Population estimates of black crested gibbons in Wuliang Nature Reserve,Jingdong,Yunnan,China,with two techniques,average group density total area and average home rang forest coverage,produced quite similar result...Population estimates of black crested gibbons in Wuliang Nature Reserve,Jingdong,Yunnan,China,with two techniques,average group density total area and average home rang forest coverage,produced quite similar results.The population was estimated around 115 groups in the Reserve.The paper also discussed the conservation problems of the Reserve.At present,the main threat to the gibbons is habitat fragmentation and population isolation.Thus,it is urgent to prohibit hunting and protect the habitat and forest corridors or habitat bridges.展开更多
Ecological Civilization Construction and natural conservatiorl and sustain- able resources use are three aspects of same object proposed from various angles of theory and practice. The paper intends to simply deal wit...Ecological Civilization Construction and natural conservatiorl and sustain- able resources use are three aspects of same object proposed from various angles of theory and practice. The paper intends to simply deal with some problems of this aspect and to propose corresponding suggestions for related departments.展开更多
Many nature reserves are established to protect the habitat needs of particular endangered species of interest but their effectiveness for protecting other species is questionable.In this study,this effectiveness was ...Many nature reserves are established to protect the habitat needs of particular endangered species of interest but their effectiveness for protecting other species is questionable.In this study,this effectiveness was evaluated in a nature reserve network located in the Qinling Mountains,Shaanxi Province,China.The network of reserves was established mainly for the conservation of the giant panda,a species considered as a surrogate for the conservation of many other endangered species in the region.The habitat suitability of nine protected species,including the giant panda,was modeled by using Maximum Entropy(MAXENT)and their spatial congruence was analyzed.Habitat suitability of these species was also overlapped with nature reserve boundaries and their management zones(i.e.,core,buffer and experimental zones).Results show that in general the habitat of the giant panda constitutes a reasonable surrogate of the habitat of other protected species,and giant panda reserves protect a relatively high proportion of the habitat of other protected species.Therefore,giant panda habitat conservation also allows the conservation of the habitat of other protected species in the region.However,a large area of suitable habitat was excluded from the nature reserve network.In addition,four species exhibited a low proportion of highly suitable habitat inside the core zones of nature reserves.It suggests that a high proportion of suitable habitat of protected species not targeted for conservation is located in the experimental and buffer zones,thus,is being affected by human activities.To increase their conservation effectiveness,nature reserves and their management zones need to be re-examined in order to include suitable habitat of more endangered species.The procedures described in this study can be easily implemented for the conservation of many endangered species not only in China but in many other parts of the world.展开更多
The article presents research findings related to recreational use of forests located in protected mountainous areas with forestage of over 80%. The study was designed to identify recreational potential of the Carpath...The article presents research findings related to recreational use of forests located in protected mountainous areas with forestage of over 80%. The study was designed to identify recreational potential of the Carpathian national parks （Bieszczady National Park, Bahia G6ra National Park, Goree National Park and Magura National Park; southern Poland） and to compare these findings with the actual number of visitors. The information received on the recreational potential of parks is important from the point of view of protection of natural resources and the financial situation of the parks. The calculated ratio may be an effective tool of management for park administration, that allows to reconcile statutory social and protective functions of national parks. The study determined the recreational potential of the forests with the use of recreational valorisation method designed for areas with varied terrain, and the evaluated factors included the stands of trees with their habitat and land relief. The permissible number of national park visitors, expressed as man- hour/ha/year ranges from 19.31 in Bieszczady National Park （BG： 19~ 35＇ E, 49~ 35＇ N） to 32.06 in in Bieszczady National Park （B： 22~ 40＇ E, 49~ lo＇ N）. In 3 out of 4 investigated parks, Magura National Park （M： 21025＇ E, 49~ 30＇ N）, Gorce National Park （G： 20~ lo＇ E, 49~ 35＇ N）, B） recreation carrying capacity was not exceeded, whether or not the strictly protected area is taken into account. Only in BG was the recreation carrying capacity exceeded by nearly 24%, or by 85% if the strictly protected area isexcluded from tourism-related exploitation. The presented procedure for monitoring access to mountain forests in national parks, from the viewpoint of natural resources conservation, can be applied in other mountainous areas covered with forests and exposed to tourist and recreational traffic, and in forests facing particular risk of recreational damage, e.g. in urban and suburban forests growing in areas with varied orography.展开更多
