River Basin Ecological Risk Assessment via Spatial Aggregation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing ecological risk assessment methods are not suitable for river basin-scale assessments, leading to incomplete evaluations and low accuracy due to their inability to handle complex ecosystems and regional imbalances.

Innovation Solution

A method that comprehensively evaluates ecological risk in river basins by dividing the basin into fishnets using GIS technology, calculating landscape disturbance and vulnerability indices, and determining ecological risk indices at spatial aggregation and regional imbalance levels.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If traditional single indicator evaluation method is used, then the assessment process is simple, but the assessment accuracy and comprehensiveness are insufficient for basin-scale ecological risk

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveassessment process simplicityVSAvoidassessment accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the basin into multiple fishnets (spatial units) and divides the assessment into multiple dimensions including landscape disturbance index, landscape vulnerability index, and spatial aggregation level. This segmentation allows comprehensive assessment of complex basin-scale ecological risks while maintaining systematic organization of the assessment process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Adaptability or versatility

If traditional ecological risk assessment method is used, then the method can be applied to specific scenarios, but it cannot handle basin-scale complex ecosystems with regional imbalances

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveapplicability to specific scenariosVSAvoidsuitability for basin-scale assessment

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces spatial aggregation level as an additional dimension to traditional assessment methods. By calculating spatial aggregation indices and analyzing regional imbalance levels across different spatial scales, the method transforms from single-point assessment to multi-scale spatial assessment, enabling reliable evaluation of basin-scale complex ecosystems with regional heterogeneity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Measurement precision

If basin is divided into multiple fishnets, then the spatial resolution and assessment comprehensiveness improve, but the calculation complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespatial assessment precisionVSAvoidcalculation system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent develops a unified multi-functional assessment framework that simultaneously calculates landscape disturbance index, landscape vulnerability index, spatial aggregation level, and regional imbalance level within a single system. This universal framework handles multiple assessment objectives and spatial units systematically, reducing overall calculation complexity despite the detailed spatial segmentation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

4Reliability

If landscape disturbance index and vulnerability index are calculated for each fishnet, then the ecological risk assessment becomes more comprehensive, but the data processing time and computational load increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveecological risk assessment reliabilityVSAvoiddata processing time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary calculations of landscape disturbance index and vulnerability index for each fishnet before conducting the final ecological risk assessment. By pre-computing these baseline indicators and storing them, the system avoids redundant calculations during the main assessment process, significantly reducing data processing time while maintaining comprehensive and reliable risk evaluation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS20250172535A1Method of Determining River Basin Ecological Risk with Spatial Aggregation Level and Regional Imbalance Level

Publication Date: 2025.05.29 HARBIN INST OF TECH

AI summary

A method of determining ecological risk with spatial aggregation and regional imbalance level applicable for use in a river basin which involves geographic information, ecology, environmental engineering and computer technology includes the steps of: dividing a river basin into a plurality of fishnets; obtaining a basin landscape disturbance index and a basin landscape vulnerability index; obtaining a basin ecological risk index based on the basin landscape disturbance index and the basin landscape vulnerability index; and determining and evaluating the basin ecological risk in spatial aggregation and the regional imbalance with reference to a spatial autocorrelation value and a basin ecological risk imbalance value obtained by using the basin ecological risk index. The ecological risk in spatial aggregation and the regional imbalance is output and evaluate so that the ecological risk in river basin can be assessed comprehensively with high evaluation accuracy.