National Nature Reserve In China Research Articles

Living with elephants: Analyzing commonalities and differences in human-elephant conflicts in China and Tanzania based on residents' perspectives

Humans and elephants inevitably encounter competition over resources in the elephant habitat. Due to different social development conditions, there may be differences in how humans and elephants coexist in different regions, mainly reflected in the attitude toward elephant conservation and the ability to cope with conflicts. By comparing human-elephant conflicts in different regions, it helps to explore the long-term coexistence path between humans and elephants. This paper selects the Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve in China, the habitat of Asian elephants (Elephas maximus), and the Nyerere-Selous-Mikumi region in Tanzania, the habitat of African steppe elephants (Loxodonta africana), as the study area, and assesses the current situation of human-elephant conflict in the study area through semi-structured interviews and questionnaires, to understand the residents' perception of the conflict and the willingness of residents to protect elephants, and empirically analyze the factors affecting the residents' willingness to protect. The results showed that the types of human-elephant conflicts in the Xishuangbanna (China) and the surrounding areas of the Nyerere-Selous-Mikumi ecosystem in Tanzania were similar, and the respondents in the Xishuangbanna region (China) suffered more losses but had a stronger willingness to protect elephants. Besides, residents that are less impacted by conflict, have higher household incomes and more diversified livelihood sources are likely to have a stronger willingness to protect the elephant. This study emphasizes the role of socioeconomic development and governance capacity enhancement in mitigating human-elephant conflict, providing a richer perspective on the governance of human-elephant conflict.

Satisfaction of households in surrounding communities of protected areas with economic compensation for wildlife accidents: a case study of Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve in China

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the satisfaction of farmers with the compensation policy for wildlife-caused damages and its influencing factors, analyze the current situation of satisfaction with the compensation policy among farmers, identify factors significantly affecting satisfaction, and explore ways to optimize the compensation policy and improve the satisfaction of farmers based on the effects of various influencing factors.Design/methodology/approachThe Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve in Yunnan Province, China, is selected as the research area for the study. Through field interviews, 370 valid questionnaires were collected to obtain relevant data on farmers' satisfaction with the compensation policy for wildlife-caused damages. The Oprobit model is utilized to explore the factors influencing farmer satisfaction and to analyze their underlying reasons.FindingsThe study reveals that farmers in the communities surrounding the Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve generally experience low satisfaction with the compensation policy, particularly concerning satisfaction with compensation amounts, which tends to be dissatisfied on average. Satisfaction with the compensation policy is significantly influenced by individual characteristics and household labor structure, while the degree of human-wildlife conflict, wildlife conservation attitudes and household income structure have insignificant impact. Among individual characteristics, gender, education level, health status, and ethnicity are highly significant. In household labor structure, the number of agricultural laborers, non-agricultural laborers, and household agricultural labor time are highly significant.Originality/valueBuilding on the overall satisfaction of farmers with the compensation policy, this study further decomposes policy satisfaction into satisfaction with compensation amounts, coverage, and procedures. It provides more targeted recommendations for enhancing satisfaction with the compensation policy, which can help effectively mitigate human-wildlife conflicts and achieve harmonious coexistence between humans and nature.

Evaluation of the light pollution in the nature reserves of China based on NPP/VIIRS nighttime light data

ABSTRACT Nature reserves play a key role in the conservation of habitats, species and ecosystems in China. However, the issue of light pollution within these reserves has not received well recognition. Whereas previous studies have investigated light pollution in protected areas by remote sensing, the influence of the atmospheric scattered light from neighborhoods was ignored by using only direct light emissions. This study mapped the nighttime all-sky brightness from NPP/VIIRS data to quantify light pollution over the national nature reserves in China from 2013 to 2022. Based on the remotely sensed sky brightness, the spatio-temporal variations of sky brightness were analyzed. The mean sky brightness across all nature reserves was 0.63 mcd/m2 and the mean trend was 0.0189 mcd/m2/a, indicating obvious and accelerating light pollution. Furthermore, the sky brightness around the nature reserves was estimated and compared with the reserves. In general, the surrounding regions showed higher sky brightness and brightening trends, suggesting a certain but insufficient protective effect on the sky quality of nature reserves. This study provides a comprehensive understanding of the light pollution conditions in the national nature reserves in China and serves as a valuable reference for future assessments of light pollution using remote sensing data.

