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González del Portillo D, Morales MB, Arroyo B. Temporal trends of land-use favourability for the strongly declining little bustard: assessing the role of protected areas. PeerJ 2024; 12:e16661. [PMID: 38188158 PMCID: PMC10771766 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
The little bustard (Tetrax tetrax) is a steppe bird strongly and negatively influenced by agricultural intensification in Europe. Here, we use the little bustard as a model species to examine how favourability (relative occurrence likelihood of a species based on environmental characteristics, such as habitat availability) varies regionally with degree of protection in north-western Spain. The Natura2000 network is one of the main biodiversity conservation tools of the European Union, aiming to protect areas hosting species of conservation concern from unfavourable land-use changes. The network covers many landscapes across the continent, including farmland. Additionally, we examine the relationship between trends in land-use favourability and little bustard population trends over a decade in the Nature Reserve of Lagunas de Villafáfila, a protected area also in the Natura2000 network where active and intense management focused on steppe bird conservation is carried out. Favourability was much greater in Villafáfila than in both protected areas with lower degree of protection and in non-protected areas. Land-use favourability increased slightly between 2011 and 2020 both in and out of protected areas, whereas little bustard populations declined sharply in that period, even in Villafáfila. Spatial variations in little bustard abundance within Villafáfila depended on social attraction (increasing with the number of neighbouring males) but not significantly on small-scale variations in land-use favourability. These results suggest that land-use management in Natura2000 areas needs to be more conservation-focused, favouring natural and seminatural habitats and traditional farming practices to improve land-use favourability for little bustards and other steppe birds. Additional factors, such as field-level agricultural management or social interaction variables that may cause an Allee effect, should be incorporated in little bustard favourability models to improve their use in conservation planning.
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Affiliation(s)
- David González del Portillo
- Department of Ecology and Research Center on Biodiversity and Global Change, Autónoma University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Manuel B. Morales
- Department of Ecology and Research Center on Biodiversity and Global Change, Autónoma University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Beatriz Arroyo
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC, CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ciudad Real, Spain
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Löfroth T, Merinero S, Johansson J, Nordström EM, Sahlström E, Sjögren J, Ranius T. "Land-sparing benefits biodiversity while land-sharing benefits ecosystem services": Stakeholders' perspectives on biodiversity conservation strategies in boreal forests. Ambio 2024; 53:20-33. [PMID: 37819440 PMCID: PMC10692042 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-023-01926-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
Biodiversity conservation and economic profit from forests can be combined by various land-sparing and land-sharing approaches. Using a semi-structured survey, we evaluated support for scenarios representing contrasting conservation strategies in a managed boreal forest landscape. Land-sparing approaches were supported by the conservation organisation, regional administrations and the forest company, mainly motivated by the benefit for biodiversity based on ecological theory. Land-sharing approaches were supported by one recreational organisation, some municipalities and the forest owners' association, mainly motivated by the delivery of ecosystem services. Stakeholder groups using certain ecosystem services had motivations that we related to an anthropocentric mindset, while others focused more on species conservation, which can be related both to an anthropocentric or an ecocentric mindsets. Forest conservation planning should consider stakeholders' preferences to handle land-use conflicts. Since reaching consensus among multiple stakeholders seems unfeasible, a combination of land-sparing and land-sharing approaches is probably the best compromise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Therese Löfroth
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 901 83, Umeå, Sweden.
| | - Sonia Merinero
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, C/Tulipán s/n, 28933, Móstoles, Spain
| | - Johanna Johansson
- School of Natural Sciences, Technology and Environmental Studies, Södertörn University, 141 89, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Eva-Maria Nordström
- Department of Forest Resource Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 901 83, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Emma Sahlström
- Department of Urban and Rural Development, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7012, 750 07, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jörgen Sjögren
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 901 83, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Thomas Ranius
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7044, 750 07, Uppsala, Sweden
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Ji J, Yu Y, Zhang Z, Hua T, Zhu Y, Zhao H. Notable conservation gaps for biodiversity, ecosystem services and climate change adaptation on the Tibetan Plateau, China. Sci Total Environ 2023; 895:165032. [PMID: 37355118 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/26/2023]
Abstract
Incorporating biodiversity, ecosystem services (ESs) and climate change adaptation into the conservation targets of protected areas (PAs) is being acknowledged. Targeting conservation actions requires a thorough understanding of the relationship between PAs and these important regions. However, few studies have identified conservation gaps while simultaneously considering these three aspects. Here, we assessed the representativeness of the PAs network for biodiversity, ESs and climate refugia (as a proxy for climate change adaptation ability) on the Tibetan Plateau (TP). Our analysis showed that these priority conservation regions were primarily located in the south and southeast of the TP, while they were impacted by intense human pressure. Most ESs and all types of species richness showed a significant positive correlation. Additionally, a positive correlation between multiple climate refugia and different types of species richness was detected. Representativeness analysis revealed notable conservation gaps for these three aspects in existing PAs, highlighting the urgency of adjusting their distribution and improving their representativeness. By integrating these conservation targets, priority regions for future conservation were further delineated. Taken together, our findings contribute to improving the efficiency of PAs and optimizing conservation planning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaqian Ji
- School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China; College of Land Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Yang Yu
- School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China; Jixian National Forest Ecosystem Observation and Research Station, CNERN, School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China.
