Priority Protection Research Articles

An Integrated Model for Constructing Urban Ecological Networks and Identifying the Ecological Protection Priority: A Case Study of Wujiang District, Suzhou

As a result of the rapid urbanisation in China, the ecological system in urban areas has become fragmented, posing a threat to ecological stability. Constructing ecological networks is considered a critical strategy to reconnect habitats, restore ecosystems and improve ecological capacity. This research aims to develop a GIS-based model that can inform urban ecological network construction and identify the priority areas for ecological protection in a given urban context. The methodological prototype considers land use, habitat conditions and human interventions from an integrated perspective and has been tested based on a case study in Wujiang District, Suzhou. The results show that (i) 30 critical ecological patches were identified, including 2 vital, 4 important and 24 general cores; (ii) 69 ecological corridors, including 15 vital, 36 important and 18 general corridors, 59 ecological nodes and 24 barriers were determined. Based on these results, this research identified priority restoration and protected areas that urgently require the restoration of ecological networks according to their importance. This research proposes further recommendations on management strategies for construction and protection guidance at macro and micro levels in accordance with existing territorial and spatial planning of Wujiang. The model developed in this research provides a scientific methodology for planning and optimising ecological networks and can serve as a basis for realising ecological protection.

Evolution of the arctic strategy of the Federal Republic of Germany

The article traces the development of the Arctic strategy of the Federal Republic of Germany in order to identify the evolution of its priorities and main factors. In the understanding of the Arctic strategy, two opposite approaches were formed among German official circles: pragmatic, aimed at maximum extracting economic benefits with rather modest claims for international legal regulation of the Arctic regime and ecocentric which proceeds from the environmental protection priority of the Arctic region and insists on more active international positioning of Germany to solve these problems. Each approach was represented by certain political forces, groups of interests and even ministries. During the 2010s, the pragmatic approach was gradually being replaced by the ecocentric. On the other hand, Germany was more and more skeptical about the possibility of preventing a geopolitical race in the Arctic and therefore systematically expanded its military presence in the region. German Arctic policy is based on current international law and institutions, as well as focuses on the aspiration to bring more strict environmental and technical standards to them, and wide financial support of Arctic research and the assertion of its freedom; synchronization with the Arctic policy of the EU; consideration for the interests of the indigenous population; technological export; active prevention of global warming and expansion of marine protected areas in the Arctic.

Anticipating the effects of climate warming and natural habitat conversion on waterbird communities to address protection gaps

Thermal adjustment of waterbird communities to climate warming is crucial but hampered by natural habitat conversion, increasing their climatic debt. As it is, in contrast, facilitated in protected areas, assessing the adequacy of the current protected areas network with respect to future climate and land-use changes and identifying priority sites to protect is of major importance. In this study, we assess the thermal adjustment limitations that non-breeding waterbird communities might experience by the end of the 21st century in the Mediterranean region to highlight priorities for wetland protection. Priorities were set by combining the exposure of waterbird communities to natural habitat conversion and climate warming with their thermal specialization. The latter was calculated using winter abundance data of 151 species from 2932 sites of the International Waterbird Census in 21 Mediterranean countries. Exposure was assessed using future projections of temperature and land-use under four CMIP6 scenarios (SSP1–2.6, SSP2–4.5, SSP3–7.0, and SSP5–8.5). We found that strictly protected areas are located in wetlands whose waterbird communities, without protection, would likely experience high limitations in thermal adjustment in the coming decades. This highlights that the location of existing protected areas may effectively support the thermal adjustment of waterbird communities to future climate warming. However, 490 sites considered at risk lack protection, including 32 sites of international importance for waterbirds, stressing the need to strengthen the protected areas network in these sites in priority. Our study provides important guidance for conservation planning in the Mediterranean region to support waterbird responses to climate change.

