Assessment of land use effects on environmental vulnerability by ecological niche suitability model

Land use has important effects on environmental vulnerability. The better the land use matches the habitat, the lower the impact value of land use on environmental vulnerability will be. This paper aims to quantify the land use effects on environmental vulnerability by ecological niche suitability model. The agricultural land of Kenli county in the Yellow River Delta was selected for the case-study. The samples were chosen by investigation to establish the niche suitability model of various land use types, and niche suitability value of each land use ecological unit was obtained through comparing the optimum ecological environment conditions with the present situation. The results showed that the land use effects on the environmental vulnerability in Kenli county were good in general, and the cotton field actually determined the environmental vulnerability development of the county; The relationship of land use intensity and the environment vulnerability effect appeared a positive correlation trend; The irrigation and salinity were the dominant environmental factors in land use environmental vulnerability effect. The results of the research are of important significance to the land use management, land degradation prevention and improvement of the ecological environment.