Landscape Connectivity Analysis and Optimization of Qianjiangyuan National Park, Zhejiang Province, China

Yangjing Peng, Minghao Meng, Zhihao Huang, Ruifeng Wang and Guofa Cui
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Yangjing Peng: School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
Minghao Meng: School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
Zhihao Huang: School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
Ruifeng Wang: School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
Guofa Cui: School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 11, 1-21

Abstract: As natural ecosystems in most parts of the world come under increasing human influence, fragmentation is becoming the major driving factor of the global biodiversity crisis. Therefore, connectivity between habitat patches is becoming even more important. China began building national parks with the primary purpose of protecting nationally representative natural ecosystems and maintaining the integrity of their structure, processes and functions. Research is necessary to improve the internal connectivity of national parks and to propose suggestions for existing functional zoning and biological corridors. In this study, Qianjiangyuan National Park was selected as an example park, and landscape fragmentation was evaluated exponentially and simulated visually. The habitat characteristics of protected species in the region, morphological spatial pattern analysis and the delta of the probability of connectivity were used together to identify key habitat patches and their importance levels in the study area. Potential habitat corridors in the region were then obtained using least-cost path analysis and gravity modeling methods based on the distribution of key habitat and the migration costs of target species. The results of this study show that the disturbed landscape of the study area is dominated by tea plantations and drylands, with central roads being an important factor affecting the overall landscape connectivity. In terms of the distribution of key habitat patches, the mountains have a high value. In terms of area, their size is not directly proportional to their importance for maintaining landscape connectivity in the region, but large area patches are generally of higher importance. In terms of distance, key habitats that are closer to each other have a stronger correlation and a greater possibility for species migration. Combined with the functional zoning of Qianjiangyuan National Park, the setting of strictly protected areas and recreational areas is reasonable, and traditional use areas and ecological conservation areas could be appropriately adjusted according to the distribution of key habitats. The important corridor in the middle of the ecological conservation area is crucial for the overall connectivity of the national park, and the connectivity between strict protected areas will depend on successful protection of the ecological conservation area.

Keywords: forest ecosystem; gravity model; landscape connectivity; least-cost path method; morphological spatial pattern; national park of China (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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