ОГРАНИЧЕНИЕ ПРАВА НА ОБЯЗАТЕЛЬНУЮ ДОЛЮ В НАСЛЕДСТВЕ: В ПОИСКАХ БАЛАНСА ПРАВ И ЗАКОННЫХ ИНТЕРЕСОВ НАСЛЕДНИКОВ

The article is devoted to the analysis of the norms of paragraph 4 of Art. 1149 of the Russian Civil Code, which allow courts to reduce the mandatory share in the inheritance or even refuse to award it. Practice shows that judges use this power extremely reluctantly and most often they refuse to satisfy claims in such cases. In this regard, the balance of rights and legitimate interests, which was implied in these rules, is usually not achieved. The main reason for this is the abstract nature of the wording of the conditions for the limitation/ exclusion of the right to a mandatory share, which dictates the urgent need for their detailed critical analysis. Other questions that arise here also require an answer: those about the possibility of limiting the right to a mandatory share according to the requirements of heirs at law, about the admissibility of limiting the right of a testamentary refusal (legate) according to the rules of paragraph 4 of Art. 1149 of the Civil Code and some others. According to the author, when interpreting and applying these rules, one should strictly adhere to the position of ensuring the priority protection of the rights of heirs by devise, otherwise the indicated balancing is simply unattainable, and the existing unfavorable situation will only persist. Such an approach is additionally driven by the tendency set by the Soviet and continued by the Russian legislator to gradually diminish the right to a mandatory share in the inheritance.

Monoculture plantations impede forest recovery: Evidence from the regeneration of lowland subtropical forest in Hong Kong

Anthropogenic disturbance has led to widespread clearance and degradation of tropical forests, and tree planting has been promoted as an effective solution for recovery. However, trees have been overwhelmingly planted in monocultures or low-diversity mixes and this is expected to have profound, lasting impacts on forest structure, diversity, and functioning. In this study, we tested the extent to which historical vegetation transition types (VTTs) constrain forest recovery in a secondary tropical landscape in Hong Kong, South China. To do so, we overlaid vegetation types (forest, shrubland, pine plantation, grassland) identified in aerial photographs taken in 1956 and 1963 of a 20-ha plot situated in Tai Po Kau Nature Reserve, allowing us to define six historic VTTs, namely: FF (forest to forest), GP (grassland to plantation), GS (grassland to shrubland), SS (shrubland to shrubland), SF (shrubland to forest), and SP (shrubland to plantation). We compared present-day forest structure and species diversity among these VTTs, as determined from a census conducted in 2015, using incidence- and abundance-based rarefaction and extrapolation, and we assessed species’ association within VTTs using a torus translation test. Our results reveal that stem density and species diversity in naturally regenerated forests were more similar to those of old-growth forest, whereas species diversity in areas occupied by pine plantations was significantly lower as compared with naturally regenerated areas. Despite 60 years of recovery, pine plantations were characterised by a significantly greater proportion of negatively associated species, and late-seral species were still predominantly confined to old-growth patches. Present-day species distribution is chiefly explained by the combined effects of topography and VTT (17.1%), with VTT alone explaining 4.4%. Our study demonstrates that VTT has a significant long-term impact on forest regeneration and community assembly and, importantly, that monocultural plantations (forest plantation) can greatly impede forest recovery. Remnant old-growth forest patches merit priority protection, and active restoration, including thinning and enhancement planting, is necessary to facilitate forest succession.

An evaluation method for the priority protection of fishes based on multiple ecological dimensions

It’s essential to identify the priority conservation species in the habitat restoration and biodiversity conservation. Generally, people select the valuable fishes or the commercial fishes as target species in basins, according to experts’ experience rather than the scientific evaluation. With the influence of urban development, construction of water conservancy facilities and human activities, the river habitat of the Shaying River (Xuchang section) is poor. Fish conservation studies play an important part in the habitat restoration of this river section. Thus, we studied the evaluation method for the priority protection of fishes based on multiple ecological dimensions. The method including six multidimensional indicators, namely, habitat suitability, ecological stability, species endangerment criteria, intensity of human interference, genetic value, and species value. Then, we determined the indicator weights by the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), and assessed the protection priority of fishes based on various assessment criteria and comprehensive qualitative or quantitative analyses. The result shows that Ctenopharyngodon idellus, Opsariichthys bidens, and Culter alburnus Basilewsky have priority for protection, coinciding with the status in the basin. Overall, this study complements the existing indicator species selection methods, and is more scientific and comprehensive, providing an effective method for priority protection species and river habitat restoration projects.

