Importance Of Protected Areas Research Articles

Gradient Analysis of Spatial-Temporal Change and Conservation Effectiveness in Different Ecological Protected Areas

The protection of ecological systems is currently a trending topic. Numerous countries have implemented various measures to safeguard ecosystems. Evaluating the effectiveness of regional ecological protection and cooperative conservation is of paramount importance. In this paper, Hainan Island, China, was taken as an example to construct an evaluation framework of the ecosystem change characteristics and conservation effects of different types of protected areas. In this way, the study evaluated the ecological status of important protected areas and the effects of collaborative management and control, and it discussed the changes in ecological status and protection effects. The results revealed the following. (1) Important protected areas occupy a large proportion of natural ecological space, reaching 76.33%, more than twice the proportion of ecological space on Hainan Island. In the past 20 years, the ecological space retention rate has increased by 0.57%. (2) The contribution of excellent-quality and good-quality ecosystems is the greatest, accounting for 82.65% of the whole island. In the past 20 years, the ec7osystem quality has improved in more than 80% of the areas. The proportion of excellent-quality and good-quality ecosystems is as high as 96.75% in these conservation areas, and their contribution to Hainan Island is 44.29%, while conservation areas only account for about 38%. (3) The ecosystem services of Hainan Island have improved and become stable in the past 20 years. The contribution of all types of protected areas to the ecosystem services of Hainan Island is more than 53.22%. In general, the ecological quality and service function has increased in Hainan Island, and the ecological space tends to be stable. Different types of protected areas have effectively protected various ecosystems on Hainan Island with different protection and management mechanisms.

Suggestions on the Development and Utilization of Clean Energy in Xizang

The 14th Five Year Plan of the country clearly points out the need to promote the energy revolution, accelerate energy technology innovation, and build a clean, low-carbon, safe, and efficient modern energy system. Therefore, the development and utilization of clean energy is of great practical significance in the context of the national scientific outlook on development. As an important ecological protection area in China, it is an inevitable trend for Xizang's future economic and social development to use clean energy as energy support. Therefore, accelerating the development and utilization of clean energy in Xizang is of great significance to respond to the national energy strategy, the economic development of the autonomous region, ecological environment protection, and regional stability and prosperity. In view of the problems in the development and utilization of clean energy in Xizang, this paper puts forward suggestions to help achieve the dual carbon goal, so as to promote the rapid development of clean energy development and utilization industry in Xizang.

Assessment of wild prey of mammalian carnivores in Barda Wildlife Sanctuary, Gujarat, India

The Barda Wildlife Sanctuary (Barda WLS) is a semi-arid ecosystem that plays an important role in the conservation of mammalian carnivores. It is essential to evaluate the population of important wild prey species in Barda, which has conservation implications for mammalian predators and themselves. We assessed the density, biomass, and population structure of wild prey species by surveying road (n = 10) and trail (n = 8) transects using the distance sampling framework method. We used male-to-female sex ratios and the percent contribution of each age class to assess population structure. Mean group size (MGS), median group size (Mdgs), and mean crowding (Mc) were calculated to analyze group size. Of the species studied, Indian peafowl had the highest density (51.61 ± 7.08 individuals/km2), followed by wild pig (10.77 ± 4.59), blue bull (3.50 ± 0.51), Indian hare (3.03 ± 0.73), and spotted deer (0.62 ± 0.04). The male-to-adult female sex ratio was biased towards females, except for Indian peafowl. All species had small group sizes except wild pigs. The results of this study can aid in its development as one of the important protected areas in Gujarat for the conservation of mammalian predators, along with framing conservation strategies for Barda WLS.

