Objective The Wuding River is a key tributary of the middle reaches of the Yellow River, and the Wuding River Basin has undergone rapid urban and township expansion since 1998, leading to increased fragmentation of its human settlement ecosystem. Over the past two decades, growing ecological concerns in the Yellow River Basin have driven extensive restoration efforts in the Wuding River Basin. While large-scale interventions have achieved notable results, sustaining these improvements remains a challenge. Given the basin’s fragile ecological environment, many existing projects fail to generate lasting cumulative effects, limiting their long-term impact. This research aims to develop an ecological security pattern for human settlements in the Wuding River Basin, while identifying critical ecological resources, corridors, and key restoration nodes essential for biodiversity conservation. To overcome the limitations of conventional restoration approaches, the research proposes a hierarchical and targeted ecological restoration strategy tailored to the basin’s unique environmental conditions. The goal is to balance urban development with ecological protection, thereby optimizing the security and resilience of human settlement ecosystems.

Methods This research follows a structured approach based on the formulation of strategy for construction and optimization of ecological security pattern. The ecological security pattern is developed in three key steps. First, the research identifies ecological source areas through a comprehensive assessment of four core ecosystem functions — water conservation, soil and water retention, windbreak and sand fixation, and biodiversity maintenance. The Morphological Spatial Pattern Analysis (MSPA) model is adopted to refine ecological source selection by incorporating landscape connectivity and spatial distribution characteristics. Based on this, the research maps ecological corridors and barriers by establishing a resistance evaluation system with 11 resistance factors and applying circuit theory to identify key spatial elements such as corridors, pinch points, and barriers, based on which a three-tiered “source – corridor – node” ecological security pattern is formed. Last but not the least, the research proposes a hierarchical restoration strategy: Point-scale restoration for ecological nodes, focusing on localized interventions; linear connectivity enhancement to strengthen corridor linkages and improve landscape connectivity; regional regulation at the ecosystem level to reinforce ecological functionality across larger spatial scales.

Results In the Wuding River Basin, 32 ecological source areas have been identified, covering 9,533 km² and accounting for 31.50% of the total basin area. These ecological sources are predominantly concentrated in the southeastern region, where arboreal forests play a crucial role in maintaining ecological functions. In contrast, the southwestern region exhibits a more fragmented distribution of ecological sources, highlighting the need for targeted restoration efforts to improve connectivity. A total of 82 ecological corridors have been mapped, including 8 key corridors and 74 potential corridors, spanning approximately 1,044.8 km. These corridors serve to link ecological source areas, thereby creating a networked spatial structure that follows a distinct pattern: Denser in the north and sparser in the south. The research also identifies 31 ecological pinch points and 49 ecological barriers, which exhibit similar spatial distribution trends. These features are closely linked to corridor connectivity and are primarily concentrated in the northwestern region, especially in areas that bridge corridors and ecological source areas. Based on the established ecological security pattern for human settlements, a three-tiered “point – line – plane” ecological restoration framework is proposed. This framework extends westward and northward from the southeastern region of the basin, forming a hierarchical and interconnected ecological spatial structure that strengthens ecosystem stability and enhances service functions. The primary ecological restoration axis follows the mainstem of the Wuding River, acting as the backbone of the ecological corridor network. Additionally, there are also two secondary restoration axes extending westward and northward, each reinforcing the overall stability of ecosystem services. Finally, the research delineates three distinct ecological restoration zones within the basin: Key Restoration Zones, which require immediate intervention; Ecological Enhancement Zones, aimed at strengthening ecological connectivity; Controlled Protection Zones, designated for conservation with minimal disturbance. Each zone follows a structured hierarchy of implementation, ensuring that restoration and conservation efforts are precisely targeted. This zoning strategy serves as a guide for spatial management, providing a clear framework for future ecological restoration initiatives.

Conclusion This research explores the ecological security pattern for human settlements in the Wuding River Basin by developing an ecological security pattern centered on ecological sources, corridors, pinch points and barrier points. This framework identifies key ecological restoration areas, and a three-tiered “point – line – plane” restoration model is introduced, forming a comprehensive ecological restoration system that spatially represents the ecological security pattern. These findings help overcome the limitations of traditional restoration approaches, promote the rational allocation of resources, and provide a scientific foundation for regional ecological protection and restoration. However, this research primarily focuses on the basin scale, establishing a mesoscale ecological security pattern for human settlements. While the three-tiered restoration framework offers general guidance, restoration strategies at the same hierarchical level must be tailored to local conditions. As a result, this research serves as a strategic guideline for overall ecological optimization within the basin, outlining key restoration and conservation priorities. Nevertheless, detailed ecological restoration strategies at the municipal, county, and village levels require further refinement, presenting a crucial direction for future research. Moreover, efforts should be made to further refine ecological restoration strategies across different spatial scales and regions to address the varied human settlement environments within the basin. At finer spatial scales — such as the municipal, county or village scale — it is essential to develop more precise and practical restoration measures in combination with local topography, land use characteristics, and socio-economic conditions. Future research should seek a more refined, dynamic, and coordinated approach to improve the scientific validity and practical implementation of the ecological security pattern in the Wuding River Basin.