Safety priorities for occupant protection in rear impacts

Objective Rear-impact electronic cases were reviewed for serious injury to rear-seated children and adults to identify mechanisms of injury and consider priorities, countermeasures and safety concepts. Methods 1997-2015 NASS-CDS and 2017-2020 CISS electronic cases were analyzed for serious injury (MAIS 3+F) to rear-seated children 0-14 yo (years old) and adults 15+ yo in rear impacts. Results 31 children and 43 adults were identified with serious injury. 86.0% of child injury was related to intrusion of rear structures with injury by direct force (55.3%), compression into front interior (27.5%) or acceleration into impact (3.2%). 14.0% of injury was not related to intrusion with front-seatback rotation (12.3%) or direct force (1.7%). Only 45.1 ± 17.6% of injured children were properly restrained. 68.0% of adult injury was related to intrusion of rear structures with injury by direct force (46.2%), compression into front interior (15.3%) and acceleration into impact (6.4%). 21.6% of injury was not related to intrusion with front seatback rotation (2.5%) or direct force (19.1%). 10.4% was from ejection and ground impact without seatbelt use. Only 17.8 ± 7.5% of injured adults were restrained. Priorities, countermeasure and concepts were considered to improve occupant protection in rear impacts: 1) new rear impact test with the IIHS high-hood barrier offset to the rear at 55 mph to reduce rear-seat intrusion, 2) stepped-up campaigns for proper child seat selection and use, particularly for infants and toddlers <2 yo and adult use of seatbelts in rear seats, 3) adoption of FMVSS 201L to reduce head injury risks of children impacting the rear interior below the beltline, 4) improved front seats by shifting restraining forces from the seatback to the cushion frame with an anti-ramping guide that retains the pelvis on the seat and reduces seatback rotation, 5) changes in front seatbelts to provide early restraint of occupant movement by a rear-impact pretensioner that moves the lap-belt anchors and gives a favorable angle for early lap-belt restraint or a rear wrap-around lap belt so the occupant moves into the belt in a rear impact, 6) implementation of kinematic controls on front-occupant movement that reduces ramping in severe rear impacts, 7) guarding the area around rear-seated child with an after-market ring structure that maintains space around the child and blocks rearward rotation of the front seatback and 8)-25) recommendations. Conclusions The primary mechanism for injury to rear-seated children and adults is intrusion, often without appropriate occupant restraint. There are priorities to improve protection by reducing intrusion, guarding the area around children, shifting front-occupant loads to the cushion frame and improving occupant restraints.

Spatial coupling mechanism of biocultural diversity: case of Beichuan-River-Source National Nature Reserve, Qinghai, China

ABSTRACT Biocultural diversity is an important result and outstanding representation of human-land relationship. This study established a novel framework for evaluating the coupling mechanism of biocultural diversity beyond the nature-culture dualism. Taking the Beichuan-River-Source National Nature Reserve (BRSNNR) as an example, combined with regional characteristics, Coupling Coordination Degree Model (CCDM) and Canonical Correlation Analysis (CCA) were used to explore the correlation mechanism between natural systems and cultural systems in protected areas. The research results indicated that BRSNNR had five types of landscape character areas with outstanding natural and cultural characteristics; the spatial distribution of biodiversity and cultural diversity was highly overlapping, forming a ‘high-medium-low’ three-level biocultural diversity area. Analysis demonstrated that positive or negative feedback patterns between natural and cultural systems contributed to the formation of representations of biocultural diversity. Altitude, animals, and traffic conditions are important drivers for the biological and cultural diversity in protected areas. At the same time, residents’ emotions and behaviors have a direct impact on the formation of biocultural diversity. The research suggests that the priority protection areas and functional divisions of protected areas should be delineated according to the evaluation results of biocultural diversity, and thresholds should be calculated and set for the constraints. This method is conducive to the improvement of the system’s ability to deal with risks and the formation of the action mechanism of ‘factor interaction-system interaction-biocultural diversity representation’ in protected areas.

Identification and Optimization of Ecological Network in Arid Inland River Basin Using MSPA and Spatial Syntax: A Case Study of Shule River Basin, NW China

Habitat fragmentation has become an important factor in the reduction of biodiversity. Identifying and optimizing ecological networks (ENs) can help alleviate the negative impact of habitat fragmentation and improve regional biodiversity. Taolai River Basin is an inland river basin in Northwest China. Due to the impact of climate change and human activities, there are many ecological problems such as grassland degradation and shortage of water resources. It is urgent that we identify and optimize the EN. This study comprehensively uses morphological spatial pattern analysis (MSPA), the minimum cumulative resistance model (MCR), and circuit theory to identify ENs, evaluates ENs based on Spatial Syntax, and determines the protection priority of ENs, then diagnoses ecological “pinch points” and ecological obstacles by combining remote sensing and GIS spatial analysis methods. The results show that: (1) the ecological source area of the basin is 3061.63 km2, with uneven spatial distribution, mainly distributed in the Qilian Mountains in the south of the basin; (2) there are 106 ecological corridors in the basin, with a total length of 2267.30 km and an average length of 21.38 km, which is not conducive to species migration; (3) the optimum widths of ecological corridors in the south, middle, and north of the basin are 100 m, 60 m, and 300 m, respectively; (4) the key areas of watershed ecological restoration include the “pinch area” between the southern core area and the central core area and 108 ecological barrier points; and (5) combined with the spatial characteristics of various key areas of ecological protection and restoration, the spatial pattern of “one core–four rings–five belts” of watershed EN construction is obtained.