The establishment of nature reserves is a key approach for biodiversity conservation worldwide. However, there is a lack of unified methodology to evaluate the effectiveness of nature reserves, particularly in China, ...The establishment of nature reserves is a key approach for biodiversity conservation worldwide. However, there is a lack of unified methodology to evaluate the effectiveness of nature reserves, particularly in China, the world′s most populous nation supporting some of the most valuable biodiversity hotspots in the world. In this study, we conducted a long-term and large-scale analysis of the effectiveness of 20 of the earliest nature reserves established in Hainan Province, an island home to among the highest concentration of plants and animals in China. Remote sensing imagery from 1988, 1998, and 2008 were analyzed to investigate the temporal and spatial changes of natural forests in these nature reserves and surrounding areas. We also conducted transition matrix analysis and principle component analysis to identify the driving factors that affect the protection effectiveness of nature reserves. The results were as follows: 1) During the 20-year period from 1988 to 2008, natural forests coverage of the 20 studied nature reserves dropped 2.34 percentage points, whereas the natural forests coverage dropped 11.31 percentage points in a 0–5 km outside reserve buffer and 9.36 percentage points in a 5–10 km outside reserve buffer, indicating a significant inhibitory effect of the nature reserves on the loss of natural forests. 2) Natural forests coverage dropped in 60% of the studied nature reserves during the 20-year period, suggesting a poor protection effectiveness of these reserves, while the coverage proportion showed some increase(0%/yr–5%/yr) in other reserves. 3) Expansion of rubber and pulp forests as part of a booming economy were the main factors affecting the effectiveness of the nature reserves for conserving natural forests in Hainan Province. The results of this study provide an important empirical basis for the protection of natural forests in Hainan Province, which can be used as a blueprint for nature reserve evaluation in other places in China.展开更多
The preservation of the traditional subsistence farming systems and the conservation of natural values （habitats, fauna and flora）, in articulation with local development, was the key issues in this paper. The farme...The preservation of the traditional subsistence farming systems and the conservation of natural values （habitats, fauna and flora）, in articulation with local development, was the key issues in this paper. The farmers have been able to manage the systems so as to cope with adverse conditions, but their future is quite uncertain. The methodology included： （1） field observation visits and cartographic information analysis of land use; （2） structured interviews with animal production and agro-forestry specialists; and （3） meetings with the participation of stakeholders. The paper concludes that depopulation is responsible for the increasing decline of agriculture and livestock. The decrease in agricultural activity in general and the consequent practices and traditional systems of agriculture causes changes in the landscape and has negative effects on nature conservation and biodiversity. Thus, we believe that the preservation and development of traditional economic activities linked to agriculture, agro-forestry and food processing are essential to maintain the typical landscape and to preserve natural values of Montemuro Site. The paper shows that in mountain areas, particularly those classified as nature network sites, farming, economic development and nature conservation are not antagonistic objectives.展开更多
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 Archipela...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.展开更多
Although China has established more than 600 wetland nature reserves, conservation gaps still exist for many species, especially for freshwater fishes. Underlying this problem is the fact that top-level planning is mi...Although China has established more than 600 wetland nature reserves, conservation gaps still exist for many species, especially for freshwater fishes. Underlying this problem is the fact that top-level planning is missing in the construction of nature reserves. To promote the development of nature reserves for fishes, this study took the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River basin(MLYRB) as an example to carry out top-level reserve network planning for fishes using approaches of systematic conservation planning. Typical fish species living in freshwater habitats were defined and considered in the planning. Based on sample data collected from large quantities of literatures, continuous distribution patterns of 142 fishes were obtained with species distribution modeling and subsequent processing, and the distributions of another eleven species were artificially designated. With the distribution pattern of species, Marxan was used to carry out conservation planning. To obtain ideal solutions with representativeness, persistence, and efficiency, parameters were set with careful consideration regarding existing wetland reserves, human disturbances, hydrological connectivity, and representation targets of species. Marxan produced the selection frequency of planning units(PUs) and a best solution. Selection frequency indicates the relative protection importance of a PU. The best solution is a representative of ideal fish reserve networks. Both of the PUs with high selection frequency and those in the best solution have low proportions included in existing wetland nature reserves, suggesting that there are significant conservation gaps for fish species in MLYRB. The best solution could serve as a reference for establishing a fish reserve network in the MLYRB. There is great flexibility for replacing selected PUs in the solution, and such flexibility facilitates the implementation of the solution in reality in case of unexpected obstacles. Further, we suggested adopting a freshwater management framework in the implementation of such solution.展开更多