| | - Zhengchao Zhang
- School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China; Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Grassland Resources and Ecology in the Yellow River Delta, College of Grassland Science, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, Shandong, China
| | - Ting Hua
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Yanpeng Zhu
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Regional Eco-process and Function Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Haotian Zhao
- Sichuan Geological Environment Survey and Research Center, Chengdu 610081, Sichuan, China
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Hua T, Zhao W, Cherubini F, Hu X, Pereira P. Upgrading protected areas can improve or reverse the decline in conservation effectiveness: Evidence from the Tibetan Plateau, China. Sci Total Environ 2023; 873:162345. [PMID: 36813192 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Revised: 02/12/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Protected areas (PAs) are considered essential for maintaining biodiversity. Several governments would like to strengthen the management levels of their PAs (as shorthand for a hierarchy in PA administrative governance) to consolidate their conservation effectiveness. This upgrade (e.g., from provincial- to national-level PAs) means stricter protection and increased funds for PA management. However, confirming whether such an upgrade can produce the expected positive outcomes is key given limited conservation funds. Here, we used the Propensity Score Matching (PSM) method to quantify the impacts of upgrading PAs (i.e., from provincial to national) on vegetation growth on the Tibetan Plateau (TP). We found that the impacts of PA's upgrading can be divided into two impact types: 1) curbed or reversed declines in conservation effectiveness and 2) rapidly increased conservation effectiveness before the upgrade. These results indicate that the PA's upgrading process (including the pre-upgrade operations) can improve PA effectiveness. Nevertheless, the gains did not always occur after the official upgrade. This study demonstrated that in comparison to other PAs, those with more resources or stronger management policies were more effective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Hua
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; Institute of Land Surface System and Sustainable Development, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Wenwu Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; Institute of Land Surface System and Sustainable Development, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.
| | - Francesco Cherubini
- Industrial Ecology Programme and Department of Energy and Process Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Xiangping Hu
- Industrial Ecology Programme and Department of Energy and Process Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Paulo Pereira
- Environmental Management Center, Mykolas Romeris University, Ateities g. 20, LT-08303 Vilnius, Lithuania
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Liu Q, Xue TT, Zhang XX, Yang XD, Qin F, Zhang WD, Wu L, Bussmann RW, Yu SX. Distribution and conservation of near threatened plants in China. Plant Divers 2023; 45:272-283. [PMID: 37397594 PMCID: PMC10311197 DOI: 10.1016/j.pld.2023.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2022] [Revised: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Plants classified as Near Threatened (NT) are at high risk of becoming threatened because of anthropogenic interference and climate change. Especially in conservation efforts, such species have however long been overlooked. Here, we obtained 98,419 precise occurrence points for 2442 NT plants in China, and used species richness, species complementarity, and weighted endemism that consider all, endemic and narrow-ranged species in order to identify the diversity hotspots of NT plants. Then we evaluated the conservation effectiveness of current nature reserves for them. Our results indicate that the diversity hotspots of NT plants were mainly confined to southwestern and southern China, and only 35.87% of hotspots and 71.5% of species were protected by nature reserves. Numerous hotspots in southwestern China (e.g., Sichuan, Yunnan, Guangxi, and Hainan) were identified as conservation gaps. Given that NT plants include large proportions of endemic and narrow-ranged species, they represent an important value in conservation priority. So, more conservation efforts in the future should be tilted towards NT plants. Additionally, when comparing with the recently updated NT list, there are already 87 species raised to threatened categories, while 328 species were lowered to least concern, 56 species were now categorized as data deficient, and 119 species considered as uncertain due to changes of scientific names. It is essential to carry out a continuous assessment of species' threatened categories to realize targeting conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
- College of Forestry, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, China
| | - Tian-Tian Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiao-Xia Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xu-Dong Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Fei Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Wen-Di Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Lei Wu
- College of Forestry, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, China
| | - Rainer W. Bussmann
- Institute of Botany and Bakuriani Alpine Botanical Garden, Ilia State University, Botanical Str. 1, Tbilisi 0105, Georgia
- Department of Botany, State Museum for Natural History Karlsruhe, Erbprinzenstraße 13, Karlsruhe 76133, Germany
| | - Sheng-Xiang Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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Yang Y, Zhong Z, Jing L, Li Q, Wang H, Wang W. Plant community phylogeny responses to protections and its main drivers in boreal forests, China: General pattern and implications. Sci Total Environ 2023; 864:161151. [PMID: 36572317 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.161151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Revised: 12/04/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Patterns of the phylogenetic structure have been broadly applied to predict community assembly processes. However, the distribution pattern of evolutionary diversity and its drivers under nature conservation are still poorly understood in boreal forests. Here, we investigated 1738 sampling plots and subplots from distinct protection intensities (PIs) zones in five representative National Nature Reserves (NNRs). Multiple comparisons, redundancy analysis, and linear mixed model were performed to identify the changes in community phylogeny across different PIs and NNRs and the drivers for these variations. Our results showed considerable plant community phylogeny variations in different NNRs. As indicated by SesMPD (standardized mean pairwise distance) and SesMNTD (standardized the mean nearest taxon distance), trees, shrubs, and herbs presented overdispersed, clustered, and random distribution patterns, respectively, in different PIs. Protection resulted in the phylogenetic structure between the nearest species of trees showing a more overdispersed pattern (p < 0.05). Protection decreased the phylogenetically clustered degree between the nearest species of shrubs (p > 0.05), while the herbs still maintained a random pattern. Community traits explained the most to phylogeny variation of different communities (24 %-71 %, p < 0.01), followed by geoclimatic factors (2 %-24 %) and conservation processes (1 %-21 %). The higher mean annual precipitation and under branch height at the lower latitude area accompanied the higher SesMPD and SesMNTD. The higher PIs attended with higher tree SesMPD, and the longer protection time resulted in higher shrub PSR (phylogenetic species richness) and PSV (phylogenetic species variability). Including the location of NNRs, community traits, and years of protection, rather than only emphasizing PI itself, could optimize community phylogenetic structure and preserve the evolutionary potential of biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanbo Yang
- Key Laboratory of Forest Plant Ecology, Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecological Utilization of Forestry-based Active Substances, College of Chemistry, Chemistry Engineering and Resource Utilization, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Zhaoliang Zhong
- College of Resources & Environment, Jiujiang University, Jiujiang 332005, China
| | - Lixin Jing
- Key Laboratory of Forest Plant Ecology, Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecological Utilization of Forestry-based Active Substances, College of Chemistry, Chemistry Engineering and Resource Utilization, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Qi Li
- Key Laboratory of Forest Plant Ecology, Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecological Utilization of Forestry-based Active Substances, College of Chemistry, Chemistry Engineering and Resource Utilization, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Huimei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Forest Plant Ecology, Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecological Utilization of Forestry-based Active Substances, College of Chemistry, Chemistry Engineering and Resource Utilization, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China.
