying restoration objectives, assessing the ecological baseline, and offering a scientific reference for large-scale ecological restoration efforts.