Principles of landscape ecology in the analysis of the local Tourism System –case of San Juanito, Meta, Colombia

The objective of the article is to discuss the application of the principles developed in the field of landscape ecology for the management and development of rural tourism. Although the importance of the systemic approach to tourism development is widely considered, many of the proposed solutions are characterized by a sectoral approach, with a particular predominance of studies focused on socioeconomic characteristics. Looking for a more integrated approach, we refer to the principles of landscape ecology, based on the analysis of the landscape mosaic. This mosaic is formed as the result of natural and social interactions and reflects the links of these two subsystems in a multi-scalar, dynamic and hierarchical way. In this framework we discuss the role of content and spatial context in the development of sustainable local tourism. As the case study, San Juanito (Meta, Colombia) was taken; a rural community close to alarge and important protected area

Management Implications at a Protected, Peri-Urban, Salt Lake Ecosystem: The Case of Larnaca’s Salt Lakes (Cyprus)

Larnaca’s salt lakes constitute one of the most important protected areas in Cyprus and in the southeast Mediterranean. It is in continuity with the urban area of Larnaca city, being the major green infrastructure in the area, supporting (among others) biodiversity, recreation, culture, and food production. The present study aims to provide an overview of the area’s ecosystem types and their potential to provide ecosystem services, focusing on assessing the water ecosystem condition and drafting the relevant baseline accounts. The results of the study include an ecosystem type map of the area, followed by potential supply maps of ecosystem services, for the three major categories (i.e., provisioning, regulating and maintenance, and cultural) and the estimation and assessment of ecosystem condition variables for wetlands, as proposed by the EU-wide methodology to map and assess the ecosystem condition, in line with the System of Environmental Economic Accounting—Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA EA). A critical exceedance (over 10%) of the imperviousness and the increase in the soil moisture deficit within the wider salt lakes area have been identified and can constitute useful variables associated with the anthropogenic, climatic, and other effects on the condition of the salt lakes. Discussion for integrating this information to existing knowledge is provided toward supporting scientifically informed decision and policymaking for the sustainable development of protected areas.

Heritage interpretation as a catalyst for sustainable ecotourism in protected areas: A systematic literature review

This paper adopts a systematic review approach to explore heritage interpretation as a catalyst for sustainable ecotourism in protected areas. Premised on the importance of protected areas as a strategy for the conservation of the natural environment, the study seeks to unpack the nature, breadth and trends that predominate contemporary scholarly discourse on the concept of heritage interpretation in protected areas. Based on an in-depth exploration of notable scientific databases (Sabinet, Scopus, Emerald, ProQuest, Taylor & Francis Online, and journals’ websites) 129 scholarly publications were extracted and screened, with 57 publications meeting the ‘relevance’ criteria. The data analysis followed a characterisation, content analysis and thematic extraction. Key outcomes highlighted most of the studies emanating from the Global North, with themes reflecting the role of interpretation in protected areas, interpretation planning, management and evaluation, environmental interpretation, cultural interpretation, the influence of interpretation on visitors’ perceptions, behaviour and satisfaction, interpretation preferences, interpreters’ experiences, creativity in heritage interpretation and heritage interpretation for sustainable development. Based on the geographical classification data, suggestions are proffered for future research pathways.

Photographic evidence suggests habitat overlap and co-occurrence of tigers and snow leopards in Jigme Dorji National Park, Bhutan

AbstractThe Endangered tiger Panthera tigris and Vulnerable snow leopard Panthera uncia are umbrella species and conservation priorities. Jigme Dorji National Park is an important protected area for the conservation of both species because it serves as a source site for tigers to adjacent areas and has the largest snow leopard population in Bhutan. Habitat overlap of tigers and snow leopards in Bhutan has been previously reported based on evidence of tigers (pugmarks, livestock killed and camera-trap images) in known snow leopard habitat above 4,000 m altitude. Here we report the first photographic evidence of both tigers and snow leopards at the same locations, confirming habitat overlap and co-occurrence of the two species. The data are derived from the countrywide tiger survey carried out during October 2021–January 2022. Fifty-six pairs of camera traps were installed in a 5 × 5 km grid at an altitude range of 1,200–4,300 m. After a survey effort of 1,528 trap-nights, 478 tiger images and 31 snow leopard images were captured at 12 and three camera stations, respectively. At all three camera stations that captured snow leopard images, tigers were also captured. These findings indicate the habitat overlap and co-occurrence of tigers and snow leopards in Jigme Dorji National Park. Further research is required to inform conservation practice in the National Park focusing on these apex predators.

