Nature Reserve Network Research Articles

Ensemble SDMs reveal the effect of environmental suitability and nature reserves on conserving Chinese pangolins in Guangdong, China

Identifying species distribution patterns and threatened factors is essential for wildlife conservation. For the critically endangered Chinese pangolin, most studies have emphasized negative human interference and ignored the effect of environmental suitability and positive human intervention on altering species distribution patterns. We took Guangdong Province as the research area and obtained census data of the Chinese pangolin. Combined with five types of environmental variables, including climatic, geographical, human, soil and vegetation, we used five algorithms in BIOMOD2 to construct an ensemble species distribution model (SDM) of the Chinese pangolin. The importance and response curves of environmental variables were also obtained. We used the cutoff as a threshold to classify habitat or non-habitat, calculated the habitat coverage of established nature reserves by overlay analysis, and visualized the conservation gaps. The results indicate that the potential distribution range of the Chinese pangolin is wide, fragmented and determined by multiple factors. The average annual temperature (highly correlated with elevation) and the highest temperature in the warmest month were the main influencing factors (contribution rate > 10 %), and the distance from nature reserves and human footprint index were secondary factors (contribution rate > 5 %). The established nature reserve network covers approximately 23 % of the potential habitat of the Chinese pangolin. The proposed Nanling National Park seems incapable of protecting the widely distributed Chinese pangolins. In eastern and northern Guangdong, including Meizhou, Heyuan, Shaoguan and Huizhou and Qingyuan cities, there is still a large area of habitat suitable for the Chinese pangolin that is not well protected. We suggest further expanding the current nature reserve network to absorb suitable habitats of Chinese pangolins from adjacent areas and optimizing the spatial arrangement to improve conservation efficiency.

Effect of Climate and Land-Use Changes on a Threatened Forest Resident Bird

Endangered species are being threatened by climate and land-use changes. However, the relative effects of climate and land-use changes on forest resident birds remain unclear. In this study, we employed an ecological niche model to forecast the potential influence of climate and land-use changes on Reeves’s pheasant (Syrmaticus reevesii), while taking into account topographical limitations. We observed that climate and land-use changes would have a remarkably negative impact on Syrmaticus reevesii, and climate change would play a dominant role. Consequently, the potential distribution range of Syrmaticus reevesii would sharply decrease, and this species may face a significant risk of extinction in 2070. In addition, we found that the area change predicted by climate and land-use changes would be significantly lower inside the China Nature Reserve Network (NNR) than outside the NNR. However, less than 15% of the area suitable for Syrmaticus reevesii has been covered by NNR. Furthermore, our results showed that the response of Syrmaticus reevesii to climate and land-use changes largely depended on topographical factors, and Syrmaticus reevesii would face greater impacts from climate and land-use changes under topographical limitations. Taken together, we highlight that it is imperative to adjust and develop nature reserve networks and conservation strategies to cope with rapid global environmental change.

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.

Nature reserve network of the upper reaches of the Pripet River basin

Nature reserve network of the upper reaches of the Pripet River basin

Development of local eco-network of Lutsk territorial community: features and problems

Introduction. Planning of ecological networks at the local level is one of the most difficult stages of geospatial organization of the territory, which requires a detailed and balanced approach, thorough analysis of topographic materials, land management data and the use of geographic information technologies. Local-level eco-networks have a number of features related to the need for a high level of detalization and connectivity of their components. For them, specific model questions are formed about the assignment of certain areas to the structural and functional elements of the ecological network. At the same time, these elements are complementary elements in the structure of ecological networks of regional importance. The purpose of the article. The purpose of the study is to find out the conditions and specific features of the local eco-network of the Lutsk territorial community, to justify the allocation of its structural and functional elements, the current state of development and recommendations to ensure proper functioning. Methods. To study the features of the territorial organization of preserved areas of the urban community, in particular, as part of the nature reserve network and the Emerald network, substantiation of the boundaries of functional components of the local eco-network, elucidation of functional relationships between its elements, construction of cartographic models methods of field research, comparative geographical analysis, cartographic analysis, statistical analysis were used. Results. The natural conditions of the community, sources of economic impact and anthropogenic transformation of the environment, indicators of nature reserves, the level of naturalness of other areas: swamps, wetlands, water protection zones, forests, protective forest belts, reclaimed areas due to their obvious necessity inclusion in the local eco-network to ensure its functional integrity were analyzed. 13 natural nuclei, seven connecting elements, buffer zones potentially suitable for increasing the area of natural nuclei and ecological corridors of the territory of restoration and territory of natural development have been identified. The scientific novelty. The substantiation of structural and functional elements of the first local level eco-network in Volyn Region is made, the map of the local eco-network is developed, the problems of functioning are determined and the prospects of development are analyzed. Practical significance. The development of the local ecological network of the Lutsk town territorial community is a pilot project of the development of local ecological network of the territorial communities of the Volyn region.