Spatial evolution and spatial production of traditional villages from “backward poverty villages” to “ecologically well-off villages”: Experiences from the hinterland of national nature reserves in China

Spatial evolution and spatial production of traditional villages from “backward poverty villages” to “ecologically well-off villages”: Experiences from the hinterland of national nature reserves in China

Stochastic Processes Dominate Soil Microbial Community Assembly during the Restoration of Degraded Karst Forests

The mechanisms underpinning the soil microbial community assembly are important, particularly in the fragile karst forest ecosystem. Despite such significance, relevant topics remain limited. We investigated a typical karst area, the Maolan National Nature Reserve in China. For this purpose, 30 forest dynamics plots were established on three restoration gradients in degraded karst forests, namely shrub, pioneer tree, and climax communities. Using vegetation surveys, we explored the diversity patterns, driving factors, and community assembly of the soil microbial communities during the restoration of degraded karst forest ecosystems. In addition, the soil physicochemical properties and macrogenomic sequencing data were examined. One-way analysis of variance and principal coordinates analysis showed no significant changes in soil microbial α-diversity during restoration, and the opposite pattern was observed for β-diversity. Variation partitioning analysis revealed that the combined effect of both soil microbial β-diversity and soil was significant (28% and 32% for bacteria and fungi, respectively). Pearson correlation analyses showed that plant species diversity and soil multifunctionality correlated significantly with soil microbial β-diversity. In contrast, the direct effect of plants was smaller (2% and 3% for bacteria and fungi, respectively). According to the dispersal–niche continuum index, stochastic processes were responsible for the assembly of the bacterial and fungal soil microbial communities. During restoration, the dominant influence of stochastic effects on the assembly of bacterial communities intensified. In contrast, the reverse tendency was observed in soil fungi. The investigation of the diversity pattern of soil microbial communities and their assembly can provide theoretical references for the restoration of degraded ecosystems.

Identification and analysis of conservation gap of national nature reserves in China

The global system of nature reserves is facing adjustment and restructuring towards the goal of harmonizing ecological conservation with regional development. We use multiple ecoregion data at both global and national scales as ecological indicators to explore the gap areas of China's nature reserves, which can help to build a global network of nature reserve systems and lay a spatial foundation for global biodiversity conservation. This paper comprehensively resorts to the ideas and modeling approaches involved in gap analysis, conservation prioritization analysis and eco-region planning. After identifying in both global and national scales the potential areas with gaps in national nature reserves in China, it proposes conservation priority areas and optimization strategies. The study finds that in a global extent, the areas with the gaps in China cover a large area and are distributed widely, mostly on the both sides of the Tengchong-Heihe Line. The conservation priority areas are concentrated in mid-subtropical humid areas, plateau subtropical sub-humid areas and semi-arid areas, and plateau temperate humid/sub-humid areas. These areas are usually not sufficiently protected due to their diversified landforms, complex ecosystems and lack of protection measures. The results have verified and identified the areas with gaps in the building of Chinese national nature reserve system. They may make a unique and important contribution to global ecological conservation efforts in terms of protected area system optimization and conservation network building. SynopsisThis paper analyses the conservation gaps in China's national nature reserves and proposes conservation priority areas for optimising the layout of the nature reserve network.

Optimizing natural boundary definition and functional zoning in protected areas: An integrated framework encompassing species, landscapes and ecosystems

To promote the harmonized development of economic construction and ecological protection, our study introduces an integrated framework that employs various methodologies to delineate natural reserve boundaries and spatial zoning. These methodologies aim to address issues such as insufficient protected area, excessive human-induced influences, and inadequate protection of endangered animals within nature reserve boundaries. Leveraging comprehensive data from diverse sources, including ground surveys and remote sensing detection, we conducted a survey using the Chebaling National Nature Reserve in China and its environs as a case study. Models such as the maximum entropy model (MaxEnt), Fragstats, and the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs (InVEST) were employed to identify areas with highly suitable habitats, significant landscape diversity, and superior ecosystem quality for 16 key species. Subsequently, the irreplaceable value of the research area was calculated using the Marxan model, leading to the establishment of a novel natural boundary and development plan. We propose expanding the original nature reserve to 1344 km², dividing it into a core reserve (321 km², 23.88%) and a general control area (1023 km², 76.12%). Additionally, we recommend further division of the general protected area into several functional zones to facilitate the integration of functional diversity and ecological protection. This contributes to a more scientifically informed and rational management approach for the Chebaling National Nature Reserve. Moreover, this integrated framework offers valuable insights for assessing and identifying animal habitats globally and spatially zoning other nature reserves.

