Analyzing multi-scale changes in landscape connectivity is an important way to study landscape ecological processes and also an important method to maintain regional biodiversity. In this study, graph-based connectivity was used to analyze the dynamics of the connectivity of natural habitats in the Long Yangxia basin of upper Yellow River valley from 1995 to 2015. We used the core areas of the nature reserves as the source regions to construct ecological networks under different thresholds, so as to identify key areas that can maintain overall landscape connectivity.

Environmental degradation is closely related to unreasonable land use behaviors by farmers. In this study, participatory rural assessment (PRA) is used to conduct a detailed survey of farmers and plots and to collect relevant natural and social statistics. The accuracy of remote sensing data is verified by comparative analysis, and the change in status of various land use types in each research period is reflected by the change in the dynamic degree and change in range.

Diversified livelihoods combining farming, livestock keeping and non-farm income are characteristic of many rural households worldwide. For the Central Asian and Caucasian region, livestock keeping is especially important in terms of land use and socio-cultural heritage.