| | - Wenjie Wang
- Key Laboratory of Forest Plant Ecology, Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecological Utilization of Forestry-based Active Substances, College of Chemistry, Chemistry Engineering and Resource Utilization, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China; Urban Forests and Wetland Group, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Changchun 130102, China; State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, College of Forestry and Biotechnology, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, 311300, China.
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Nguyen MK, Lin C, Quang Hung NT, Hoang HG, Vo DVN, Tran HT. Investigation of ecological risk of microplastics in peatland areas: A case study in Vietnam. Environ Res 2023; 220:115190. [PMID: 36587718 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.115190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Revised: 12/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
This study aims to investigate the distribution and ecological risk assessment of microplastics (MPs) in peatland areas located in Long An province, Vietnam's Mekong Delta. In general, polyvinyl chloride (60.7%), polyethylene (25.8%), and polypropylene (11.9%) were the most abundant polymers determined in the thirty sediment samples. The hazard index (HI) remarked a level of III for MPs contamination in Tan Thanh and Thanh Hoa districts. The pollution load index (PLI) and potential ecological risk index (RI) indicated that the contamination risk of MPs polymer types in the studied sites is relatively high. According to PLI values, MPs levels of peatlands in Tan Thanh and Thanh Hoa are high and moderate, respectively, while the peatland sediments in Duc Hue district are less contaminated. Furthermore, ecological risk indexes in the peatland areas were relatively high, with PLIoverall (level III); HIoverall (level V), and RIoverall (extreme danger). Hence, this study proposed a SWOT framework for challenges of MPs pollution in order to manage peatlands appropriately and minimize ecological risks. As a result, several practical strategies and appropriate approaches have been recommended to reduce microplastics towards a circular economy. These findings provide the initial quantitative assessment insights into hazard levels and ecological impacts of MPs in Vietnam's Mekong Delta peatlands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minh Ky Nguyen
- Ph.D. Program in Maritime Science and Technology, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung 81157, Taiwan; Department of Marine Environmental Engineering, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung 81157, Taiwan; Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, Nong Lam University of Ho Chi Minh City, Hamlet 6, Linh Trung Ward, Thu Duc Dist., Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Viet Nam
| | - Chitsan Lin
- Ph.D. Program in Maritime Science and Technology, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung 81157, Taiwan; Department of Marine Environmental Engineering, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung 81157, Taiwan.
| | - Nguyen Tri Quang Hung
- Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, Nong Lam University of Ho Chi Minh City, Hamlet 6, Linh Trung Ward, Thu Duc Dist., Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Viet Nam
| | - Hong-Giang Hoang
- Faculty of Medicine, Dong Nai Technology University, Bien Hoa, Dong Nai 76100, Viet Nam
| | - Dai-Viet N Vo
- Center of Excellence for Green Energy and Environmental Nanomaterials (CE@GrEEN), Nguyen Tat Thanh University, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Viet Nam
| | - Huu-Tuan Tran
- Laboratory of Ecology and Environmental Management, Science and Technology Advanced Institute, Van Lang University, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Viet Nam; Faculty of Applied Technology, School of Engineering and Technology, Van Lang University, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Viet Nam
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Xu Y, Price M, Yang B, Zhang K, Yang N, Tang X, Ran J, Yi Y, Wang B. Have China's national forest reserves designated since 1990 conserved forests effectively? J Environ Manage 2022; 306:114485. [PMID: 35033892 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.114485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Revised: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
China's forests were severely degraded by human activities during the latter half of the 20th century. Therefore, China enacted ambitious programs of natural forest protection and afforestation to protect and expand forests. Yet it is unclear how the programs, especially the designation of forest reserves, have affected forest cover and fragmentation. We evaluated the effectiveness of China's national forest reserves designated since 1990 in conserving forests, by analyzing four forest metrics (i.e., percentage forest cover, mean forest patch size, mean forest patch radius of gyration, and forest patch cohesion index) derived from a newly produced 30 m annual China land cover dataset from 1990 to 2019. We found that overall forest cover increased and fragmentation decreased from baseline years, when reserves were designated, to 2019 in both reserves and their surrounding areas, and only the increase in forest cover relative to baseline was significantly greater in reserves than in surrounding areas. The designation time of reserves under national protection had no considerable effect on changes in the four metrics, but for zonation, the core zone showed a significantly higher increase in forest patch cohesion index relative to baseline than the buffer and transition zones. Nevertheless, forest cover declined and fragmentation increased in highly forested reserves, suggesting destructive human activities and ineffective management. Thus, forest protection and regeneration programs were moderately successful. We recommend that there is significant improvement needed to ensure greater protection of existing forests and reduction of threats to promote effective management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Xu
- Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Biodiversity Conservation in Karst Mountainous Areas of Southwestern China, School of Life Sciences, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang, 550001, China
| | - Megan Price
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China
| | - Biao Yang
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong, 637009, China
| | - Kai Zhang
- Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Biodiversity Conservation in Karst Mountainous Areas of Southwestern China, School of Life Sciences, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang, 550001, China
| | - Nan Yang
- Institute of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Xiaoxin Tang
- Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Biodiversity Conservation in Karst Mountainous Areas of Southwestern China, School of Life Sciences, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang, 550001, China
| | - Jianghong Ran
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China
| | - Yin Yi
- Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Biodiversity Conservation in Karst Mountainous Areas of Southwestern China, School of Life Sciences, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang, 550001, China
| | - Bin Wang
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong, 637009, China.