FORMATION OF PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCES OF STUDENTS OF THE SPECIALTY "ECOLOGY"

The current state of the country's socio-economic development directs modern education to the formation and development of competencies in the subjects of the educational process. After all, society needs competent specialists in the relevant spheres of activity, competitive on the labor market The formation of professional competences in the students of the specialty "Ecology" should be aimed at training specialists with a deep understanding of the principles of ecological science, able to analyze environmental problems and develop rational solutions for solving them.
 The current state of the natural environment and the trends in solving environmental problems at the regional and national levels, including in the Poltava region, put new tasks in the field of staffing the important ecological sphere with specialists of a new generation capable of ensuring the preservation, reproduction and rational use of natural resources and technologies of industrial and agricultural production. One of the real and productive sources of providing the professional field with such specialists is university education in the field of "Ecology" training, which provides for the training of highly qualified personnel in the field.
 In connection with the manifestations of the components of the ecological crisis in the Poltava region, ecological troubles, the need to preserve natural complexes and their components, optimization of the regional nature reserve network, the development of a regional eco-network, the implementation of environmental and educational activities among various population groups, there was an urgent need for the training of specialists Department of "Ecology" on the basis of V.G. Korolenko Poltava national pedagogical university.

Biodiversity priority areas and conservation strategies for seed plants in China.

China is known for its abundant plant resources, but biodiversity conservation faces unprecedented challenges. To provide feasible suggestions for sustainable conservation, we used the species richness algorithm and complementary algorithm to study distribution patterns of 34,082 seed plants based on 1,007,196 county-level distribution records. We reconstructed a phylogenetic tree for 95.35% of species and estimated the spatial phylogenetics, followed by correlation analyses between different distribution patterns. We identified 264 counties concentrated in southern and south-western mountainous areas as hotspots which covered 10% of the land area of China and harbored 85.22% of the Chinese seed plant species. The biodiversity conservation priorities we identified were highly representative as we have considered multiple conservation indicators. We evaluated the conservation effectiveness and gaps in the network of nature reserves and identified 31.44, 32.95, and 9.47%, respectively, of the hotspot counties as gaps in the national nature reserves, provincial nature reserves and both together, with respectively 55.77, 61.53, and 28.94% of the species. Analysis of the species composition showed there were a large number of threatened and endemic species occurring in the nature reserves’ gaps. The conservation gaps need to be filled by establishing new nature reserves or national parks, especially in south-western China, and more attentions should be paid to strengthen the conservation of specific plant taxa due to the apparent mismatches between different distribution patterns.

The need for IUCN species distribution update—The case from takin (Budorcas taxicolor) in Southwest China

AbstractSpecies distributions are one of the fundamental factors needed for understanding and conserving wildlife. While the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is the primary applied reference for biodiversity conservation, limitations in data availability and analyses of the distributions of some species may limit accurate threat classification assessments and conservation recommendations. Improving the accuracy of species distributions in light of growing data and analytical methods is a key step to increasing the efficacy of the Red List. In this study, we reassessed the distribution of takin (Budorcas taxicolor tibetana), a large ungulate in Sichuan Province, southwest China, classified by the IUCN as vulnerable. Using species distribution models and reported habitat requirements, we updated the takin distribution map. Our updated distribution range in the study area (79,449 km2) was 61.31% of the current distribution range (CDR) on the IUCN Red List. This reduction was in large part due to the inclusion in the CDR of substantial areas of lowland plains, high human disturbance, and non‐forest habitat, which provide no suitable habitat for takin. According to our results, suitable takin habitat covered 18.97% of the CDR, suggesting a substantially overestimated distribution. However, there are high proportions of habitat (40%) still covered by the nature reserve network, indicating the importance of protected areas (PAs) in the conservation threaten species. We recommend that experts apply the basic approach presented herein to update the Red List distributions for more species to increase the accuracy of assessments and resulting conservation applications.

