Conservation outcome assessment of Wuyishan protected areas based on InVEST and propensity score matching

Abstract

Protected areas (PAs) are crucial for biodiversity conservation, but doubts are rising regarding their effectiveness in conserving habitat quality. This study used the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) model to analyse the changes in habitat quality from 1980 to 2020 in Wuyishan PAs, a United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, (UNESCO) Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage Site known for its rich biodiversity. This study also evaluated the habitat quality conservation outcome with propensity score matching and identified the main natural and socio-economic factors influencing the conservation outcomes using Pearson correlation analyses. The results show that (1) the proportion of the area with high-quality habitat in the Wuyishan PAs was approximately 97.73 % in 1980 and 88.95 % in 2020, with a decreasing trend. (2) The study area demonstrated considerable conservation outcome between 1980 and 2000. From 2000–2018, protection measures remained effective, but with a slight decline compared to the previous period. This suggests that, although the habitat quality in the Wuyishan PAs may have decreased, the establishment of PAs can still help mitigate habitat quality degradation. (3) A consistently negative correlation at statistic level was observed between altitude, slope and habitat quality in Wuyishan PAs in the period of 1980–2020. Population density was consistently strongly correlated with changes in the high-quality habitat area over the past forty years. Precipitation and nighttime-light exhibited a significant negative correlation with changes in habitat quality from 1980 to 2000, while nighttime-light exhibited a positive correlation between 2000 and 2018. This study aims to serve as a reference for the construction of China's PA system and the promotion of biodiversity conservation in the country.