Occurrence dataset of birds in Sihong Hongze Lake Wetlands National Nature Reserve in China.

Hongze Lake is China's fourth largest freshwater lake and is also an important habitat for hundreds of thousands of migratory birds on the East Asian-Australian Flyway (EAAF). Sihong Hongze Lake Wetlands National Nature Reserve is located on the northwest of Hongze Lake, Sihong County, Jiangsu Province. The Reserve is a protected large area of natural lake wetlands, marsh wetlands and riverine wetlands and used as a stopover and wintering habitats for migratory birds. Previous studies have conducted bird diversity and temporal-spatial variation in this Reserve, but only for species of Anseriformes. There is still a lack of a comprehensive dataset on the number of bird species and individuals in this Reserve throughout the year. Our study was conducted from July 2020 to June 2021 to observe bird species composition and individual numbers at Sihong Hongze Lake Wetlands National Nature Reserve and provides an occurrence dataset with detailed species and geographic information. This occurrence dataset is the first public record of birds in Sihong Hongze Lake Wetlands National Nature Reserve for a whole year, which includes the taxonomic information, location information, number, investigation date and endangered level for each species. All data have been published on GBIF.

Conflicts in mangrove protected areas through the actor-centred power framework - Insights from China

Mangroves as a critical ecosystem in tropical and subtropical intertidal zones are undergoing accelerated degradation. Efforts to establish protected areas have been credited as a plausible way to protect mangroves. However, the rapid expansion of protected areas has severely eroded communities' livelihoods and power balance with local authorities, creating tensions between mangrove conservation and local aquaculture development. Based on the actor-centered power framework, we analyzed local residents' reactions and resistance to the highly politicized policies in the K Mangrove National Nature Reserve in China. By revealing power dynamics hidden in multi-actor conflicts under an authoritarian regime, our research sheds new light on how conflicts arise and escalate through the strategic use of power resources and imbalanced power configuration during structural change and policy implementation. Power relations between groups of actors are reshaped from tacit complicity to opposition between the policy coalition and the interest expression coalition. The deprivation by local authorities of community-owned soft power resources significantly exacerbates the power asymmetry between coalitions and triggers the adoption of stronger power strategies by the community and the escalation of resistance intensity. Our research has important implications for better conflict management and coastal resource management under authoritarianism.

Assessing the conservation effectiveness of national nature reserves in China

Establishing nature reserves (NRs) to protect habitats by selecting and reducing human activities (HA) is one of the measures to conserve biodiversity. Scientific assessment of the conservation effectiveness of NRs can provide useful references for managing NRs. However, further study is required to evaluate habitat quality (HQ) and HA and the response of HQ to HA in Chinese NRs to identify the conservation effectiveness of national NRs in China. To fill the gaps, this study attempted to evaluate the conservation effectiveness of NRs by analyzing the changes in HQ and HA and the response of HQ to HA. The results showed that the HQ improvement area was 53.494% during 1990–2020, and HQ rebounded by 0.332% after 2010. Moreover, HA positively impacted HQ in general, with heterogeneous categories. These findings suggest that the ecological conservation in the NRs are effective. Notably, HA's positive role in enhancing HQ continued to rise by 36.364%. Ecological transformation of HA in the NRs is the main reason. However, HA has adverse effects on HQ due to the HA diversity and the NRs vulnerability. This study contributes to the assessment of conservation effects and the development of better management plans for NRs.

A Forest Wildlife Detection Algorithm Based on Improved YOLOv5s.