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Chowdhury S, Alam S, Labi MM, Khan N, Rokonuzzaman M, Biswas D, Tahea T, Mukul SA, Fuller RA. Protected areas in South Asia: Status and prospects. Sci Total Environ 2022; 811:152316. [PMID: 34915005 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.152316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2021] [Revised: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Natural ecosystems globally have been disrupted by anthropogenic activities, and the current biodiversity extinction rate exceeds the natural extinction rate by 1,000-fold. Protected areas (PAs) help insulate samples of biodiversity from these human-induced threats; however, assessments of the factors threatening biodiversity in PAs are scarce in South Asia - one of the key global epicentres of human population growth. Here, by synthesizing published literature and analysing the current configuration of the PA estate, we discuss the trends and biases in existing knowledge, identify research gaps, measure the level of PA coverage and growth patterns, and discuss the threats to South Asian biodiversity inside PAs. We showed that published studies focused mainly on documenting species distributions in PAs, were heavily biased toward vertebrates, and had been mostly conducted in India. Nearly 70% of studies focused on the distribution of organisms, while only 9% performed conservation assessments or devised strategies to manage PAs; 70% of studies cover vertebrates, while only two studies focused on marine fauna; 50% of studies focused on India, with only a handful from Afghanistan. Only three (Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka) of the eight countries already meet a terrestrial PA representation target of 17%, while no country meets a marine representation target of 10%. Most PAs were very small, with nearly 80% below 100 km2, and 22% below 1 km2. We identified that South Asian PAs are facing a broad range of anthropogenic threats - about three in five studies reported threats inside protected areas. Due to extensive anthropogenic pressures, biodiversity in South Asia is facing an existential crisis, and society-wide collaborative efforts are needed to arrest and reverse the declines. We hope this review will stimulate efforts to capitalise on the opportunity for efficient PA growth in the region on the eve of the post-2020 global biodiversity targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shawan Chowdhury
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, 4072, Australia.
| | - Shofiul Alam
- Department of Zoology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh
| | | | - Nahla Khan
- Department of Zoology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh
| | - Md Rokonuzzaman
- Department of Zoology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh
| | - Dipto Biswas
- Department of Zoology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh
| | - Tasmia Tahea
- Department of Zoology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh
| | - Sharif A Mukul
- Tropical Forests and People Research Centre, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, QLD 4556, Australia
| | - Richard A Fuller
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, 4072, Australia
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Bai L, Wang Z, Lu Y, Tian J, Peng Y. Monthly rather than annual climate variation determines plant diversity change in four temperate grassland nature reserves. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2022; 29:10357-10365. [PMID: 34523091 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-16473-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 09/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Plant diversity is changing in the world; climate variation at annual scale is believed to drive these changes; however, the effects of climate variation at month scale are still unknown. Anxi, West Ordos, Xilingol, and Tumuji grassland nature reserves, located in northern China, have been well protected from human disturbance, are ideal areas to identify the drive forces for plant diversity change. Using Landsat images from 1982 to 2017, we analyzed the evolution of month- and annual-climate variables and spectral plant diversity indices, and explored the effects of the variability of temperature and precipitation on plant diversity and their relationship. The results showed that the diversity of the four grasslands was decreasing. Climate variables, in particular temperature at month scale, significantly related to grassland plant diversity. These results enlarge our understanding in how climate change driving plant diversity during a long term. Measurements coping with plant diversity decreasing may be more effective and earlier based on monthly climate variables.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lan Bai
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, No. 27 Zhongguancun South Street, Haidian District, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Zhaohua Wang
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, No. 27 Zhongguancun South Street, Haidian District, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Yitong Lu
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, No. 27 Zhongguancun South Street, Haidian District, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Jialing Tian
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, No. 27 Zhongguancun South Street, Haidian District, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Yu Peng
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, No. 27 Zhongguancun South Street, Haidian District, Beijing, 100081, China.