Health Status of Stranded Common Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and Contamination by Immunotoxic Pollutants: A Threat to the Pelagos Sanctuary—Western Mediterranean Sea

Between 2019 and 2021, 21 bottlenose dolphins were found stranded dead along the Ligurian Pelagos Sanctuary coast (Italy). For 11 animals, out of a total of 14 recovered, the cause of death was classified as natural, anthropic, or not determined based on gross and histological pathology and ancillary testing. Hexachlorobenzene (HCB), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDTs), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were examined in their blubber, and results were discussed according to their toxicological properties. All specimens showed the following trend: PCBs > DDTs >> HCB, and the levels of cancerogenic, mutagenic, and teratogenic organochlorine compounds (T-OCs) were >50% of total OCs. Immunosuppressant organochlorine compound (IS-OC) levels in 10 out of 11 animals were above 50% of the total OCs. PCB levels always exceeded the threshold of 17 mg/kg lipid weight for PCB-induced adverse health effects. The results suggest that bottlenose dolphins living in the Pelagos Sanctuary undergo a high level of exposure to pathogens and OCs, betraying the designation of the Cetacean Sanctuary and, consequently, of a region created for their conservation. Immune dysfunction and infectious disease susceptibility appear to be highly connected with high levels of OC xenobiotics. These data are useful to understand health and mortality trends in cetacean populations, as well as for developing policies for cetacean conservation and management in this important protected area of the Mediterranean.

The threat of COVID-19 to the conservation of Tanzanian national parks

In many low-income countries, the conservation of natural resources in protected areas relies on tourism revenue. However, tourist numbers in Africa were severely reduced by the COVID-19 pandemic, thus, putting the conservation of these important protected areas at risk. We use records from gate passings at national parks across Tanzania to demonstrate the immediate and severe impact on tourist numbers and revenues resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and associated restrictions, and whether international and local (East African) tourists were affected equally. We discuss mechanisms that may reduce future negative impacts of sudden loss of revenue from international tourism, such as increasing the revenue portfolio and thereby decrease the dependency on revenues from international tourists. More important, we encourage local governments, national park authorities, and the world community to further develop and initiate external funding options to reduce the dependency on income from international nature-based tourism to preserve national parks and biodiversity. An additional long-term goal for ensuring sustained conservation would be to increase benefits to local communities adjacent to national parks, encouraging local involvement and thereby reducing the dependence on external funding in the future.

Ecosystem services based on land use/cover and socio-economic factors in Lake Burullus, a Ramsar Site, Egypt

The ecosystem valuation of Lake Burullus, a coastal lake, has undergone a number of limnological changes as a result of recent land use changes and developments. Lake Burullus is an ecological system that supplies various ecosystem services (ESs) to the local community. The value of these services depends on changes in land use/cover (LU/LC) and socio-economic factors, such as fish production. A supervised classification was applied to show four categories: water, vegetation, fish farms, and service lands. Markov and cellular automata–Markov models were applied to investigate and predict the LU/LC transition. Results showed an increase in bodies of water owing to ongoing developments in Lake Burullus. Furthermore, the removal of aquatic plants reflected a decrease in vegetation. From 2009 to 2013, the fish farm area increased. This has led to an increase in the value of ESs. These changes in the LU/LC positively impacted the ESVs because of the conversion among the different classes. ESVs temporarily varied considerably in Lake Burullus. An increased ecosystem value provides increased opportunities for recreation and ecotourism. From 2009 to 2018, fish production in Lake Burullus increased by ∼34%, an increase of 18,000 tonnes, because of recent developments. Additionally, exploitation was the least in the central parts, towards the fish farm areas. The water pollution indicated that drainage waters are affecting the ESV. The obtained results will be useful in the updated management plan for this important protected area (Ramsar Site).