A forest wildlife detection algorithm based on an improved YOLOv5s network model is proposed to advance forest wildlife monitoring and improve detection accuracy in complex forest environments. This research utilizes a data set from the Hunan Hupingshan National Nature Reserve in China, to which data augmentation and expansion methods are applied to extensively train the proposed model. To enhance the feature extraction ability of the proposed model, a weighted channel stitching method based on channel attention is introduced. The Swin Transformer module is combined with a CNN network to add a Self-Attention mechanism, thus improving the perceptual field for feature extraction. Furthermore, a new loss function (DIOU_Loss) and an adaptive class suppression loss (L_BCE) are adopted to accelerate the model's convergence speed, reduce false detections in confusing categories, and increase its accuracy. When comparing our improved algorithm with the original YOLOv5s network model under the same experimental conditions and data set, significant improvements are observed, in particular, the mean average precision (mAP) is increased from 72.6% to 89.4%, comprising an accuracy improvement of 16.8%. Our improved algorithm also outperforms popular target detection algorithms, including YOLOv5s, YOLOv3, RetinaNet, and Faster-RCNN. Our proposed improvement measures can well address the challenges posed by the low contrast between background and targets, as well as occlusion and overlap, in forest wildlife images captured by trap cameras. These measures provide practical solutions for enhanced forest wildlife protection and facilitate efficient data acquisition.

Taxonomy, distribution, and contemporary exposure of terrestrial mammals to floods and human pressure across different areas for biodiversity conservation in China.

A significant research focus is placed on identifying animal species and areas at future risk to human-induced alterations of the environment and long-term changes in climatic conditions. Yet, the extent to which exposure to extreme climatic events and intense human pressure can increase the risk of harmful impacts on species remains poorly investigated. Focusing on terrestrial mammals in China, one of the world's megadiverse countries, we investigated patterns of contemporary exposure to floods and human pressures and determined their taxonomic representation and distribution across three major area-based conservation schemes, namely, national nature reserves (NNRs), priority areas for biodiversity conservation (PABCs), and key biodiversity areas (KBAs). Among the 440 species assessed with moderate or high exposure to floods, 327 (∼75%) also qualified as moderate or high in exposure to intense human pressure. These species mainly belong to the orders Chiroptera, Eulipotyphla, and Rodentia. Likewise, there were 305, 311, and 311 species with moderate or high exposure to flood and intense human pressure represented across NNRs, PABCs, and KBAs, respectively. Our findings support the prioritization of KBAs for expansion of site-based protection efforts such as NNRs in China, considering threats to species from exposure to adverse effects from both extreme climate and human pressure.

New records of the Endangered Helan Shan pika Ochotona argentata, with notes on its natural history and conservation

AbstractThe Helan Shan pika Ochotona argentata is an Endangered pika endemic to Ningxia Helan Shan National Nature Reserve in China. Little is known about the species, including regarding its population status, distribution, habitat requirements and even basic natural history. We conducted camera trapping in the Reserve during 13 January 2020–25 January 2022 and obtained two new records for this species. These, combined with five other new records obtained during the monitoring programme in the Reserve, represent a significant increase in the known range of the species and more than double the species’ known extent of occurrence from 107 to 223 km2. These records also provide the first evidence that this species is active both nocturnally and diurnally. However, this range increase does not alter the Endangered status of the pika, and the pika was not observed within its previously known range; future research should involve intensive camera trapping in the Reserve to ascertain whether this is a result of local extirpation, habitat loss or fragmentation or under-sampling on our part. Studies should also incorporate techniques used for other alpine pika species to collect baseline data on habitat use, population size and behaviour to determine the potential response of the Helan Shan pika to present and future threats.

Plant diversity patterns along an elevation gradient: the relative impact of environmental and spatial variation on plant diversity and assembly in arid and semi-arid regions

The spatial distribution pattern of species diversity and its driving variables are essential to understanding how biodiversity will respond to the threat of future climatic instability. This study examines how the alpha and beta diversity indices vary along the elevation gradient and which factors are more responsible for arid and semi-arid plant diversity and community assembly. There were 121 species from 90 genera and 42 families found at elevations ranging from 1,200 to 2,600 m within the Ningxia Helan Mountain National Nature Reserve in China. These were primarily shrubs and herbs with characteristics adapted to extreme temperatures. The diversity of both the shrub layer and the herb layer was highest at mid-elevation, underscoring the importance of protecting mid-elevation ecosystems. Climatic distance and topographic distance were more influential than spatial distance in driving the species composition change of shrubs and herbs. In the herb layer, climatic, topographic, and spatial factors contributed more to community assembly than shrub communities. In this case, improving the environment in the community or introducing herbs could help the restoration of these places. These findings provide insight into biogeographic patterns, biodiversity growth mechanisms, and community formation processes. Moreover, it can improve projections of climate change within and across ecosystems and provide the scientific basis for the use and management of plant resources in arid and semi-arid regions.