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11
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Zhang Y, Qian L, Spalink D, Sun L, Chen J, Sun H. Spatial phylogenetics of two topographic extremes of the Hengduan Mountains in southwestern China and its implications for biodiversity conservation. Plant Divers 2021; 43:181-191. [PMID: 34195502 PMCID: PMC8233532 DOI: 10.1016/j.pld.2020.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2020] [Revised: 08/30/2020] [Accepted: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Previous attempts to elucidate the drivers of speciation mechanisms and spatial distribution patterns of biodiversity in mountain regions have treated different floras within a single geological region as one flora, ignoring the potential contributions of high habitat/ecosystem heterogeneity. Furthermore, current conservation strategies largely focus on forest ecosystems and/or specific flagship species, ignoring marginal ecosystems, leaving species in these ecosystems at risk. Here, we compared the spatial patterns of biodiversity and the potential drivers of these patterns in the river valley and subnival ecosystems of the Hengduan Mountains region (HDM) in southwestern China. Specifically, we compared spatial patterns of diversity, endemism, and threatened species in these ecosystems based on both traditional measurements and recent phylogenetic approaches. We then examined how those patterns were related to environmental factors and human activity in these same regions. We found that the middle-southern HDM supports the highest diversity and endemism for the river valley and subnival ecosystems; however, the distribution patterns of neo- and paleo-endemism in these two ecosystems differ. Regression models indicate that habitat diversity and paleo-climatic fluctuation are important drivers of diversity and endemism for these two ecosystems. Temperature and precipitation, however, showed different influences on the spatial patterns in different ecosystems. Categorical analysis of neo- and paleo-endemism (CANAPE) indicated that most endemism centers are not covered by current nature reserves. Moreover, the intensity of human activity is highest in the southern and southeastern HDM, which coincides with the distribution patterns of diversity, mixed-endemism and high-priority (and threatened) species. These findings suggest that different floras within a single geographic/floristic region respond differently to environmental factors and show different spatial phylogenetic patterns. We, therefore, recommend that future research into the drivers of biodiversity consider the contributions of various ecosystem types within a single geological region. This study also provides a theoretical basis for protecting habitat diversity. Our work confirms that current conservation efforts are insufficient to protect ecosystem diversity in the river valley and subnival ecosystems of the Hengduan Mountains. Therefore, we recommend the establishment of nature reserves in the regions identified in this study; furthermore, we strongly recommend improving current and establishing new management policies for biodiversity conservation in this region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yazhou Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, Yunnan, PR China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China
| | - Lishen Qian
- CAS Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, Yunnan, PR China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China
| | - Daniel Spalink
- Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station 77843-2138, TX, USA
| | - Lu Sun
- CAS Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, Yunnan, PR China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China
| | - Jianguo Chen
- CAS Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, Yunnan, PR China
| | - Hang Sun
- CAS Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, Yunnan, PR China
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Crain BJ, Stachowiak C, McKenzie PF, Sanchirico JN, Kroetz K, Armsworth PR. Citizens of local jurisdictions enhance plant community preservation through ballot initiatives and voter-driven conservation efforts. Ambio 2021; 50:1237-1247. [PMID: 33586052 PMCID: PMC8068745 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-020-01469-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Open space areas protected by local communities may augment larger scale preservation efforts and may offer overlooked benefits to biodiversity conservation provided they are in suitable ecological condition. We examine protected areas established by local communities through ballot initiatives, a form of direct democracy, in California, USA. We compare ecological conditions of wooded habitats on local ballot protected sites and on sites protected by a state-level conservation agency. Collectively, we found few differences in ecological conditions on each protected area type. Ballot sites had greater invasive understory cover and larger trees. Community dissimilarity patterns suggested ballot sites protect a complementary set of tree species to those on state lands. Overall, geographic characteristics influenced onsite conditions more than details of how sites were protected. Thus, community-driven conservation efforts contribute to protected area networks by augmenting protection of some species while providing at least some protection to others that might otherwise be missed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin J. Crain
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Dabney Hall, 1416 Circle Drive, Knoxville, TN USA
- Present Address: Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, 647 Contees Wharf Road, Edgewater, MD 21037 USA
| | - Chad Stachowiak
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Dabney Hall, 1416 Circle Drive, Knoxville, TN USA
- Present Address: National Resource Conservation Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC 20250 USA
| | - Patrick F. McKenzie
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, & Environmental Biology, Columbia University, 10th Floor Schermerhorn Ext, 1200 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027 USA
| | - James N. Sanchirico
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California-Davis, Wickson Hall, 1 Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616 USA
- Resources for the Future, 1616 P Street NW, Washington, DC 20036 USA
| | - Kailin Kroetz
- Resources for the Future, 1616 P Street NW, Washington, DC 20036 USA
- School of Sustainability, Arizona State University, PO Box 875502, Tempe, AZ 85287 USA
| | - Paul R. Armsworth
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Dabney Hall, 1416 Circle Drive, Knoxville, TN USA
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13
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Jin Y, Liu Z, Wei J, Wen Y, He N, Tang L, Lin D, Lin J. A first report of Thelazia callipaeda infection in Phortica okadai and wildlife in national nature reserves in China. Parasit Vectors 2021; 14:13. [PMID: 33407836 PMCID: PMC7789172 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-04509-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Thelazia callipaeda is a zoonotic parasitic nematode of the family Thelaziidae, with Phortica okadai as its intermediate host and only confirmed vector in China. China has the largest number of human cases of thelaziosis in the world. It is generally believed that infected domestic animals (dogs and cats) are the most important reservoir hosts of T. callipaeda, and thus pose a direct threat to humans. At present, there is little research or attention focused on the role of wildlife in the transmission cycle of thelaziosis in nature reserves. Methods We selected locations in four national nature reserves across China to monitor P. okadai and wildlife. We used a fly-trap method to monitor P. okadai density. Morphological analysis of the parasites collected from the conjunctival sac of the infected wildlife was undertaken as the first step in species identification, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used for species confirmation. Results In 2019, the density of P. okadai in Foping National Nature Reserve in China increased sharply, and infected P. okadai were newly found in the reserve. Giant panda, wild boar, leopard cat, and black bear were found to be newly infected with T. callipaeda (one individual of each species). A total of four worms were collected, one from each species of wildlife. The four worms were identified as T. callipaeda by their morphological characteristics; species identification was confirmed by PCR amplification. Conclusions To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of T. callipaeda infection in P. okadai as well as in a variety of wildlife, including giant panda, in nature reserves in China. These results indicate that there is a transmission cycle of T. callipaeda among wildlife in these nature reserves. The increasing number of case reports of thelaziosis in wildlife suggest a likely risk of T. callipaeda infection for the inhabitants of villages situated around nature reserves. ![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Yipeng Jin
- College of Veterinary Medicine, People's Republic of China Agricultural University, No. 2 Yuanmingyuan West Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100193, People's Republic of China
| | - Zichen Liu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, People's Republic of China Agricultural University, No. 2 Yuanmingyuan West Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100193, People's Republic of China.