Examining the relationship between vegetation decline and precipitation in the national parks of the Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area during the 21st century

The Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area (GLTFCA) of southeastern Southern Africa is home to five large national parks and is an important protected area crossing different geopolitical borders, but with the same conservation goals. However, even with similar management techniques, there have been concerning declines in vegetation observed across the last few decades. This study proposes that a larger driver, climate, is linked to this decline over time, and raises the point that these conservation areas are more important now than ever. Precipitation (annual and seasonal), the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI, indicator of vegetation health), and Directional Persistence data (D, metric to measure trends in vegetation health over time compared to a baseline value) from 2000 to 2020 are used. Overall, there was a negative trend in precipitation during the 21st century in all seasons except the beginning of the wet season. Linked to this were negative trends in vegetation health both in absolute Normalized Difference Vegetation Index values and resultant D values. Overall, this study found a decline in precipitation, which was significantly linked to a decline in vegetation health across the majority of the year in the Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area. This study supports literature on browning in sub-Saharan Africa and gives managers even more reason to work together towards a unified conservation strategy for this important region.

Assessment of Multiple Ecosystem Services and Ecological Security Pattern in Shanxi Province, China.

The ecological security pattern construction could effectively regulate ecological processes and ensure ecological functions, then rationally allocate natural resources and green infrastructure, and, finally, realize ecological security. In view of serious soil erosion, accelerated land desertification, soil pollution and habitat degradation in Shanxi Province, the spatial distribution of six key ecosystem services, including water conservation (WC), soil conservation (SC), sand fixation (SF), carbon storage (CS), net primary productivity (NPP) and habitat quality (HQ), was analyzed by using multiple models. The comprehensive ability of multiple ecosystem services in different regions was quantified by calculating multiple ecosystem services landscape index (MESLI). Combined with ecosystem services hotspots, the ecological security pattern of Shanxi Province was constructed by using the minimum cumulative resistance model. The results showed that the spatial differences in ecosystem services in Shanxi Province were obvious, which was low in the seven major basins and Fen River valley, and high in the mountains (especially Taihang and Lvliang Mountains) for WC, SC, CS, NPP and HQ, while high SF was only distributed in the northern Shanxi. The MESLI showed that the ability to provide multiple ecosystem services simultaneously was low in Shanxi Province, with the medium and low grade MESLI regions accounting for 58.61%, and only 18.07% for the high grade MESLI regions. The important protected areas and ecological sources of the ecological security pattern were concentrated in the Lvliang and Taihang Mountains, which were consistent with the key areas of ecosystem services. The ecological corridors illustrated network distribution with ecological sources as the center, the low-, medium- and high-level buffers accounted for 26.34%, 17.03% and 16.35%, respectively. The results will provide important implications for economic transformation, high-quality development and ecological sustainable development in resource-based regions worldwide.