Measurements of photosynthetically active radiation （PAR）, which are indispensable for simulating plant growth and productivity, are generally very scarce. This study aimed to compare two extrapolation and one inte...Measurements of photosynthetically active radiation （PAR）, which are indispensable for simulating plant growth and productivity, are generally very scarce. This study aimed to compare two extrapolation and one interpolation methods for estimating daily PAR reaching the earth surface within the Poyang Lake national nature reserve, China. The daily global solar radiation records at Nanchang meteorological station and daily sunshine duration measurements at nine meteorological stations around Poyang Lake were obtained to achieve the objective. Two extrapolation methods of PARs using recorded and estimated global solar radiation at Nanchang station and three stations （Yongxiu, Xingzi and Duchang） near the nature reserve were carried out, respectively, and a spatial interpolation method combining triangulated irregular network （TIN） and inverse distance weighting （IDW） was imple- mented to estimate daily PAR. The performance evaluation of the three methods using the PARs measured at Dahuchi Conservation Station （day number of measurement = 105 days） revealed that： （1） the spatial interpolation method achieved the best PAR estima- tion （R2 - 0.89, s.c. = 0.99, F= 830.02, P 〈 0.001 ）; （2） the extrapolation method from Nanchang station obtained an unbiased result （R2 = 0.88, s.c. = 0.99, F = 745.29, P 〈 0.001）; however, （3） the extrapolation methods from Yongxiu, Xingzi and Duchang stations were not suitable for this specific site for their biased estimations. Considering the assumptions and principles supporting the extrapolation and interpolation methods, the authors conclude that the spatial interpolation method produces more reliable results than the extrapolation methods and holds the greatest potential in all tested methods, and more PAR measurements should be recorded to evaluate the seasonal, yearly and spatial stabilities of these models for their application to the whole nature reserve of Poyang Lake.展开更多
文摘Population estimates of black crested gibbons in Wuliang Nature Reserve,Jingdong,Yunnan,China,with two techniques,average group density total area and average home rang forest coverage,produced quite similar results.The population was estimated around 115 groups in the Reserve.The paper also discussed the conservation problems of the Reserve.At present,the main threat to the gibbons is habitat fragmentation and population isolation.Thus,it is urgent to prohibit hunting and protect the habitat and forest corridors or habitat bridges.
基金Supported by the"Strategic Priority Research Program"of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(XDA05050300)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(41171041)~~
文摘Ecological Civilization Construction and natural conservatiorl and sustain- able resources use are three aspects of same object proposed from various angles of theory and practice. The paper intends to simply deal with some problems of this aspect and to propose corresponding suggestions for related departments.
基金Under the auspices of National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.40901289)Major State Basic Research Development Program of China(No.2009CB421104),U.S.National Science Foundation
文摘Many nature reserves are established to protect the habitat needs of particular endangered species of interest but their effectiveness for protecting other species is questionable.In this study,this effectiveness was evaluated in a nature reserve network located in the Qinling Mountains,Shaanxi Province,China.The network of reserves was established mainly for the conservation of the giant panda,a species considered as a surrogate for the conservation of many other endangered species in the region.The habitat suitability of nine protected species,including the giant panda,was modeled by using Maximum Entropy(MAXENT)and their spatial congruence was analyzed.Habitat suitability of these species was also overlapped with nature reserve boundaries and their management zones(i.e.,core,buffer and experimental zones).Results show that in general the habitat of the giant panda constitutes a reasonable surrogate of the habitat of other protected species,and giant panda reserves protect a relatively high proportion of the habitat of other protected species.Therefore,giant panda habitat conservation also allows the conservation of the habitat of other protected species in the region.However,a large area of suitable habitat was excluded from the nature reserve network.In addition,four species exhibited a low proportion of highly suitable habitat inside the core zones of nature reserves.It suggests that a high proportion of suitable habitat of protected species not targeted for conservation is located in the experimental and buffer zones,thus,is being affected by human activities.To increase their conservation effectiveness,nature reserves and their management zones need to be re-examined in order to include suitable habitat of more endangered species.The procedures described in this study can be easily implemented for the conservation of many endangered species not only in China but in many other parts of the world.