Spatial analysis of natural reserve fund of the Zakarpatska Oblast


 
 
 The article brings light to the study of the nature reserve fund (NRF) of Zakarpatska oblast as a component of the national heritage of the country. Representativeness is considered to be one of the main principles of spatial formation of the NRF object network. Therefore, to determine the current state and ensure further effective development of the region’s nature reserve fund, it is necessary to analyze its territorial and internal structural indicators. The purpose of the study is to analyze the current status of the region’s nature reserve fund with the reference to the possibility of introduction of the further new management practices. The article is based on information and statistical materials, the provisions of regional programs for the formation of the ecological network and environmental legislation of Ukraine. To solve the assigned tasks, there has been done a comprehensive analysis of statistical reporting data and materials of the NRF Register in Zakarpatska oblast of the Department of Ecology of Natural Resources of Zakarpattia Regional State Administration within the period of 2019, and reporting documents of environmental institutions for the same period. The considered indicator is the territorial distribution of nature reserve areas and region areas by administrative districts (before the formation and implementation of changes to the administrative-territorial structure of the Zakarpatska oblast), which is presented in the form of the division into four groups. The spatial distribution of the territory and the NFR objects do not sufficiently meet the criteria of local representativeness, so their spatial structure needs significant improvement, be specific – the creation of nature reserves, especially in the lowlands of the region. The average density of nature protection objects in the region (36 units / 1000 km2) is almost three times higher than the corresponding indicator in the neighboring Lviv region. The average value of the reserve factor in the region makes 14.17 %. It has been found that the reserve ratio demonstrates geographically the largest disproportion in Zakarpatska oblast. It is the highest indicator in turns of administrative entities in the districts of Mizhhiria, Velyky Bereznyi and Rakhiv. The lowest one is in Svaliava and Berehove districts, respectively. In addition, the reserve ratio compared to the national average indicator and in other European countries has been carried out. The quality of the nature reserve network is determined by the insularity coefficient, which indicates the size of the NRF objects and their stability. Further expansion of the network of nature protection objects in Zakarpatska oblast is possible due to the creation of Latorytsa, Shaian and Uzhok landscape parks. A big assumption can be made that by 2020 it will be possible to create new and expand existing areas of NRF in the region up to 100–120 thousand hectares, which will increase the protected area up to 20–22 %. The key issues of nature reserves to be developed in Zakarpatska oblast are primarily related to the imperfection of the management system. To handle this problem, there is an urgent need to develop a strategy, which will envisage the perception of the NRF as a holistic anthropogenic and natural unit in order to put into practice the environmental, scientific, educational and recreational functions.
 
 

Predicting range shifts of Davidia involucrata Ball. under future climate change.

Understanding and predicting how species will respond to climate change is crucial for biodiversity conservation. Here, we assessed future climate change impacts on the distribution of a rare and endangered plant species, Davidia involucrate in China, using the most recent global circulation models developed in the sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC6). We assessed the potential range shifts in this species by using an ensemble of species distribution models (SDMs). The ensemble SDMs exhibited high predictive ability and suggested that the temperature annual range, annual mean temperature, and precipitation of the driest month are the most influential predictors in shaping distribution patterns of this species. The projections of the ensemble SDMs also suggested that D. involucrate is very vulnerable to future climate change, with at least one‐third of its suitable range expected to be lost in all future climate change scenarios and will shift to the northward of high‐latitude regions. Similarly, at least one‐fifth of the overlap area of the current nature reserve networks and projected suitable habitat is also expected to be lost. These findings suggest that it is of great importance to ensure that adaptive conservation management strategies are in place to mitigate the impacts of climate change on D. involucrate.