A bolder conservation future for Indonesia by prioritising biodiversity, carbon and unique ecosystems in Sulawesi

As more ambitious protected area (PA) targets for the post-2020 global biodiversity framework are set beyond Aichi Target 11, renew thinking into spatial prioritisation is required to enable PA expansion that maximises environmental values. Our study focuses on the biodiverse and forest-rich Indonesian island of Sulawesi, which has a terrestrial PA network that covers 10% of the island. We used Marxan to investigate trade-offs in the design of an expanded PA network that prioritised different conservation features (biodiversity, forest cover, carbon stock, karst and valuable metal-rich areas) under varying island-wide coverage targets (17%, 30%, and 50%). Our first scenario, which required existing PAs to be selected, required larger areas to meet these coverage targets, in contrast to our second scenario, which allowed for any part of the island to be chosen, irrespective of PA status. The vast Mekongga and Bangkiriang Landscapes, and Gorontalo corridor were consistently identified as a high priority for protection under all scenarios. To meet our conservation targets through expanding current PAs, creating new PAs, and creating corridors that connect existing PAs, we used a spatially explicit three-phase approach. Our findings identified 26,508 km2 of priority areas to be included in the current PA network, potentially assisting Indonesia in meeting its post-2020 GBF target, if our approach is replicated across Indonesia as a national or sub-national analysis. We discuss various land management options through other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs) and the costs to deliver this strategy.

Environmental Hazards of the Railway Infrastructure of Kazakhstan

The railway sector is the largest branch of the economy in Kazakhstan. Nevertheless, environmental safety issues and the reduction and prevention of harmful impacts are not given sufficient attention. There is very little research on the impact of the railway sector of Kazakhstan on the natural environment, which hinders the further development of the railway sector and thus necessitates the addressal of environment issues. This study aimed to show possible environmentally hazardous sections of the country’s railway infrastructure. The criteria chosen for the analysis were soil cover, water resources, rainfall, protected natural areas, and population. A map of environmentally sensitive areas was created to determine which areas require priority protection from the environmental hazards posed by the country’s railway infrastructure. The map was developed in a GIS environment using the weighted overlay, expert assessment, and snowball methods. Additionally, a model for the Kazakhstan segment of the International Northern Railway Corridor was constructed in this article to identify integral indices that assess the susceptibility of the territory to environmental hazards. The data and results presented in the article can be used to solve current and future environmental issues concerning the country’s railway communications and can be implemented in many practical applications.

What determines plant species diversity along the Modern Silk Road in the east?

As primary producers, plants provide food, oxygen, and other resources for global ecosystems, and should therefore be given priority in biodiversity protection. Most biodiversity research focuses on biodiversity hotspots, while biodiversity coldspots, such as deserts, are largely ignored. We propose that the factors shaping plant species diversity differ between biodiversity hot spots and cold spots, especially for desert ecosystems. To test this hypothesis, we investigated plant species diversity along the Modern Silk Road in the Northwest China desert, an area characterized by low precipitation, scarce vegetation, a limited number of species, and variable human activities. Surface soil was sampled from 144 plots, environmental DNA (eDNA) was extracted from soil samples, and seed plant species were identified using DNA metabarcoding technology. A total of 671 seed plant species were detected, which was more diverse than indicated by plot survey data. Plant species diversity gradually decreased from east to west along the Silk Road. In this area, temperature determines plant species diversity more than precipitation. Additionally, human activity has altered plant species diversity by introducing crops and invasive plants and eliminating environmentally adapted indigenous plants. Our results demonstrate the potential of eDNA metabarcoding technology for plant species diversity surveying. Desert plants have adapted to dry environments by relying on underground water or utilizing occasional rainfall as ephemerals, which are often not visible during surface surveys because of their short aboveground life cycle but can be detected with eDNA metabarcoding technology. Groundwater maintenance and human activity control are recommended for plant species diversity conservation and desertification control.