文摘The article presents research findings related to recreational use of forests located in protected mountainous areas with forestage of over 80%. The study was designed to identify recreational potential of the Carpathian national parks （Bieszczady National Park, Bahia G6ra National Park, Goree National Park and Magura National Park; southern Poland） and to compare these findings with the actual number of visitors. The information received on the recreational potential of parks is important from the point of view of protection of natural resources and the financial situation of the parks. The calculated ratio may be an effective tool of management for park administration, that allows to reconcile statutory social and protective functions of national parks. The study determined the recreational potential of the forests with the use of recreational valorisation method designed for areas with varied terrain, and the evaluated factors included the stands of trees with their habitat and land relief. The permissible number of national park visitors, expressed as man- hour/ha/year ranges from 19.31 in Bieszczady National Park （BG： 19~ 35＇ E, 49~ 35＇ N） to 32.06 in in Bieszczady National Park （B： 22~ 40＇ E, 49~ lo＇ N）. In 3 out of 4 investigated parks, Magura National Park （M： 21025＇ E, 49~ 30＇ N）, Gorce National Park （G： 20~ lo＇ E, 49~ 35＇ N）, B） recreation carrying capacity was not exceeded, whether or not the strictly protected area is taken into account. Only in BG was the recreation carrying capacity exceeded by nearly 24%, or by 85% if the strictly protected area isexcluded from tourism-related exploitation. The presented procedure for monitoring access to mountain forests in national parks, from the viewpoint of natural resources conservation, can be applied in other mountainous areas covered with forests and exposed to tourist and recreational traffic, and in forests facing particular risk of recreational damage, e.g. in urban and suburban forests growing in areas with varied orography.
基金Under the auspices of Nationwide Remote Sensing Survey and Evaluation on Ecological Environment Change in 2000–2010(No.STSN-04-00)
文摘The establishment of nature reserves is a key approach for biodiversity conservation worldwide. However, there is a lack of unified methodology to evaluate the effectiveness of nature reserves, particularly in China, the world′s most populous nation supporting some of the most valuable biodiversity hotspots in the world. In this study, we conducted a long-term and large-scale analysis of the effectiveness of 20 of the earliest nature reserves established in Hainan Province, an island home to among the highest concentration of plants and animals in China. Remote sensing imagery from 1988, 1998, and 2008 were analyzed to investigate the temporal and spatial changes of natural forests in these nature reserves and surrounding areas. We also conducted transition matrix analysis and principle component analysis to identify the driving factors that affect the protection effectiveness of nature reserves. The results were as follows: 1) During the 20-year period from 1988 to 2008, natural forests coverage of the 20 studied nature reserves dropped 2.34 percentage points, whereas the natural forests coverage dropped 11.31 percentage points in a 0–5 km outside reserve buffer and 9.36 percentage points in a 5–10 km outside reserve buffer, indicating a significant inhibitory effect of the nature reserves on the loss of natural forests. 2) Natural forests coverage dropped in 60% of the studied nature reserves during the 20-year period, suggesting a poor protection effectiveness of these reserves, while the coverage proportion showed some increase(0%/yr–5%/yr) in other reserves. 3) Expansion of rubber and pulp forests as part of a booming economy were the main factors affecting the effectiveness of the nature reserves for conserving natural forests in Hainan Province. The results of this study provide an important empirical basis for the protection of natural forests in Hainan Province, which can be used as a blueprint for nature reserve evaluation in other places in China.