Integrating habitat suitability modelling and assessment of the conservation gaps of nature reserves for the threatened Reeves’s Pheasant

SummaryAs threats to biodiversity proliferate, establishment and expansion of protected areas have increasingly been advocated in recent decades. In establishing a network of protected areas, recurrent assessments of the biodiversity conservation actually afforded by these areas is required. Gap analysis has been useful to evaluate the sufficiency and performance of protected areas. We surveyed Reeves’s PheasantSyrmaticus reevesiipopulations in 2018–2019 across its distribution range in central China to quantify the distribution of habitat suitable for this species. Our goal was to ascertain the current distribution of Reeves’s Pheasant and then identify the gaps in protecting Reeves’s Pheasant of the existing national nature reserve (NNR) network to provide suggestions for improving the conservation of this important species. The existing NNR network encompassed only 17.0% of the habitat suitable for Reeves’s Pheasant. Based on the current distributions of both suitable habitat and NNRs for Reeves’s Pheasant, we suggest most currently unprotected areas comprised moderately suitable habitat for species and should be prioritized in the future. A multiple species approach using Reeves’s Pheasant as a flagship species should be considered to understand the extent of mismatch between the distributions of protected areas and suitable habitat to improve the management effectiveness of NNRs. This case study provides an example of how the development of a conservation reserve network may be based on species distribution and habitat assessments and is useful to conservation efforts in other regions and for other species.

Evaluation of an Ecological Network of Nature Reserves in Guangdong Province, and Suggestions for Ecological Restoration

Evaluation of an Ecological Network of Nature Reserves in Guangdong Province, and Suggestions for Ecological Restoration

DEVELOPMENT OF THE METHOD OF INTEGRAL ASSESSMENT OF THE LEVEL OF FORMATION AND USE OF LAND OF OBJECTS OF THE NATURE RESERVE FUND OF REGIONS

The article is devoted to topical issues of developing effective methods for conducting an integrated assessment of land formation and use, taking into account the specifics of the nature reserve fund. Issues of monitoring the lands of the nature reserve fund are not only important socio-economic significance, but also designed to preserve the uniqueness of these areas. The lack of effective systems for assessing the level of formation and use of nature reserves leads to the lack of effective mechanisms for auditing their use and streamlining land use processes in order to preserve and develop them. The basis of the study is to assess the level of formation and current state of the nature reserve network of regions. The article identifies the dynamics of expanding the area of protected areas, which is an important factor for their further use. A comparative analysis of the structure of the nature reserve fund within the territorial division was carried out, the results of which made it possible to determine rational mechanisms for ensuring an accurate and effective assessment of land formation and use. As a result of the analysis, the parameters of the integrated assessment of land formation and use are proposed, taking into account the specifics of the nature reserve fund. Based on the results of the method developed in the study of integrated assessment of the formation and use of lands of the nature reserve fund, the coefficient of the integrated factor of the level of land use and the scale of the integrated factor of the level of land use of the nature reserve fund are calculated. Thus, the article proposes a method of integrated assessment of the level of formation and use of lands of nature reserves of regions, a method of quantitative assessment of information and analytical support for monitoring of lands of nature reserves of regions

Representativeness of threatened terrestrial vertebrates in nature reserves in China

Habitat degradation and loss threaten the survival of many species, especially vertebrates. The establishment of nature reserves is an efficient approach to protect biodiversity. However, fulfilling conservation targets depends largely on the effectiveness of these nature reserves in capturing the targeted species. In this study, we developed a distribution database of threatened terrestrial vertebrates in China, then explored the patterns of the threatened terrestrial vertebrates and evaluated the effectiveness of current nature reserves in terms of their conservation, further identified the conservation priorities for these species in China. We found 452 threatened terrestrial vertebrates widely distributed across China, especially in mountainous and forested regions in southern China. The current nature reserve network is inadequate to capture the threatened vertebrate species. The nature reserves were found to cover 30.47% of the hotspots and 38.65% of the ranges of these species on average, with quite a few conservation hotspot and species gaps. We further propose to either systematically plan and fix current nature reserves or add new protected areas in Yunnan Province and mountainous regions in southeast China.

