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Chinese Journal of Ecology ›› 2021, Vol. 40 ›› Issue (9): 2872-2882.doi: 10.13292/j.1000-4890.202109.012

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Identification and conservation assessment of priority conservation areas for terrestrial vertebrates in Yunnan.

ZHOU Jian1,2, YANG Fei-ling1,2, WANG Jun-jun1,2, WANG Yi-ting1,2, ZHANG Chen1,2, FENG Zhi-xue1,2, WU Rui-dong1,2*   

  1. (1Conservation Biogeography Research Group, Institute of International Rivers and Eco-security, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China; 2Yunnan Key Laboratory of International Rivers and Transboundary Eco-security, Kunming 650091, China).
  • Online:2021-09-10 Published:2021-09-17

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Abstract: The systematic identification of priority conservation areas (PCAs) is one of the key and costeffective approaches for biodiversity conservation. Yunnan, as a global biodiversity hotspot, still lacks planning studies on PCAs for terrestrial vertebrates. Past studies only assessed the protection coverage of nature reserves, with less information on other categories of protected areas (PAs). Here, we first used protected species as surrogates and the models of species distribution and systematic conservation planning to identify PCAs for Yunnan’s terrestrial vertebrates. We examined the spatial distribution pattern of terrestrial vertebrate PCAs by comparing the results obtained with three portfolios of PCAs developed in previous studies. We finally assessed the protection coverage of PCAs provided by six different categories of PAs. The results showed that: (1) PCAs for terrestrial vertebrates based on both conservation targets of 17% and 31% Yunnan’s land were primarily distributed in northwestern, southwestern, southern, and northeastern Yunnan as well as regions nearby national borders. (2) PCAs under the 31% target had >44% of its total area overlapped with each of the three PCA datasets defined by previous studies. Meanwhile, terrestrial vertebrate PCAs also identified many new priority areas. (3) Under the 17% and 31% targets, the established nature reserves covered 14.11% and 11.39% for PCAs, respectively, whereas the coverage was increased to 24.01% and 20.95% when all six PA categories were considered. This result indicated that the remaining five sustainable use categories of PAs (i.e. Scenic Spots, Forest Parks, Wetland Parks, GeoParks, Drinking Water Source Conservation Areas) can greatly increase the protection coverage and fill the conservation gaps in Yunnan. This study could provide data and method support for the policy on establishing a new “PA System with National Parks as Its Mainstay” in Yunnan.

Key words: biodiversity, priority conservation area, systematic conservation planning, protected area.