Introduction from the Editorial Team

Introduction from the Editorial Team Selima Sultana, Paul Knapp, Ridwaana Allen, and Tyler Mitchell Issue 63.1 of Southeastern Geographer begins our fourth and final year as an editorial team and contains the second special issue during our term. Directed by guest editors Drs. John Kupfer (University of South Carolina) and Joe Weber (University of Alabama), this special issue contains five articles that focus on protected areas of the Southeast and an accompanying introductory editorial, a cover art essay, and two book reviews. The special issue is a fascinating collection of articles that focuses on the importance of protected areas from a spectrum of geographical viewpoints and is an outstanding source of information that is discussed in detail by the guest editors. Hunter Lewis' cover art and essay focus on the ecological wonders found within the Uwharrie Mountains and Uwharrie National Forest of central North Carolina. As Lewis notes, the steep slopes of the Uwharries provide microhabitats uncommon elsewhere within the Piedmont, allowing for the presence of disjunct plant populations such as a relict stand of eastern white pine, and pockets of old-growth montane longleaf pine. One cannot help but be interested in visiting this area after reading the essay. Finally, the two book reviews, one about the inequity of pedestrian deaths in the US (reviewed by Cade Gouin and Yujie Hu), and the other about reconsidering naturalist John Muir's travels through the South from Kentucky to Cedar Key, Florida in 1867 (reviewed by Joann Mossa) cover divergent topics yet are linked by strong geographical aspects that define our discipline. We also wish to share the great news that Southeastern Geographer will be receiving an impact factor beginning in the fall of 2023. As we noted in our announcement to SEDAAG members last summer: "Since its inception in 1961, the flagship journal of the Southeastern Division of the American Association of Geographers (SEDAAG) has published research on a wide variety of topics relating to the American South. Contributing authors have represented researchers from all career stages ranging from emerging to senior scholars. We are hopeful that with the inclusion of an impact factor, more scholars will consider Southeastern Geographer as a potential publication outlet. This milestone for Southeastern Geographer reflects a collective effort including the contributions of the past and present editorial teams, long-term support from SEDAAG, scholarly contributions from authors, and thoughtful feedback from reviewers. Finally, the University of North Carolina Press has been an advocate of Southeastern Geographer and was an influential actor in the decision to receive an impact factor. We look forward to receiving your [End Page 4] scholarly work in the upcoming year as the journal continues to publish interesting and timely articles about the geography of the American South." In conclusion, we reiterate that the success of Southeastern Geographer represents a collective effort, and we encourage you to submit your research to the journal to help continue the proud tradition of SEDAAG's flagship journal. [End Page 5] Selima Sultana University of North Carolina Greensboro Paul Knapp University of North Carolina Greensboro Ridwaana Allen University of North Carolina Greensboro Tyler Mitchell University of North Carolina Greensboro Copyright © 2023 Southeastern Division of the American Association of Geographers

Importance of EU Integration for Biodiversity and Nature Conservation in Transboundary Protected Areas (TPAs) in the Western Balkan

There are many important protected areas in the Western Balkan region, which are shared between Albania, Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Greece. These areas have special importance based on their species density (mosses and higher plants) per surface unit. These transboundary ecosystems, which include mountainous massifs, lakes, and rivers, are biodiversity hotspots for the whole of Europe. Species and habitat densities are high compared to other countries in Southeast Europe. However, political borders fragment properly across two or three countries, which often have different approaches and rules for nature protection and the use of resources. Hence, in this short opinion piece, we stress common and cooperative transboundary protection and management in these countries. Furthermore, the European Union’s policy towards the Western Balkan countries in the Stabilization and Association Process (SAP), with the goal of their eventual EU membership, is crucial. Therefore, our appeal is addressed not only to the respective local communities and national governments but also to the European Commission and related EU institutions. We stress the importance of these cross-border ecosystems in the integration process.

Mercury in Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster) Feathers from the São Pedro and São Paulo Archipelago as a Tool for Environmental Biomonitoring

Seabirds are important bioindicators of environmental quality as their feathers contain records of metal concentration. Among the metals, mercury (Hg) is toxic, causing damage to the organism even in small concentrations. The objective of this study is to determine and evaluate the total Hg levels in brown booby feathers in the São Pedro and São Paulo archipelago (SPSPA) (0º55´02´´N; 29º20´42´´W), comparing to literature levels of metal in feathers of different Sula species in several locations from Brazil and elsewhere in the world. To determine Hg levels, the study uses the methodology of partial digestion of collected feathers, followed by the analysis by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICPOES). The average value of the Hg concentration was 2.6 ± 3.5 mg kg-11, which is below the threshold for the occurrence of adverse effects due to mercury toxicity in seabirds. For the statistical analysis of comparison between sexes of the SPSPA population, and for comparison between species of the genus Sula in different places around the world, this study uses Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), followed by the Tukey test. There was no significant difference between sexes in Hg concentration. However, there was a significant difference between the compared sites, demonstrating that the SPSPA has a low Hg concentration, differing only from Daphne Island, Galapagos a region with high Hg atmospheric deposition due to its climatic conditions. Between the species of the genus Sula, the study detected a significant difference in the accumulation of Hg. The species S. leucogaster differed from the species S. granti, which is also associated with Galapagos. The other species displayed accumulation of Hg resembling that of S. leucogaster, confirming a similarity between their nourishment habits and their trophic niches. The results support future Hg monitoring programs in this important Marine Conservation Unit and Environmental Protection Area.