Results of studying wild relatives of the cultivated plants of Russia

Issuing specific recommendations on the in situ conservation of wild relatives of cultivated plants (=crop wild relatives, CWR) in Russia is possible only on the basis of preliminary comprehensive studies of their composition, structure and features. N.I. Vavilov was the founder of comprehensive studies of cultivated plant relatives. O.N. Korovina was the first to substantiate the basic principles of conserving CWR diversity in their natural habitats, and to suggest choosing the most suitable conservation measures, taking into account the data on the distribution area of a taxon, the state of habitat condition, the state of the taxon in nature, and human influence. The current phase of studying CWR diversity and developing a domestic strategy for its conservation is associated with geopolitical changes in this country, and with the inclusion of research performed at VIR on CWR diversity in situ conservation into large-scale international projects. The fundamental conditions for attributing a wild species to relatives of cultivated plants are, first, taxonomic or evolutionary and genetic closeness to a cultivated species, and second, the use of species in breeding, or the potential introduction of a species into cultivation. The work on the compendium of wild relatives of cultivated plants of Russia is still far from completion. As a result of the inventory, a list of 1701 species of relatives of cultivated plants for food and agriculture was compiled. The largest number of species (965) grows in the European part of Russia. The Russian Caucasus ranks second in terms of CWR richness (956 species), and the third in CWR numbers is the Russian Far East (598 species). The 102 nature reserves included in the study contain 1363 CWR species. The CWR diversity is most effectively conserved in the nature reserve network of the Russian Far East and Eastern Siberia, and least of all in the nature reserves of the Russian Caucasus, despite the significant concentration of CWR species in this region.

Predicting range shifts of the Chinese monal (Lophophorus lhuysii) under climate change: Implications for long-term conservation

Abtract Climate change drives remarkable shifts in species’ geographical distribution range, representing one of the greatest threats to biodiversity worldwide. Alpine ecosystems haves been experiencing a faster climate warming rate than the global average, but knowledge regarding range shifts of alpine species under climate change is limited. Taking the Chinese monal (Lophophorus lhuysii), a vulnerable Galliform species inhabiting high elevations, as a representative, this study gathered available presence records of the Chinese monal and predicted its distribution range at present and in the 2050s and 2080s under different climate scenarios using MaxEnt models. The results revealed that the current distribution range of the Chinese monal is quite limited (19,371.51 km2) and will shift toward both higher elevation and higher latitude under future climate change. The range was predicted to decrease extensively and become more fragmented under RCP 4.5 and 8.5, and its habitat quality will degenerate under all scenarios. Over 50% of the current distribution range is outside of existing nature reserves and the conservation gaps will also shift gradually. To cope with the threats of climate change, we propose some suggestions for long-term conservation of the Chinese monal, including an expansion and adjustment of the nature reserve network to fill current and future gaps in protection, the establishment of corridors to facilitate population dispersal and colonization, a call for more attention to marginal populations distributed at lower elevations, and the development of captive populations for assisted colonization and reintroduction in future.

China's national nature reserve network shows great imbalances in conserving the country's mega-diverse vegetation

The National Nature Reserve (NNR) network forms a central element in China's governmental strategy to conserve the country's vast biodiversity and its varied ecosystems. Nonetheless, the effectiveness of the existing NNR network in protecting China's highly diverse habitats and the fauna and flora they contain has remained unclear. Here, we analyze how comprehensively the existing NNR network protects China's vegetation diversity, identifying potential gaps to inform future NNR designations. Covering ~15.7% of China's land area, the existing nature reserve network contains 18 main vegetation types and 26 sub-types. All main vegetation types are also contained in the National-level Nature Reserves (NNRs), but to highly differing degrees. NNRs cover ~24.0% of China's grasslands, but only ~3.3% of the country's monsoon forests. With regards to main vegetation regions, about 41.4% of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau is covered by NNRs, in contrast to only ~4.6% of the region representing warm-temperate deciduous broad-leaved forests. In five main vegetation regions, NNRs cover <10% of the area and are scattered across a highly fragmented network, leading for example to China's highly biodiverse subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests being conserved only in small, isolated NNRs. NNRs also greatly vary in the number of vegetation types they individually comprise, with only 64 NNRs (18.9%) individually containing >50% of the vegetation types in their respective region. Overall, NNR size increases and fragmentation decreases from China's south-east to its western provinces. The resulting, extremely uneven distribution of NNRs across China limits their effectiveness in protection the country's plant diversity treasure trove. The country's NNR network therefore needs significant adjustments to effectively conserve China's valuable natural resources for future generations.