Influencing factors of community residents' pro-environmental behavior in East Dongting Lake National Nature Reserve under the policy intervention

In the study of protected areas, the "Fences & fines" approach is increasingly becoming acknowledged as obsolete and ineffectual, and there is mounting evidence suggesting that the "Community-based conservation" approach is acquiring consideration. It is significant to identify which protection model or factors perform a definitive part in China. Taking the East Dongting Lake National Nature Reserve in China as a survey site, this paper utilizes semi-structured interviews and random questionnaires surveyed 431 households to investigate the relationship between "community-based conservation" approaches such aslegal system, ecological compensation, environmental education, community participation, concessions, livelihoods, job provision, intrinsic motivation and pro-environmental behavior. The regression results declare that intrinsic motivation (β = 0.390) and legal system (β = 0.212) are the most effective factors impacting on pro-environmental behavior; concessions has a negative conflict on preservation;but other "community-based conservation" approaches had insignificant positive impacts on pro-environmental behavior. Further mediating effects analysis indicated that intrinsic motivation (B = 0.3899, t = 11.9694, p < 0.01) mediates between legal system and pro-environmental behavior of community residents, legal system promotes pro-environmental behavior by promoting intrinsic motivation, which is more effective than legal system promoting pro-environmental behavior directly. This demonstrates that “Fence and fine approach" still is an effective management tool which can shape community residents' positive attitude towards conservation and pro-environmental behavior especially protected areas with large communities. And appropriate "community-based conservation" approaches can mitigate conflicts between special groups with the combination of these two approaches, the management of protected areas can be successful. This supplies a valuable real-world case for the current debate on conservation and improved human livelihoods.

Deviation between willingness and actual behavior regarding community participation in protected areas: A case study in Shengjin lake national nature reserve in China

Introduction: The deviation between high willingness and poor actual behaviors in community participation has become an obstacle to achieving effective management and resource protection of protected areas. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate this deviation and its influencing factors.Methods: Based on a field survey of community residents in the Shengjin Lake National Nature Reserve (SJLNNR) in Anhui Province, China, this study uses a Logistic-ISM model to analyze the key factors influencing the deviation and the hierarchical structure supporting those key factors.Results: There is a significant deviation between participation willingness and actual behavior in SJLNNR. This deviation is characterized by eight key factors. Among these, awareness of the necessity of establishing SJLNNR is a direct factor at the surface level. Participation of important or recognizable people; average annual family income; understanding of environmental protection laws and regulations; realization of environmental improvement effect; satisfaction with SJLNNR authority; and future earnings expectations are all intermediate indirect factors. Furthermore, resident member is a fundamental factor. Resident members refer to those who live at home for six months or more during a calendar year.Discussion: These results indicate that there are three possible practical reasons for the deviation: 1) The lack of young and middle-aged adults is the root cause. 2) Inadequate ecological compensation is the direct trigger. 3) Individual internal psychological factors have significant effects. Furthermore, this study provides policy implications for converting willingness into actual participation in the community and promoting sustainable development.

Clustered tree size analysis of bio-productivity of Dinghushan National Nature Reserve in China

Over various terrain types, natural forests exhibit tree size and biomass variation. We started long- term research that consists of forest vegetation surveys in the Dinghushan National Nature Reserve to comprehensively investigate productivity based on the structure and species composition of China’s forest communities. We grouped the trees into three categories, i.e., as large or mature (DBH &amp;gt; 30 cm), medium-sized or growing (DBH 10–30 cm), and small-sized or regenerating seedlings (DBH &amp;lt; 10 cm). Forest data observations, i.e., species DBH, height, and biomass components (trunk, leaves, branches, above-ground dry weight, and below-ground dry weight) were recorded by use of standard protocols. All recorded observations were statistically analyzed by use of SPSS version 25. To comprehend the connections between the many elements of forest bio-productivity, linear regression analysis was utilized. Total above-ground biomass was 34.19 ± 5.75Kg/tree, but varied results were obtained when the forest was clustered based on DBH. Large-sized trees contributed an average of 2400.54 ± 510.4 kg/tree (93.24%), while medium-sized trees contributed 171.61 ± 25.06 kg/tree, and the least was regenerating seedlings which contributed 3.013 ± 0.07 kg/tree. There were positive linear relationships for all life forms between biomass and DHB, as well as DBH and height. The evergreen broadleaved shrubs were shorter in height (3.06 ± 0.99 m) than palm-leaved life forms (19.29 ± 5.39 m). Height influenced biomass accumulation and hence C gain, where life forms with tall stands had higher biomass. Generalized biomass estimation without clustering based on life forms or size class underestimates biomass components and hence lower C stocks for most forests worldwide. It’s also crucial to remember that trees with big DBH have tall, broad, well-lit crowns, which raise the primary productivity of forests and increase carbon storage. Besides natural disturbance (Typhoon) and climate change, it could be interesting to understand the relationship between soil resources such as nutrient and soil moisture content. These are factors that have direct impact on growth and biomass accumulation.

