Data-driven planning adjustments of the functional zoning of Houhe National Nature Reserve

• Published in: Global ecology and conservation 2021-09, Vol.29, p.e01708, Article e01708
• Main Authors: Tang, Jun, Lu, Hui, Xue, Yadong, Li, Jia, Li, Guangliang, Mao, Yeyong, Deng, Changsheng, Li, Diqiang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: anthropogenic activities; Capricornis sumatraensis; case studies; China; computer software; conservation areas; Conservation planning; ecosystems; Elaphodus cephalophus; Functional zoning adjustment; habitat connectivity; Habitat planning; hydrology; landscapes; Moschus berezovskii; Muntiacus reevesi; Naemorhedus griseus; Nature reserves; Prionailurus bengalensis; Ursus thibetanus
• ISSN: 2351-9894; 2351-9894
• DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01708

Nature reserves in China are undergoing adjustments in functional zoning. Currently, one urgent problem is determining how to delineate core conservation zones more scientifically and rationally. This case study focused on the Houhe National Nature Reserve, Wufeng County, Hubei Province, China, and was based on the distribution data of seven species (Moschus berezovskii, Elaphodus cephalophus, Muntiacus reevesi, Naemorhedus griseus, Capricornis sumatraensis, Prionailurus bengalensis, and Ursus thibetanus), vegetation types, meteorological factors, human disturbance, terrain, and hydrological variables. Species distributions were predicted through MaxEnt modeling, and MARXAN software was used for systematic conservation planning. The results showed that (1) for the MaxEnt model simulations of one critically endangered (CR) species and six vulnerable (VU) species in Houhe National Nature Reserve, the area under curve (AUC) values of seven species were all greater than 0.8, of which the AUC of M. berezovskii was 0.961, indicating a high modeling accuracy; (2) based on the analysis of the MaxEnt model, MARXAN was used to delineate the core conservation zone of Houhe National Nature Reserve. When the boundary length modifier was set as 100 and planning units as hexagons with a boundary length of 200 m, the priority conservation areas had the fewest fragments. Thus, using these parameters for conservation planning is more reasonable; and (3) among the four proposals obtained from the MARXAN analysis that were based on different conservation targets, those with a conservation target of 80% for CR species and 60% for VU species had the largest priority conservation areas. According to the principles of maintaining ecosystem integrity and habitat connectivity of species and ensuring consistent conservation management, we propose a new functional zoning plan for Houhe National Nature Reserve. In this plan, the core conservation zone will have an area of 5947.76 ha, which will be greater than the sum of the areas of the current buffer and core zones, whereas the area of the general control zone will be 4395.64 ha.