Spatio-temporal estimation of the anthropogenic environmental stress intensity in the Three-River-Source National Park region, China

Abstract

Through the construction of national parks to optimize the ecological, production and living space structures, ecological assets can be converted into ecological product values under the premise of maximizing the protection of the original natural ecological environment. In this way, multiple regional economic, social and ecological benefits can be realized. Of course, unreasonable and high-intensity production and living (tourism) activities of human beings will cause irreversible negative effects. Therefore, paying attention to the environmental stress process and its spatial effects brought about by human activities under the background of national park construction is of great significance for coordinating the man-land coupling system and improving the sustainability of key eco-function zones. Taking the Three-River-Source National Park (TRSNP) region as a typical case study, based on the spatial identification of anthropogenic pollution and the estimation of water and air pollutant emissions, this study quantitatively evaluates the environmental stress intensity and analyzes its spatial effects from the perspective of “point-line-plane” stress characteristics. The results show that the effect of environmental stress from anthropogenic pollutants on the TRSNP region is relatively low but shows significant spatial differentiation. The stress intensity in central cities (towns) is relatively high, and the four counties where national parks are located account for only 1/2 of the average stress intensity. From 2012 to 2016, urbanization and industrialization showed significant “point-like” environmental stress; agriculture and animal husbandry production increased the “plane-like” stress; and tourism and transportation showed a “line-like” stress, shifting from points to lines. It is recommended to formulate management and control measures to alleviate the environmental stress intensity in important ecological function areas from four aspects: improving the carrying capacity of environmental facilities, establishing a functional zoning control system, implementing environmental regulations for production and living, and standardizing the environmental ethics and moral concepts of the whole society.