This paper is the result of ecological geological survey engineering.

Objective The construction of an ecological security pattern serves as a critical pathway to achieving a win–win scenario between regional economic development coordination and natural resource and environmental protection. As the natural ecological barrier for the Songnen Plain—a major national grain production base—the Greater Khingan Mountains represent a significant strategic reserve for China's "Dual Carbon" goals. Establishing an ecological security pattern in the Daxing’anling region is of great practical importance for mitigating conflicts between regional ecological security and urban development, as well as socioeconomic growth.

Method Focusing on the the Daxing’anling region in Heilongjiang Province, this study employed morphological spatial pattern analysis (MSPA) to identify two key landscape elements critical for constructing an ecological network: core areas and bridge areas. Landscape connectivity was evaluated using indices such as the integral index of connectivity (IIC), probability of connectivity (PC), and patch importance (dPC). Ecological source patches with high connectivity were selected based on these assessments. Utilizing the minimum cumulative resistance (MCR) model and the gravity model (GM), ecological corridors and nodes were extracted. Combined with land use types, these elements formed the ecological security pattern of the Daxing’anling region.

Results The study identified 34 important ecological sources, 1 moderate ecological source and 2 general ecological sources in the Daxing’anling region. A total of 40 first-level corridors, 26 secondary corridors and 600 third-level corridors were extracted, along with 222 ecological nodes. Together, these components constitute an ecological security pattern centered on ecological sources in the region.

Conclusion The construction of the ecological security pattern in the Daxing’anling region provides a reference and basis for formulating policies related to optimizing ecosystem services and promoting sustainable development. It also offers insights for constructing ecological security networks in other regions.