Biosphere-oriented urbanization and UNESCO program “Man and the Biosphere”

Metropolitan area urbanization leads to increased pressure on the biosphere and the inability to reproduce the healthy population. Development of society in the future can go in two ways: technological and biosphere. Biosphere direction involves the development of the biosphere-oriented urban planning as a means of resolving the biosphere-social crisis. This will allow on the one hand to ensure the reproduction of biologically and mentally healthy population, and on the other to preserve and develop biocoenoses in areas where infrastructure for life and economic activities of people should be organized. The main condition for the preservation and development of the biocoenoses is the existence a network of nature reserves in the region. Design settlements should be carried out as a landscape and estate settlement with houses providing comfortable family life of several generations under one roof. The concept of biosphere-oriented urbanization and UNESCO biosphere reserves complement each other and may use common approaches. At the present time it is necessary to create one conceptual basis for the social-economic development based on those two independent concepts. It must take into consideration the conservation of biosphere that is aimed to develop intellectual and creative potential of every person. Biosphere-oriented urban planning with UNESCO Man and Biosphere concepts is the only way of existence and development where it is possible to conserve cultural and natural heritage of the humanity and share it with the future generations.

Drivers of species turnover vary with species commonness for native and alien plants with different residence times.

Communities comprising alien species with different residence times are natural experiments allowing the assessment of drivers of community assembly over time. Stochastic processes (such as dispersal and fluctuating environments) should be the dominant factors structuring communities of exotic species with short residence times. In contrast, communities should become more similar, or systematically diverge, if they contain exotics with increasing resident times, due to the increasing importance of deterministic processes (such as environmental filtering). We use zeta diversity (the number of species shared by multiple assemblages) to explore the relationship between the turnover of native species and two categories of alien species with different residence times (archaeophytes [introduced between 4000 BC and 1500 AD] and neophytes [introduced after 1500 AD]) in a network of nature reserves in central Europe. By considering multiple assemblages simultaneously, zeta diversity allows us to determine the contribution of rare and widespread species to turnover. Specifically, we explore the relative effects of assembly processes representing isolation by distance, environmental filtering, and environmental stochasticity (fluctuating environments) on zeta diversity using Multi-Site Generalized Dissimilarity Modelling (MS-GDM). Four clusters of results emerged. First, stochastic processes for structuring plant assemblages decreased in importance with increasing residence time. Environmental stochasticity only affected species composition for neophytes, offering possibilities to predict the spread debt of recent invasions. Second, native species turnover was well explained by environmental filtering and isolation by distance, although these factors did not explain the turnover of archaeophytes and neophytes. Third, native and alien species compositions were only correlated for rare species, whereas turnover in widespread alien species was surprisingly unrelated to the composition of widespread native species. Site-specific approaches would therefore be more appropriate for the monitoring and management of rare alien species, whereas species-specific approaches would suit widespread species. Finally, the size difference of nature reserves influences not only native species richness, but also their richness-independent turnover. A network of reserves must therefore be designed and managed using a variety of approaches to enhance native diversity, while controlling alien species with different residence times and degrees of commonness.

Species richness and conservation gap analysis of karst areas: A case study of vascular plants from Guizhou, China

Guizhou province, famous for its karst landforms and rich biodiversity, is facing exceptional threats by intensive human activities, like many areas in China. As a result, Guizhou is a critical and priority area for biodiversity conservation. In this research, herbarium collections were used for evaluating the present protection effectiveness of Nature Reserves. 103,783 herbarium specimen records, belong to 7505 native vascular plant species were used as different layers in ArcGIS software at 0.15 × 0.15-degree grid resolution. In addition, 129 natural reserves were used in the aim of exploring biodiversity patterns, identifying species richness centers, endemism centers, and for biodiversity gap analysis. As a result, nine distinct critical biodiversity areas were recognized based on high species richness, high endemic and endangered species: eight patches with highest species number (>1000 species), four patches with high areas of endemism species (>15 species), and three small areas with high percentage of endangered species (>50 species). Results showed that some species richness centers and endemism centers are protected by the current Nature Reserve network in China. However, comparing the nine distinct biodiversity critical areas and current Nature Reserves, many gaps exist, and some places with high endemism or endangered species still need further attention. More Nature Reserves should be established to protect the gap areas. This research provided an overview of approaches to establishing biodiversity conservation priorities, and of strategies for filling gaps in the existing reserve network, and also can shed light on conservation tasks for other similar karst landform regions.