Work

Enhanced NSGA-III-IntPLUS multi-objective framework for optimizing ecological restoration strategies in the Triangle of Central China

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: The Triangle of Central China, defined as an interprovincial region in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, encompasses Hubei, Hunan, and Jiangxi provinces, with Wuhan, Changsha, and Nanchang as its principal urban centers. Rapid urban expansion in this region has increasingly encroached upon ecological spaces, threatening ecosystem health and the sustained provision of ecosystem services. Climate change and land-use change are widely recognized as key drivers affecting ecosystem service functions. This study introduces the NSGA-III algorithm to seek a Pareto-optimal balance between ecological protection and economic growth under the Economic and Ecological Balance (EEB) scenario. Additionally, we integrate climate-sensitivity zoning with land-use response zoning to construct a combined “climate risk–human interference” zoning framework. Western and northern Hubei form a “Climate Buffer Zone,” where Water Yield (WY) and Soil Conservation (SC) are largely driven by precipitation (approximately 33%). Central and northern Jiangxi—classified as the “Stable Conservation Zone” and “Fluctuating Gain Zone”—are dominated by evapotranspiration (approximately 50%). Under the EEB scenario, precise spatial allocation of urban construction and ecological protection is achieved through the NSGA-III algorithm, avoiding significant ecological trade-off hotspots. Huanggang and Jingmen are priority areas for future ecological restoration. Under the Economic Development (ED) scenario, Wuhan and Nanchang exhibit a trend of contiguous degradation, which urgently necessitates cross-regional collaborative governance, with the aim of promoting the effective extension of research outcomes from theoretical cognition to decision support.

Source: Ecological Indicators

DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2026.115246

Authors: Aihua Cao, Chun Dong, Yu Zhang, Yuhan Zhao, Ye Xuan

Institutions: Liaoning Technical University, Chinese Academy of Surveying and Mapping, Ministry of Natural Resources

Language: English

Topic: Land Use and Ecosystem Services

Subfield: Global and Planetary Change

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Life on land, Sustainable cities and communities

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,650