文摘The preservation of the traditional subsistence farming systems and the conservation of natural values （habitats, fauna and flora）, in articulation with local development, was the key issues in this paper. The farmers have been able to manage the systems so as to cope with adverse conditions, but their future is quite uncertain. The methodology included： （1） field observation visits and cartographic information analysis of land use; （2） structured interviews with animal production and agro-forestry specialists; and （3） meetings with the participation of stakeholders. The paper concludes that depopulation is responsible for the increasing decline of agriculture and livestock. The decrease in agricultural activity in general and the consequent practices and traditional systems of agriculture causes changes in the landscape and has negative effects on nature conservation and biodiversity. Thus, we believe that the preservation and development of traditional economic activities linked to agriculture, agro-forestry and food processing are essential to maintain the typical landscape and to preserve natural values of Montemuro Site. The paper shows that in mountain areas, particularly those classified as nature network sites, farming, economic development and nature conservation are not antagonistic objectives.
文摘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.
基金supported by fund of State Forestry Administration of China-United Nations Development Program/Global Environment Facility(83911 NP-2014-007)
文摘Although China has established more than 600 wetland nature reserves, conservation gaps still exist for many species, especially for freshwater fishes. Underlying this problem is the fact that top-level planning is missing in the construction of nature reserves. To promote the development of nature reserves for fishes, this study took the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River basin(MLYRB) as an example to carry out top-level reserve network planning for fishes using approaches of systematic conservation planning. Typical fish species living in freshwater habitats were defined and considered in the planning. Based on sample data collected from large quantities of literatures, continuous distribution patterns of 142 fishes were obtained with species distribution modeling and subsequent processing, and the distributions of another eleven species were artificially designated. With the distribution pattern of species, Marxan was used to carry out conservation planning. To obtain ideal solutions with representativeness, persistence, and efficiency, parameters were set with careful consideration regarding existing wetland reserves, human disturbances, hydrological connectivity, and representation targets of species. Marxan produced the selection frequency of planning units(PUs) and a best solution. Selection frequency indicates the relative protection importance of a PU. The best solution is a representative of ideal fish reserve networks. Both of the PUs with high selection frequency and those in the best solution have low proportions included in existing wetland nature reserves, suggesting that there are significant conservation gaps for fish species in MLYRB. The best solution could serve as a reference for establishing a fish reserve network in the MLYRB. There is great flexibility for replacing selected PUs in the solution, and such flexibility facilitates the implementation of the solution in reality in case of unexpected obstacles. Further, we suggested adopting a freshwater management framework in the implementation of such solution.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 40971191)the Scientific Research Starting Foundation of Ministry of Education of China for Returned Overseas Chinese Scholars+1 种基金the Special Foundation of Ministry of Finance of China for Nonprofit Research of Forestry Industry (No.200904001)the International Institute for Geo-information Science and Earth Observation (ITC),the Netherlands
文摘Measurements of photosynthetically active radiation （PAR）, which are indispensable for simulating plant growth and productivity, are generally very scarce. This study aimed to compare two extrapolation and one interpolation methods for estimating daily PAR reaching the earth surface within the Poyang Lake national nature reserve, China. The daily global solar radiation records at Nanchang meteorological station and daily sunshine duration measurements at nine meteorological stations around Poyang Lake were obtained to achieve the objective. Two extrapolation methods of PARs using recorded and estimated global solar radiation at Nanchang station and three stations （Yongxiu, Xingzi and Duchang） near the nature reserve were carried out, respectively, and a spatial interpolation method combining triangulated irregular network （TIN） and inverse distance weighting （IDW） was imple- mented to estimate daily PAR. The performance evaluation of the three methods using the PARs measured at Dahuchi Conservation Station （day number of measurement = 105 days） revealed that： （1） the spatial interpolation method achieved the best PAR estima- tion （R2 - 0.89, s.c. = 0.99, F= 830.02, P 〈 0.001 ）; （2） the extrapolation method from Nanchang station obtained an unbiased result （R2 = 0.88, s.c. = 0.99, F = 745.29, P 〈 0.001）; however, （3） the extrapolation methods from Yongxiu, Xingzi and Duchang stations were not suitable for this specific site for their biased estimations. Considering the assumptions and principles supporting the extrapolation and interpolation methods, the authors conclude that the spatial interpolation method produces more reliable results than the extrapolation methods and holds the greatest potential in all tested methods, and more PAR measurements should be recorded to evaluate the seasonal, yearly and spatial stabilities of these models for their application to the whole nature reserve of Poyang Lake.