4-Disubstituted Pyrazolin-3-Ones—Novel Class of Fungicides against Phytopathogenic Fungi

The search for fungicides of novel classes is the long-standing priority in crop protection due to the continuous development of fungal resistance against currently used types of active compounds. Recently, 4-nitropyrazolin-3-ones were discovered as highly potent fungicides, of which activity was believed to be strongly associated with the presence of a nitro group in the pyrazolone ring. In this paper, a series of 4-substituted pyrazolin-3-ones were synthesized and their fungicidal activity against an important species of phytopathogenic fungi (Venturia inaequalis, Rhizoctonia solani, Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium moniliforme, Bipolaris sorokiniana, and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum) was tested in vitro. We discovered that 4-mono and 4,4-dihalogenated pyrazolin-3-ones demonstrate fungicidal activity comparable to that of 4-nitropyrazolin-3-ones and other modern fungicides (such as kresoxim methyl). This discovery indicates that NO2 moiety can be replaced by other groups of comparable size and electronic properties without the loss of fungicidal activity and significantly expands the scope of potent new fungicides based on a pyrazolin-3-one fragment.

Solution Options for Problems of Navigation on a Limited Section of the Volga River from Gorodetsky Hydroelectric Complex to Nizhny Novgorod, Including Taking Into Account the Assessment of the Impact on the Sanitary-Epidemiological and Environmental Situation in the Region

The paper proposes a variant of choosing the optimal solution to the large-scale scientific, technical and ecological-economic problem of the European part of the Russian Federation based on the integrated use of results of numerical modeling of hydrodynamic processes, expert environmental assessments and rating economic comparison.The object of scientific research is the section of the Volga River from the Gorodetsky hydroelectric complex to Nizhny Novgorod (from 852.5 to 899 km along the ship’s course). The purpose of the work is to prepare proposals for the choice of an option for improving navigation conditions on the Volga River section under consideration in the lower reaches of the Gorodetsky locks under various flow regimes through the Gorodetsky hydroelectric complex, taking into account the priorities of environmental protection, protection of water bodies and use of water resources established by legislation. As a result of the work, a variant of the project proposed for implementation on the territory of the Nizhny Novgorod region for the rational solution of navigation problems on the Volga River, taking into account the assessment of the impact on the sanitary-epidemiological and environmental situation in the region, flooding and flooding zones. The project includes the construction of a third parallel lock in the area of Gorodetsky locks No. 15–16 and the creation of a navigable slot with a guaranteed fairway depth of 4.0 m.

Fish community characterization of mid-shelf and shelf- edge mesophotic coral ecosystems in the expanded Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary

The mid to outer continental shelf in the northern Gulf of Mexico is composed of a patchy distribution of coral and rock reefs designated high priority for marine protection. To better understand the influence of deepwater habitat on fish community dynamics and conservation needs, we compared altiphotic-mesophotic transition (20– 40 m), upper mesophotic (40–60 m), and middle mesophotic (60–80 m) fish communities between mid-shelf (Sonnier Bank) and outer-shelf (McGrail Bank) banks from before their inclusion into the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. Surveys performed over two years with a remotely operated vehicle indicated that each bank and depth zone had distinct fish communities. Both banks were dominated by planktivores and piscivores, with an increase in depth specialists (e.g., deepwater anthiids and serranids) at the deeper zones surveyed, particularly in middle mesophotic depths at McGrail. An increased frequency of snappers, groupers, and amberjack was observed at Sonnier Bank, predominately in mesophotic depths, indicating the Sonnier Mesophotic Coral Ecosystem as either a hotspot or potential refuge for meso- and apex predators. This study fills a temporal gap in fish community dynamics of these two banks, serving to create a more continuous dataset available to assist in conservation assessments of the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary.

The Impact of Transmissible Microbes: How the Cystic Fibrosis Community Mobilized Against Cepacia.

Long before COVID-19 made social distancing familiar, people with cystic fibrosis (CF) already practiced such behaviors. CF is held up as a classic example of genetic disease, yet people with CF are also susceptible to bacteria from the environment and from other CF patients. Starting in the 1980s, a bacterial epidemic in the CF population highlighted clashing priorities of connection, physical safety, and environmental protection. Policymakers ultimately called for the physical separation of people with CF from one another via recommendations that reconfigured the CF community. Simultaneously, medical researchers recognized that one highly transmissible CF pathogen called cepacia was being developed for environmental applications and got the EPA to limit cepacia's environmental deployment. Environmental regulations speak to the challenge of useful microbes that harm a minority, but CF cross-infection also involves legal implications for microbial and genetic discrimination, social consequences for CF communities, and ethical questions about balancing autonomy, harms, and benefits. As scientists increasingly study connections between host genetics, microbial genetics, and infectious risks, CF is a vital referent.