| | - Jiaqi Wei
- College of Veterinary Medicine, People's Republic of China Agricultural University, No. 2 Yuanmingyuan West Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100193, People's Republic of China
| | - Yifan Wen
- College of Veterinary Medicine, People's Republic of China Agricultural University, No. 2 Yuanmingyuan West Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100193, People's Republic of China
| | - Nianjun He
- Foping National Nature Reserve, Shaanxi, 723400, People's Republic of China
| | - Liubin Tang
- Foping National Nature Reserve, Shaanxi, 723400, People's Republic of China
| | - Degui Lin
- College of Veterinary Medicine, People's Republic of China Agricultural University, No. 2 Yuanmingyuan West Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100193, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiahao Lin
- College of Veterinary Medicine, People's Republic of China Agricultural University, No. 2 Yuanmingyuan West Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100193, People's Republic of China.
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14
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Yang F, Wu R, Jin T, Long Y, Zhao P, Yu Q, Wang L, Wang J, Zhao H, Guo Y. Efficiency of unlocking or locking existing protected areas for identifying complementary areas for biodiversity conservation. Sci Total Environ 2019; 694:133771. [PMID: 31756816 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.133771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2019] [Revised: 08/02/2019] [Accepted: 08/03/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
It is well known that existing protected areas (PAs) should function as focal areas for expanding PA systems. The optimal complementary conservation areas are often identified by implementing two approaches in systematic conservation planning, i.e., unlocking or locking existing PAs. However, evidence-based studies are lacking for clarifying the efficiencies of these two planning approaches. With Sichuan in southwest China - part of a global biodiversity hotspot - as one case, this study first assessed the ecological representativeness of existing nature reserves (NRs). Using 32 natural vegetation types as the conservation features, we then implemented a systematic conservation planning process by running Marxan software with NR-unlocked and NR-locked scenarios. A human disturbance index was also included as a penalty function in Marxan for achieving cost-effective planning. We finally investigated the efficiencies of the unlocking and locking planning approaches by comparing the outcomes of the NR-unlocked and NR-locked scenarios. We found that existing NRs were geographically biased towards the western mountainous regions with high elevations and low human disturbance levels. For achieving the same quantitative conservation targets, the total area of the NR-locked priority conservation areas was 18.6% larger than that of the NR-unlocked areas, whereas the area of NR-locked complementary areas to existing NRs was 15.3% smaller than that of NR-unlocked ones. Moreover, the NR-locked priority conservation areas had higher ecological representativeness than NR-unlocked areas. The results suggest that if a completely new PA system is to be established without considering existing PAs, the unlocking approach could more efficiently achieve the full conservation targets at lower costs of land area and with better connected habitats. When existing PAs must be used as focal areas for expansion, the locking approach is more cost-effective for filling conservation gaps by requiring smaller amounts of complementary areas. Our analysis provides evidence-based support for expanding the current PA systems in a cost-effective manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feiling Yang
- Conservation Biogeography Research Group, Institute of International Rivers and Eco-security, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan 650091, China; Yunnan Key Laboratory of International Rivers and Transboundary Ecosecurity, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan 650091, China
| | - Ruidong Wu
- Conservation Biogeography Research Group, Institute of International Rivers and Eco-security, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan 650091, China; Yunnan Key Laboratory of International Rivers and Transboundary Ecosecurity, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan 650091, China.
