Quantitative analysis of the impact of human activities on habitat quality and their spatial relationship: Shijiazhuang as an example

Quantitative analysis and revealing of the impact and the correlation of human activities on habitat quality can provide a scientific basis for the management and restoration of the regional eco-environment. Taking Shijiazhuang City as a case study, the temporal and spatial evolution of habitat quality was evaluated by InVEST model based on land use results from remote sensing images of 2010, 2015 and 2021. The spatial correlation between human activities and habitat quality and the impact of human activities on habitat quality were analyzed by bivariate spatial autocorrelation and multiscale geographically weighted regression (MGWR) models, and the human activity intensity index was constructed in combination with the land use, night light and population density data. The results showed that from 2010 to 2021, the human activity intensity in the study area was generally at a stable lower level, showing an increasing trend, with a spatial distribution of low in the western parts and high in the eastern parts. The average value of habitat quality was in the medium level, with a "V" type fluctuation, decreasing first and then increasing. In the spatial distribution, habitat quality level was high in the west and low in the central and eastern parts. There was a significant spatial heterogeneity in the impact of human activity on habitat quality, with a predominantly negative correlation and a decreasing impact, while a positive correlation appeared along rivers and in parts of mountain areas. It was suggested that the spatial correlation between human activity intensity and habitat quality should be considered for eco-environment protection and restoration measures in Shijiazhuang, focusing on the areas in the east-central parts. The measures included controlling the expansion of construction land, protecting basic farmland, and strengthening the ecological restoration along the Hutuo River to improve the habitat quality.