Detecting Spatiotemporal Differences in Cropland Abandonment and Reforestation Across the Three-North Region of China Based on Landsat Time Series

The Three-North region of China is an important ecological protection area. While the depopulation of rural areas and policy intervention have allowed cropland abandonment and reforestation (CAR), the spatial distribution and temporal differences underlying this landscape pattern have not been analyzed. CAR results in the gradual disappearance of the soil signal representing tilled or harvested crops, followed by a gradual increase in the interannual vegetation signal. This long-term gradual greening can be exploited to map the spatiotemporal distribution of CAR. In this study, Landsat-based detection of trends in disturbance and recovery (LandTrendr) was applied to the 1990–2020 Landsat-derived normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) time series. The data were combined with a differential analysis of the phenological characteristics of the surveyed area to detect land surface greening trends. The relationship with actual information on CAR was then determined. The results showed widespread long-term greening in the Three-North region, covering up to 80% of the region) during the annual growth (May–June) and harvest (September–October) periods. Together, these two periods indicated 7.5% overall greening. The highest greening intensity was in areas where cropland undergone conversion to forest, which strongly suggested CAR as the succession type. The average accuracy of CAR mapping was ~80% (mapping accuracy of a greening intensity > 0.4 was as high as 87%). This study demonstrates the utility of our method in studies of driving factors of CAR and ecological benefits of secondary forest restoration.

Terrain gradient response of landscape ecological environment to land use and land cover change in the hilly watershed in South China

There are abundant resources like climate, water, biological and tourism in the middle and upper reaches of the Ganjiang River (MU-GJR), which is an important ecological protection area in hilly areas of South China. The four periods of land use and land cover (LULC) data from 1980 to 2018 and DEM data are the main data support. The LULC change were analyzed with the area proportion, transfers chord diagram and change characteristics map, the response of ecological environment from LULC change was analyzed by using the landscape ecological environment quality (LEEQ) and contribution index. Then the terrain gradient was used to analyze the impact of LULC transfer on ecological environment under different terrain conditions. (1) The LULC characteristics in the study area show that was dominated by forest land and cultivated land (more than 90 %), various types of land transfer significantly from 2010 to 2018, especially the cultivated land, forest land and grassland. The stable type of LULC change was the most widely distributed, followed by the later change type (2010–2018) and mainly distributed in the flat valley, with the largest change range of cultivated land, forest land and grassland. (2) The LEEQ was generally well, but gradually deteriorates. The obvious change of LEEQ was found after 2010. The deterioration type of quality mostly occurs around the city, while the getting better type occurs in the transition area between the city and the mountains. (3) There are more deterioration categories than improvement categories of LULC transfer from 1980 to 2018. The improvement categories were mainly contributed by the transfer to other land to forest land and build-up land to other land. The deterioration categories were mainly contributed by the transfer of forest land to other land. (4) The impact of LULC change on the ecological environment decreases with the increase of elevation, slope and terrain position. There are differences in the impacts of various types of transfer on the ecological environment under the three gradients. In the elevation gradient, the improvement effect were dominant at −105–100 m and 200–500 m, and the deterioration effect were dominant at 100–200 m, 500–1000 m and 1000–2128 m. In the slope gradient, the improvement effect were dominant at 0–2°, 15–25° and 25–69.7°, and the deterioration effect were dominant at 2–6° and 6–15°. In terrain position gradient, improvement effect were dominant at 0–0.32, 0.32–0.51, 0.7–0.9 and 0.9–1.58, and deterioration effect were dominant at 0.51–0.7. Therefore, the specific conditions of different terrain gradients should be considered for land resource development in the middle and upper reaches of Ganjiang River region.

