Unlocking Synergistic Outcomes: An Ecological Network Approach to Multi‐Species Conservation in the Great Lake Basins

ABSTRACT Great lake basins are important hotspots for biodiversity research, and constructing an ecological security pattern for multi‐species synergistic conservation is crucial for biodiversity enhancement. However, in ecological source identification, model parameter optimization that addresses species‐specific sensitivity to stressors remains limited. Taking the Dongting Lake (DTL) Basin as a case study, this research focused on birds and amphibians. Ecological sources for both species were identified by combining a parameter‐optimized InVEST model with Morphological Spatial Pattern Analysis (MSPA). Multi socio‐ecological factors were integrated to construct species‐specific ecological resistance surfaces. Based on circuit theory, ecological corridors, pinch points, and barrier points were identified for birds, amphibians, and their synergistic networks. The results are as follows: (1) A total of 48 dual‐species ecological sources were identified, accounting for 68.09% of the area of bird sources and 35.50% of the area of amphibian sources. (2) There were 114 cross‐taxa ecological corridors, mainly distributed in the southeastern region with dense dual‐species ecological sources. (3) Within the synergistic ecological network of birds and amphibians, 30 pinch points and 65 barrier points were identified along the cross‐taxa ecological corridors. For the goal of bird–amphibian synergistic conservation, the midstream regions of the Yuanjiang River and Zijiang River and the western downstream of the Xiangjiang River were identified as ecological restoration areas, whereas the upstream Zijiang River and the eastern downstream regions of the Yuanjiang River and Xiangjiang River were designated as ecological protection core areas. This research provides spatial guidance for biodiversity conservation in the DTL Basin and offers a generalizable approach for multi‐species synergistic conservation in the great lake basins.