Evaluating the efficacy of zoning designations for national park management

Abstract

One strategy to protect endangered species, and improve the quality of habitat to meet the needs of both the wildlife and human communities that rely on large protected areas (such as national park), is by zoning its management for multiple uses. We assessed whether multi-use zoning of the Giant Panda National Park (GPNP) could achieve the goal of protecting the panda population and its habitat, while also promoting community development. We integrate panda presence data, human disturbance distribution, and environmental factors to evaluate panda habitat suitability, the effectiveness of zoning designations, and the impact of human disturbance on panda habitat. Our results show that panda habitat suitability has been partially improved, as certain areas of increased in suitability or stabilized (maintained suitability) across the research region between 2001–2003 and 2011–2013, based on the 3rd and 4th national surveys of the giant panda. Most of the optimum and suitable habitat for panda were located in the core protection area of the GPNP. However, the optimum habitat in the general control area is often located at the junction with the core protection area, indicating a particular need to strengthen management in these areas. Meanwhile, the encounter rates of livestock grazing were highest in optimum habitat and unsuitable habitat. As such, particular attention needs to be paid to the pressures on wildlife caused by human disturbances, such as livestock grazing, in the general control area. Our analyses and these findings have important implications for giant panda conservation and GPNP construction.