A spatio-temporal prediction model theory based on deep learning to evaluate the ecological changes of the largest reservoir in North China from 1985 to 2021

Miyun Reservoir, located in the Miyun District, Beijing, China, is the largest comprehensive water conservancy project and is an important ecological protection area in the North China region. Changes within the basin are the driving factors affecting the ecosystem in the watershed; therefore, it is important to analyze the changes in the ecological environment of Miyun Reservoir. For the analysis of a long time series of image data remotely sensed by satellite, the outliers caused by atmospheric, lighting, and sensor measurement errors are significant, and it is difficult for traditional algorithms to effectively recover the true image value. To address this, this paper proposes a theoretical model for predicting spatio-temporal variation based on deep learning to identify and correct invalid and anomalous values in extended time series data. This study corrected and analyzed the results of Remote Sensing based Ecological Index inversion of Landsat data of the Miyun Reservoir watershed from 1985 to 2021. The findings and conclusions of this study are important for the analysis of long time series image data from satellite remote sensing and for improving regional ecological evaluation and sustainable development planning.

An Assessment of Ecological Protection Importance Based on Ecosystems Services and Vulnerabilities in Tibet, China

Tibet has a unique ecosystem and unique species resources and is an important ecological protection area in China and surrounding countries. Ecological protection in Tibet needs to be strengthened and targeted regionally. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate the importance of ecological protection and its spatial difference for policy formulation. In this study, the importance of biodiversity conservation, water retention, soil retention, and sand prevention, as well as the vulnerability of soil erosion and land desertification, was assessed, and the importance of ecological protection was classified. The extremely important ecological protection areas covered an area of 615,000 km2, mainly located in the Northern Tibet Plateau, the southern foot of the Himalayas, the Hengduan Mountains, and the Gangdise-Nyainqentanglha Mountains. The relationship between land-use type, elevation, and ecological protection importance was studied. The results showed that the most important ecological protection area consisted of forest and grassland in low-altitude areas or uninhabited areas 5000 m above sea level. The spatial characteristics of dominant ecological functions in different regions were identified by comparing the importance of different factors. The study found that there are significant differences in the dominant factors of important ecological protection areas in Southeast Tibet, Northern Tibetan Plateau, and Central Tibet. The results provide an effective reference for ecological function zoning and ecological protection policy formulation in Tibet, as a scientific basis for promoting ecological protection and restoration in Tibet.

Dynamic monitoring of the largest reservoir in North China based on multi-source satellite remote sensing from 2013 to 2022: Water area, water level, water storage and water quality

The Miyun Reservoir, located in the Miyun District of Beijing, China, is the largest comprehensive water conservancy project in northern China and an important ecological protection area. The combined effects of many factors produce ecosystem changes in the basin; thus, it is important to analyze the spatial and temporal changes that occur here. Based on multi-source satellite remote sensing data, we analyzed changes in water body area, water level height, and water storage in the Miyun Reservoir from 2013 to 2022 and determined whether these changes were natural or caused by human activity. As traditional water body area extraction methods can misidentify buildings and mountainous areas as water bodies, we fused multiple deep learning models (U-Net and SegNet) using the adboost method, which combined the advantages of the basic models and achieved an overall recognition accuracy of > 90 %. Using annual variations in water storage at the reservoir, we determined that the water body area increased to 157.58 km2 between 2013 and 2022, nearly doubling in size, which corresponded to decreases in cultivated land and vegetated areas. Cultivated land is the main land use type affected by water body erosion. The overall water level height exhibited an upward trend (cumulative increase of 14.8 %), eventually reaching 146.11 m. The water storage volume also increased over time, with a cumulative increase of approximately 436 million m3. On this basis, the influences of temperature, precipitation, and human activity on the spatial and temporal variability of the Miyun Reservoir basin were analyzed. The findings have important implications for global change research within and outside the ecosystem.