How to coordinate the use and conservation of natural resources in protected areas: From the perspective of tourists’ natural experiences and environmentally responsible behaviours

One of the important purposes of opening protected areas to the public is providing tourists with natural experience products and education so as to stimulate their environmentally responsible behaviours (ERBs) and achieve sustainability. However, there are often contradictions between the recreational use of natural resources and eco-environmental protection, and scholars have not directly determined whether natural experiences always trigger tourist ERBs. To fill this gap, we study the formation of ERBs (including environmentally friendly behaviours, environmental concern-based behaviours and sustainable behaviours) by integrating the mechanisms of tourists’ experiences (including sensory experience, mental involvement and norm arousal) and their effects on ERBs. The results of a sample of 682 tourists at a National Nature Reserve in China affirm that there are spillover effects among tourists’ experiences and that tourists’ experiences influence ERBs. Sensory experience and norm arousal positively affect people’s environmentally friendly behaviours, their behaviours that are based on their concern for the environment and their sustainable behaviours. While mental involvement has a positive impact on environmentally friendly behaviours, a negative impact on sustainable behaviours, and no effect on people’s environmental concern-based behaviours. In addition, mental involvement and norm arousal play an important role in mediating the impacts of sensory experience on ERBs. This study explores the relationship between use and conservation of natural resources via tourists’ experiences and ERBs, and it reveals that tourists’ experience stays in mental involvement, which may not conducive to eco-environmental conservation in the protected areas. It opens the field for future research paths in the exploration of the paradox that emerges out of the natural experience and tourists’ ERBs and provides insights into and points to ecological implications for reserve managers and tourism operators.

A new species of Coccomyces from oak leaves in Fodingshan National Nature Reserve in China

Specimens of Coccomyces on Quercus (Cyclobalanopsis, Fagaceae) collected from Fodingshan National Nature Reserve in Guizhou Province, China, were identified as a new species and named Coccomyces fodingshanensis. A multi-gene phylogenetic analysis (ITS, LSU, mtSSU) showed that the new species is closely related to Coccomyces sinensis on Camellia species but differed by subrounded ascomata and fagaceous host.

The national nature reserves in China: Are they effective in conserving mangroves?

Mangroves are high-productive ecosystems and globally protected. Establishing nature reserves aimed at counteracting the negative effects of anthropogenic activities is one of the most pivotal approaches to conserve mangrove ecosystems. Evaluation of the conservation effectiveness for mangrove nature reserves is thus indispensable for making knowledge-based conservation policies and funding-decisions by government and managers. In this study, using composited Landsat images by the Google Earth Engine cloud platform and object-oriented deep learning classification method, the land cover maps of national mangrove nature reserves (NMNRs) in China were obtained from 1987 to 2019. The systematic evaluation of conservation effectiveness for each NMNR was conducted by landscape metrics and an entropy weight model. Combined with the dynamics in mangrove distribution, human interference intensity, and natural environment change, the driving force factors affecting the conservation effectiveness for NMNRs were investigated. The results show that the total mangrove area in all NMNRs increased 968.6 ha during the study period, a 21.8 % rate of increase. Except for one NMNR with a slight decline, the conservation of remaining NMNRs was considered effective with increase varied from 14.8 % to 87.5 % in the level of protective efficacy. The conservation effectiveness of NMNRs was affected by both anthropogenic and natural factors, while the improvement to the conservation effectiveness was largely attributed to the implementation of protection policies, such as reforestation engineering. Further direct or indirect challenges in mangrove conservation effectiveness, e.g., pollution, natural disasters, and exotic species invasion, still require close attention. This study provides an effective and efficient approach to quantify the conservation effectiveness of mangrove nature reserves, which would facilitate mangrove conservation and management in the future.