Estimation on Aesthetic Value of Tourist Landscapes in a Natural Heritage Site:Kanas National Nature Reserve,Xinjiang,China

Most world natural heritage sites are designated partly by reason of their prominent aesthetic values in accordance with Article Ⅶ of World Natural Heritage Convention.In this paper, the aesthetic values of Kanas National Nature Reserve, which has potential for such designation, was analyzed quantitatively using scenic beauty estimation(SBE).The landscapes of 19 representative scenic spots in the Kanas National Nature Reserve in summer and autumn were selected as the objects of evaluation.The contributions of different landscape factors to the aesthetic value of the Kanas National Nature Reserve were revealed using a multivariate quantitative model.The main factors affecting the aesthetic value were waterscapes, vegetation, mountains, folk culture and the tourist environment.The t-test and F-test results are extremely significant.According to the results, some suggestions were given for conserving the landscapes in the Kanas National Nature Reserve.

A Remote Sensing-based Analysis on the Impact of Wenchuan Earthquake on the Core Value of World Nature Heritage Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuary

In this study,we used remotely sensed data,GIS modeling,and statistical methods to evaluate the damage caused by the Wenchuan Earthquake (May 12,2008) to the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) habitat in the World Nature Heritage Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuary (WHSGPS) in China.A landscape ecological analysis found increases of landscape heterogeneity,complexity,and fragmentation in the giant panda habitat after the earthquake.A terrain analysis found that slope and elevation are directly associated with the distribution of the damaged areas.As slope and elevation increase,the size of the damaged area keeps increase until to a peak,and then starts to drop.The total area of the damaged vegetation in our study area is 114.26 km 2,accounting for 3.78% of the study area;30.46% of that 114.26 km 2 is located in the Core Zone of WHSGPS.There are 18.57km 2 of the damaged vegetation located in the identified suitable giant panda habitat,accounting for 1.75% of the total area of suitable giant panda habitats in the study area.Based on these findings,we conclude that the Wenchuan Earthquake does not have significant impact on the WHSGPS as a whole.

Distinctive Features of the Property of Cat Ba Archipelago, Vietnam

The nominated property, Cat Ba Archipelago, includes Cat Ba Archipelago Biosphere Reserve, Cat Ba National Park, and Long Chau Island group, which belongs to Cat Hai District, Hal Phong City, Vietnam. Cat Ba Archipelago represents the ongoing ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of Asia＇s characteristic marine and insular ecosystems, both tropical and subtropic. The nominated property is a high biodiversity center with 3,860 species of plants and animals on islands and in the sea, of which 130 species are recorded on the Red Lists of Nationally and Internationally Threatened Species, and 76 species on the IUCN Red List of Globally Threatened Species. The iconic Cat Ba white-headed langur （Trachypithecus poliocephalus） is an endemic species indigenous to Cat Ba Archipelago where at present one population of 63 individuals only survives but nowhere else in the world. The Cat Ba white-headed langur is recognized as a critically endangered species facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild, thus needing urgent protection. The existence of another 20 endemic species in Cat Ba Archipelago shows that the process of evolution are on-going here, as new species continue to emerge in this unique archipelagic habitat.