Abstract
The Ecological Protection Redline (EPR) is an innovative measure implemented in China to maintain the structural stability and functional security of the ecosystem. By prohibiting large-scale urban and industrial construction activities, EPR is regarded as the “lifeline” to ensure national ecological security. It is of great practical significance to scientifically evaluate the protection effect of EPR and identify the protection vacancies. However, current research has focused only on the protection effects of the EPR on ecosystem services (ESs), and the protection effect of the EPR on ecological connectivity remains poorly understood. Based on an evaluation of ES importance, the circuit model, and hotspot analysis, this paper identified the ecological security pattern in Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), analyzed the role of EPR in maintaining ES and ecological connectivity, and identified protection gaps. The results were as follows: (1) The ecological sources were mainly distributed in mountainous areas of the GBA. The ecological sources and ecological corridors constitute a circular ecological shelter surrounding the urban agglomeration of the GBA. (2) The EPR effectively protected water conservation, soil conservation, and biodiversity maintenance services, but the protection efficiency of carbon sequestration service and ecological connectivity were low. In particularly, EPR failed to continuously protect regional large-scale ecological corridors and some important stepping stones. (3) The protection gaps of carbon sequestration service and ecological connectivity in the study area reached 1099.80 km2 and 2175.77 km2, respectively, mainly distributed in Qingyuan, Yunfu, and Huizhou. In future EPR adjustments, important areas for carbon sequestration service and ecological connectivity maintenance should be included. This study provides a comprehensive understanding of the protection effects of EPR on ecological structure and function, and it has produced significant insights into improvements of the EPR policy. In addition, this paper proposes that the scope of resistance surface should be extended, which would improve the rationality of the ecological corridor simulation.
Highlights
Introduction distributed under the terms andRapid urbanization has introduced serious problems, such as fragmentation of landscapes and biodiversity loss, which have directly affected regional landscape patterns and sustainable development [1]
This paper showed that the protection efficiency of Ecological Protection Redline (EPR) on carbon sequestration service and ecological connectivity was low; this means that some areas with high carbon sequestration and ecological flow were still not included in the EPR, which seems inconsistent with the above research
This study analyzed the protection effects of EPR on ecosystem services (ESs) and ecological connectivity in the Greater Bay Area (GBA), and we identified the protection vacancies there
Summary
Rapid urbanization has introduced serious problems, such as fragmentation of landscapes and biodiversity loss, which have directly affected regional landscape patterns and sustainable development [1]. Under the threats to ecological security caused by rapid urbanization, the Chinese government proposed carrying out delineation of the EPR in conditions of the Creative Commons. EPR refers to protected areas designated by the government, including areas that provide important ecosystem services, and ecologically sensitive or fragile areas. By prohibiting large-scale urban and industrial construction activities, EPR is regarded as the “lifeline” to ensure national ecological security [2]. It is of great practical significance to study whether the EPR designated by the government truly guarantees the structural stability and functional safety of the ecosystem, and to identify whether there are protection vacancies
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