Analysis of Human Disturbance Features in Natural Reserves and Empirical Research on Their Restoration: A Case Study of the Huangchulin Nature Reserve in Fujian Province

Abstract

Nature reserves are important areas delineated to protect natural resources and the ecological environment. They have various ecological functions, such as protecting biodiversity, conserving water sources, and purifying the atmosphere. However, with the rapid development of the social economy, human disturbance in natural reserves is becoming increasingly pronounced, which has seriously damaged the initial balance of the ecosystem in the reserves. Based on the specific local conditions of the reserve, this study selects four influencing factors that are closely related to human activities, namely, land use, vegetation cover, slope and elevation as the primary evaluation indicators of human disturbance. With the support of an analytic hierarchy process and GIS technology, this study conducts a comprehensive analysis of human disturbance in the Fujian Huangchulin Nature Reserve and proposes corresponding ecological restoration measures for different disturbed areas. The results indicate that the area that is seriously and completely disturbed by human activities is primarily that around the river basin, which accounts for 25.30% of the total area. The lightly disturbed area covers the largest area, followed by the intermediately disturbed area, which accounts for 37.91% and 32.96% of the total area, respectively. The smallest area is slightly disturbed and accounts for only 3.83% of the total area. Based on the comprehensive analytical results of human disturbance and the functional zoning of the natural reserves in China, the Shitan Stream area in the Huangchulin Nature Reserve is selected as the experimental site for ecological restoration. According to the human disturbance in different sectors of the Shitan Stream area and the concept of “Mountain, Water, Forest, Field, Lake and Grass,” the ecological restoration measures of the “Four-tiered Protection System” are proposed in the experiment, which are the river system restoration, brownfield restoration, soil and water conservation, and original ecological protection areas. Natural regeneration and active restoration are then combined to be implemented in different areas, and the ecological problems of brown land pollution, water system cutoff, and soil erosion have been effectively solved, and the plant coverage increased substantially. In summary, this study shows that only by taking social, economic and ecological factors into account and establishing a sound management system can restoration work proceed smoothly and achieve more environmental benefits.