| | - Tong Jin
- The Nature Conservancy China Program, B4-2 Qijiayuan Diplomatic Compound, No. 9 Jianguomenwai Dajie, Beijing 100600, China
| | - Yongcheng Long
- Southwest Branch of Society of Entrepreneur and Ecology, 17-3 Jingdong Road, Kunming, Yunnan 650217, China
| | - Peng Zhao
- The Nature Conservancy China Program, B4-2 Qijiayuan Diplomatic Compound, No. 9 Jianguomenwai Dajie, Beijing 100600, China
| | - Qian Yu
- International Crane Foundation, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Longzhu Wang
- The Nature Conservancy China Program, B4-2 Qijiayuan Diplomatic Compound, No. 9 Jianguomenwai Dajie, Beijing 100600, China
| | - JunJun Wang
- Conservation Biogeography Research Group, Institute of International Rivers and Eco-security, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan 650091, China; Yunnan Key Laboratory of International Rivers and Transboundary Ecosecurity, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan 650091, China
| | - Haiwei Zhao
- Conservation Biogeography Research Group, Institute of International Rivers and Eco-security, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan 650091, China; Yunnan Key Laboratory of International Rivers and Transboundary Ecosecurity, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan 650091, China
| | - Yang Guo
- Conservation Biogeography Research Group, Institute of International Rivers and Eco-security, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan 650091, China; Yunnan Key Laboratory of International Rivers and Transboundary Ecosecurity, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan 650091, China
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15
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Yang J, Yang J, Luo X, Huang C. Impacts by expansion of human settlements on nature reserves in China. J Environ Manage 2019; 248:109233. [PMID: 31310936 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2019] [Revised: 05/06/2019] [Accepted: 07/03/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Expansion of human settlements affects nature reserves in various ways. Planning ahead can help to divert or mitigate the impacts but a good understanding of these impacts is a prerequisite. In this study, we estimated the impacts caused by the expansion of human settlements on nature reserves in China by 2050 under different development and conservation scenarios. Our results show that 5016 km2 of nature reserves may be encroached by the expansion of human settlements under the scenario of high growth and weak protection, a ten-fold increase compared to 2010. In addition, new settlements may fragment landscapes in 243 nature reserves and increase the level of fragmentation in 109 nature reserves. Furthermore, expansion of human settlements in surrounding areas may expose 164 nature reserves to threats of human activities and increase the threat levels to 540 nature reserves. The impacts will be lower if protection is stronger or economic growth is slower. Among all nature reserves, those administered at the county level will be affected the most. Nature reserves that protect forests and inland wetlands will be affected more than nature reserves protecting other objects. Nature reserves in East and South China will be influenced more than reserves in other regions. Findings from China show that the expansion of human settlements poses serious challenges to nature reserves in the future, especially in places where economic growth is fast and nature reserves are weakly protected. Proactive conservation strategies have to be developed and implemented forcefully to manage these impacts. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of the potential conflict between human settlements and nature reserves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingyi Yang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Earth System Modeling, Department of Earth System Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China; Joint Center for Global Change Studies, Beijing, 100875, China; College of Forestry, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, China.
| | - Jun Yang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Earth System Modeling, Department of Earth System Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China; Joint Center for Global Change Studies, Beijing, 100875, China.
| | - Xiangyu Luo
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Earth System Modeling, Department of Earth System Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China; Joint Center for Global Change Studies, Beijing, 100875, China.
| | - Conghong Huang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Earth System Modeling, Department of Earth System Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China; Joint Center for Global Change Studies, Beijing, 100875, China.
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16
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Yang H, Viña A, Winkler JA, Chung MG, Dou Y, Wang F, Zhang J, Tang Y, Connor T, Zhao Z, Liu J. Effectiveness of China's protected areas in reducing deforestation. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2019; 26:18651-18661. [PMID: 31055756 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-019-05232-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2018] [Accepted: 04/22/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Protected areas (PAs) are considered a cornerstone of biodiversity conservation, and the number and extent of PAs are expanding rapidly worldwide. While designating more land as PAs is important, concerns about the degree to which existing PAs are effective in meeting conservation goals are growing. Unfortunately, conservation effectiveness of PAs and its underlying determinants are often unclear across large spatial scales. Using PAs in China as an example, we evaluated the effectiveness of 472 PAs established before 2000 in reducing deforestation between 2000 and 2015. Our results show that the majority (71%) of the PAs were effective in reducing deforestation. Without their establishment, deforestation within the PAs would have increased by about 50% (581 km2), with about 1271 megaton of carbon per year not being sequestered. We also found some attributes of PAs, including surrounding deforestation level, roughness of terrain, and travel time to the nearest city, are significantly related to their effectiveness in reducing deforestation. Our findings highlight the need of systematically evaluating the effectiveness of PAs and incorporating this effectiveness into conservation planning and management to more fully realize the goals of PAs not only in China but also around the world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongbo Yang
- Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48823, USA
| | - Andrés Viña
- Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48823, USA
- Department of Geography, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Julie Ann Winkler
- Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48823, USA
| | - Min Gon Chung
- Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48823, USA
| | - Yue Dou
- Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48823, USA
| | - Fang Wang
- Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48823, USA
| | - Jindong Zhang
- Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48823, USA.
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation, China West Normal University, Ministry of Education, Nanchong, 637009, Sichuan Province, China.
| | - Ying Tang
- Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48823, USA
- Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48823, USA
| | - Thomas Connor
- Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48823, USA
| | - Zhiqiang Zhao
- Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48823, USA
| | - Jianguo Liu
- Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48823, USA.
