Exploring the Rapid Assessment Method for Nature Reserve Landscape Protection Effectiveness—A Case Study of Liancheng National Nature Reserve, Gansu, China

Zhihao Huang, Yangjing Peng, Ruifeng Wang, Guofa Cui, Bo Zhang and Nachuan Lu
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Zhihao Huang: School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
Yangjing Peng: 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
Bo Zhang: Twenty First Century Aerospace Technology Co., Ltd., Beijing 100089, China
Nachuan Lu: Twenty First Century Aerospace Technology Co., Ltd., Beijing 100089, China

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 7, 1-18

Abstract: The rapid assessment of the effectiveness of landscape protection in nature reserves is of great significance for the scientific formulation of protection and management countermeasures. There is also an urgent problem to be solved for the construction and management of nature reserves in China. Using high-resolution remote sensing image data, this study analyzes the landscape dynamics in the Liancheng National Nature Reserve (LNNR) and their driving factors since the reserve’s promotion to the national level in 2005, and proposes a comprehensive evaluation method for the effectiveness of landscape protection in protected areas based on the Landscape Transfer Index (LTI), Protected Landscape Integrity Index (PLII), and Interfered Landscape Sprawl Index (ILSI). Between 2006 and 2019, the area of protected landscape—namely woodland, grassland, and water—in the LNNR decreased, while the area of interfered landscape such as residential land, industrial and mining land, and water conservancy facility land increased. The LTI was −0.14, and among the driving factors, the development of industry and mining, land use by indigenous inhabitants, and the development of the transport industry made the highest contributions to the landscape transfer tendency, respectively 34.79%, 28.98%, and 17.30%. The results indicate that the overall quality of the landscape declined slightly during this period, mainly as a result of industrial and mining development, indigenous use of the land, and road construction. The PLII decreased from 82.7 to 68.7; this result indicates that the spatial pattern of the protected landscape became more fragmented, and the degree of human interference in the landscape increased. The ILSI increased from 26.61 to 26.68 which indicates that the scope of influence of human interference did not change significantly. The effectiveness of landscape protection in the LNNR is low. Despite the insignificant nature of these changes, they still require attention and timely remedial measures. The methodology proposed in this study may be applicable to the rapid assessment of the effectiveness of landscape conservation in various types of nature conservation sites around the world.

Keywords: China; effectiveness of landscape protection; landscape pattern; human interference; driving factors (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 (1)

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