Identifying Ecological Restoration Zones Based on Ecological Security Patterns: A Case Study of a Resource-Transitioning District

Resource-based cities frequently encounter ecological problems such as landscape fragmentation and environmental degradation and need ecological restoration. Previous studies often focused on single-factor restoration or ecological security patterns (ESPs) construction, lacking integrated frameworks that couple spatial patterns with restoration zoning in mining-affected urban areas. This study proposes an integrated framework of "assessment–pattern–zoning" and applies it to Tongshan District, Xuzhou City—a typical resource-transitioning city in China. The ecosystem services in 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2022 were assessed by the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) model. Following the "source–resistance–corridor" paradigm, this study constructed the ESP and developed a zoning index to delineate ecological zones. The results indicate that: (1) The ecosystem service of Tongshan District displayed strong spatial heterogeneity, with the mean value exhibiting an "N"-shaped trend and a marked decline in 2010; (2) The ESP comprised 126.6 km² of ecological sources, 592.31 km of ecological corridors, 57 ecological pinch points, 21 ecological barrier areas, and 222 ecological breakpoints, mainly concentrated in the northeast and central regions; (3) Tongshan District was divided into ecological restoration zone, warning zone, buffer zone, and conservation zone. The buffer zone covered the largest area (1,001.44 km², 53.91%), while most conservation zone (31.08%) overlapped with the ecological protection red line. Warning and restoration zones were concentrated in subsidence-affected areas. These findings offer practical insights for spatial planning and restoration in resource-based cities undergoing industrial transformation.