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Volis S. Securing a future for China's plant biodiversity through an integrated conservation approach. Plant Divers 2018; 40:91-105. [PMID: 30175290 PMCID: PMC6114126 DOI: 10.1016/j.pld.2018.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2017] [Revised: 04/18/2018] [Accepted: 04/18/2018] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
The severely threatened Chinese flora urgently needs a new, well adapted to China and properly formulated conservation strategy. The present review provides a detailed conservation methodology that complements previously described guidelines for preservation of plant species with extremely small populations (PSESP) in China. This review adds to the above concept in several aspects, making it relevant to all threatened Chinese plant species. The proposed integral conservation strategy has the following crucial components:-ecoregional basis for conservation planning and implementation;-a unified scoring system that is used in regional systematic planning for reserve design, monitoring and assessment of efficiency of a reserve network, and creation of seed banks and living collections;-a focus on population demography and the presence of naturally occurring regeneration as the key criteria for defining the conservation status of a species and the appropriate major focus of the species recovery plan;-creation of multi-species living collections that preserve species genetic variation and provide material for in situ actions;-experimental translocation of threatened species into multiple locations within and outside their known range. Adopting and implementing these strategies successfully and more fully in China requires that the country changes PA legislation and improves PA management, the National Science Foundation of China (NSFC) re-prioritizes the type of research that receives research funds, and local scientists improve their approach toward information sharing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergei Volis
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650204, China
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18
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Li S, Wu J, Gong J, Li S. Human footprint in Tibet: Assessing the spatial layout and effectiveness of nature reserves. Sci Total Environ 2018; 621:18-29. [PMID: 29175618 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.11.216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2017] [Revised: 11/19/2017] [Accepted: 11/19/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Humanity is causing dramatic changes to the Earth, and we may be entering a human-dominated era referred to as the Anthropocene. Mapping the human footprint and assessing the spatial layout and effectiveness of protected areas facilitate sustainable development. As the core region of the third pole, Tibet is an important area for biodiversity and the provision of ecosystem services. In this study, five categories of human pressure were summed cumulatively to map the human footprint in Tibet for 1990 and 2010, and the spatial relationship between the human footprint and national and provincial nature reserves (NRs) in Tibet was analyzed. In addition, the human footprint map was also used to evaluate the effectiveness of national and provincial NRs for reducing the impact of human activities. A comprehensive assessment was undertaken for the Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon (YZGC) NR. There were several key findings from this study. First, the human footprint scores (HFS) in Tibet for 1990 and 2010 were low, and increased by 32.35% during 1990-2010, which was greater than the global value of 9% for 1993-2009, indicating that Tibet is seriously threatened by human pressure. Grazing intensity and road disturbance intensity contributed significantly to the increase in the HFS. Second, the average HFS for 1990 in NRs was lower than that for the entire Tibet, but the spatial layout and extent of some reserves (e.g., the Qomolangma NR) needs to be optimized further. Third, the establishment of NRs in Tibet was effective in reducing human activities. No leakage phenomena were identified in the regions surrounding the YZGC reserve. However, the management of NRs in Tibet is still challenging in terms of reducing human activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shicheng Li
- Department of Land Resource Management, School of Public Administration, China University of Geosciences, 430074, Wuhan, China; Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, CAS, Beijing 100101, China.
| | - Jianshuang Wu
- Freie Universität Berlin, Institute of Biology, Biodiversity/Theoretical Ecology, Altensteinstraße 34, 14195 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Jian Gong
- Department of Land Resource Management, School of Public Administration, China University of Geosciences, 430074, Wuhan, China; Key Labs of Law Evaluation of Ministry of Land and Resources of China, 430074 Wuhan, China.
| | - Shaowei Li
- Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, CAS, Beijing 100101, China.
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19
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Volis S. How to conserve threatened Chinese plant species with extremely small populations? Plant Divers 2016; 38:45-52. [PMID: 30159448 PMCID: PMC6112090 DOI: 10.1016/j.pld.2016.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2015] [Revised: 01/27/2016] [Accepted: 01/27/2016] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
The Chinese flora occupies a unique position in global plant diversity, but is severely threatened. Although biodiversity conservation in China has made significant progress over the past decades, many wild plant species have extremely small population sizes and therefore are in extreme danger of extinction. The concept of plant species with extremely small populations (PSESPs), recently adopted and widely accepted in China, lacks a detailed description of the methodology appropriate for conserving PSESPs. Strategies for seed sampling, reintroduction, protecting PSESP locations, managing interactions with the local human population, and other conservation aspects can substantially differ from those commonly applied to non-PSESPs. The present review is an attempt to provide a detailed conservation methodology with realistic and easy-to-follow guidelines for PSESPs in China.
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Urgenson L, Schmidt AH, Combs J, Harrell S, Hinckley T, Yang Q, Ma Z, Yongxian L, Hongliang L, MacIver A. Traditional Livelihoods, Conservation and Meadow Ecology in Jiuzhaigou National Park, Sichuan, China. Hum Ecol Interdiscip J 2014; 42:481-491. [PMID: 26097267 PMCID: PMC4474163 DOI: 10.1007/s10745-014-9650-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Jiuzhaigou National Park (JNP) is a site of global conservation significance. Conservation policies in JNP include the implementation of two national reforestation programs to increase forest cover and the exclusion of local land-use. We use archaeological excavation, ethnographic interviews, remote sensing and vegetation surveys to examine the implications of these policies for non-forest, montane meadows. We find that Amdo Tibetan people cultivated the valley for >2,000 years, creating and maintaining meadows through land clearing, burning and grazing. Meadows served as sites for gathering plants and mushrooms and over 40 % of contemporary species are ethnobotanically useful. Remote sensing analyses indicate a substantial (69.6 %) decline in meadow area between 1974 and 2004. Respondents report a loss of their "true history" and connections to the past associated with loss of meadows. Conservation policies intended to preserve biodiversity are unintentionally contributing to the loss of these ecologically and culturally significant meadow habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Urgenson
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, College of the Environment, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-2100, USA
| | | | - Julie Combs
- UW Botanic Gardens, University of Washington, Box 354115, Seattle, WA 98195-4115, USA
| | - Stevan Harrell
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, College of the Environment, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-2100, USA
| | - Thomas Hinckley
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, College of the Environment, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-2100, USA
| | - Qingxia Yang
- Science Department, Jiuzhaigou National Park, Aba Prefecture, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Ziyu Ma
- Department of Bioscience, Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Aarhus University, Building 1540, Room 318, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Li Yongxian
- Department of Archaeology, Sichuan University, 24 S Section One, Yihuan Road, Chengdu, 610065 Sichuan, China
| | - Lü Hongliang
- Department of Archaeology, Sichuan University, 24 S Section One, Yihuan Road, Chengdu, 610065 Sichuan, China
| | - Andrew MacIver
- Division of the Social Sciences, University of Chicago, 5828 South University Avenue, Pick Hall 301, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
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