Wherein lies the heritage value of place names?

There is a growing academic consensus that place names represent a valuable form of intangible cultural heritage of humanity and therefore they deserve systematic recognition and protection. However, when we attempt to put this idea into practice, we run into many problems. First, we have to define the heritage value of place names and establish the object of protection efforts. Second, we have to weigh political, moral, and practical implications of specific choices, set protection priorities and select from alternative courses of action each of which has its advantages and disadvantages. Finally, we have to reflect self-critically on our protection efforts in order to honour the dynamic nature of toponymic systems and allow people to choose or coin place names for the places which are important to them. The paper discusses the most important dilemmas we face in place-name recognition and protection and suggests possible solutions to some of them.

Motherhood and childhood as a basis for family policy: modernity and historical heritage

The article examines the trends in the development of social, including family, state policy at the present stage, taking into account the analysis of the novelties of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. Special attention Special attention is paid to the family, the institution of marriage based on traditional family values, children, ensuring the priority protection of their rights. The author reveals the features of providing social assistance to families with children, taking into account the development of legislation and the preservation of the historical heritage in the relevant norms on the protection of motherhood and childhood. The conclusion about influence of the legal status of the family, children on the order of measures of social assistance and support provided to them, determined depending on certain conditions and criteria, is substantiated, the fundamental importance of theoretical research on morality and ethics, their essential influence on the content of the law, on the formation of family politics and the spiritual basis of society and the state

Identifying priority protection areas of key food resources of the giant panda.

Animals that live in seasonal environments adjust their reproduction cycle to optimize seasonal forage quality. Giant pandas ( Ailuropoda melanoleuca) are seasonal altitudinal migrants that feed on bamboo shoots and leaves with different nutritional quality. However, the importance of bamboo shoots to giant pandas, especially small and isolated populations, is not fully appreciated. Here, we explored whether mating time of giant pandas is shaped by bamboo shoot phenology. We also assessed the intensity of ongoing bamboo shoot harvesting by local communities in 42 giant panda reserves based on questionnaire surveys. Varying intensity and protection levels of bamboo shoot harvesting were found. From these data, we developed a priority ranking scheme of protection areas for this key food resource. Our study showed that pandas time their mating behavior to coincide with bamboo shoot phenology due to the high nutritional demands associated with mating and pregnancy. We also found that bamboo shoots were not well protected in many places. Liangshan, Daxiangling, and Xiaoxiangling, containing the most isolated panda populations, were identified as the areas with the most urgent need of protection. Furthermore, equal attention should be paid to the QiongL-B population, as this region holds considerable potential to serve as a corridor between the Minshan and Qionglai populations. To address the challenges posed by bamboo shoot harvesting, we recommend establishing more practical bamboo shoot management policies, increasing public awareness of bamboo shoot protection, and providing alternative sources of income for local communities.

Satellite-Based Analysis of Spatiotemporal Wildfire Pattern in the Mongolian Plateau

Burned area is a critical input to biomass burning carbon emissions algorithms and for understanding variability in fire activity due to climate change. This study presents the spatial and temporal patterns of wildland fires in the Mongolian Plateau (MP) using Collection 6 NASA MCD64A1 500 m global Burned Area product from 2001 to 2021. Both inter- and intra-annual fire trends and variations in two subregions, Mongolia and China’s Inner Mongolia, were analyzed. The results indicated that an average area of 1.3 × 104 km2 was consumed by fire per year in the MP. The fire season has two peaks: spring (March, April, and May) and autumn (September, October, and December). The profiles of the burnt area for each subregion exhibit distinct seasonality. The majority of wildfires occurred in the northeastern and southwestern regions of the MP, on the border between Mongolia and China. There were 2.7 × 104 km2 of land burned by wildfires in the MP from 2001 to 2021, 57% of which occurred in spring. Dornod aimag (province) of Mongolia is the most fire-prone region, accounting for 51% of the total burned area in the MP, followed by Hulunbuir, at 17%, Sukhbaatar, at 9%, and Khentii at 8%. The changing patterns of spatiotemporal patterns of fire in the MP were analyzed by using a spatiotemporal cube analysis tool, ArcGIS Pro 3.0.2. The results suggested that fires showed a decreasing trend overall in the MP from 2001 to 2021. Fires in the southern region of Dornod aimag and eastern parts of Great Xing’an Mountain showed a sporadic increasing trend. Therefore, these areas should be priorities for future fire protection for both Mongolia and China.