Human pressure dynamics in protected areas of China based on nighttime light

Revealing the Spatiotemporal Patterns of Anthropogenic Light at Night within Ecological Conservation Redline Using Series Satellite Nighttime Imageries (2000–2020)

With the rapid urbanization process, the construction of lighting facilities is increasing, whereas artificial light at nighttime (ALAN) negatively affects organisms in protected areas and threatens ecosystems. Therefore, a deep research of ALAN within protected areas is significant for better preserving biodiversity by scientific ALAN management. Taking the ecological conservation redline (ECR) in Zhejiang Province as a case study, we consistently applied remotely sensed ALAN data from 2000 to 2020 for exploring spatiotemporal changing characteristics of ALAN. More importantly, both human living and ecological safety were considered to classify ALAN status in 2019 in order to propose rational suggestions for management. The results showed ALAN intensified and expanded, increasing from 3.05 × 1012 nW·sr−1 to 5.24 × 1013 nW·sr−1 at an average growth rate of 2.35 × 1012 nW·sr−1·year−1. Hotspot analysis and bivariate spatial clustering identified the aggregation situation of ALAN and the population. They showed that statistically significant ALAN hotspots accounted for only 20.40% of the study area while providing 51.82% of the total ALAN. Based on the mismatches between human demand and ALAN supply, two crucial areas were identified where regulation is needed most, and targeted policy recommendations were put forward. The study results can contribute to the effective regulation of ALAN in protected areas.

The Effects of the Ecological Conservation Redline in China: A Case Study in Anji County

The Ecological Conservation Redline (ECR) of China plays an important role in avoiding ecological space occupancy and maintaining regional ecological security. Anji County in Zhejiang Province is one of the first regions to implement the ECR in China. This paper takes Anji County as an example to analyze the effects of ECR. To do this, we first set up two scenarios with the CLUE-S model: a normal land-use development scenario (NLDS) and an ECR implementation scenario (ECRS); then we compare the land use of 2010 and 2015 under NLDS and ECRS. Land use, ecosystem services value (ESV), landscape metrics, and ecological product outputs were compared between the entire county and the ECR areas. The results revealed the following: (1) From 2000 to 2015, the ecological land in Anji County decreased by 4.03%, while it decreased by 1.17% in the ECR areas. (2) In the ECR areas, there was less arable land and construction land of the ECRS than in the NLDS, which indicates the ECR impeded the expansion of construction land and arable land in the ECR areas. (3) The ECR areas account for 39% of Anji County but contribute more than 80% to the ESV of the whole county. During 2000–2015, the ESV of the entire county decreased while the ESV of the ECR areas increased. (4) From 2000 to 2015, whereas landscape fragmentation of the entire county increased, that of ECR areas decreased. (5) Since the ECR’s implementation, Anji County has vigorously developed the bamboo industry, ecological agriculture, the tourism industry, and achieved rapid economic development via industrial restructuring and transformation. On the whole, the ECR has neither adversely affected land development nor economic development but instead has promoted the optimization of the land’s spatial development pattern.

The Sanjiangyuan Nature Reserve Is Partially Effective in Mitigating Human Pressures

Protected areas play significant roles in protecting biodiversity by mitigating human activities. As an indicator for human activities, the human footprint (HF) can be used to assess the effectiveness of protected areas. We developed a HF dataset for the Sanjiangyuan region in China after localizing the global HF model. Then we used it to assess the effectiveness of Sanjiangyuan nature reserve (SNR) in mitigating human pressures. Our results suggest that the HF value for the Sanjiangyuan region was generally low from 1995 to 2015, with a fluctuating increasing trend. The SNR is partially effective in mitigating human pressures. For 2005–2010, the HF values decreased both within and outside the reserve with more decreases for the outside. For the three functional zones of the SNR, our results show that the HF values decreased during 2005–2010 for all of them, with the largest decrease in the experimental area, and increased during 2010–2015, with the lowest increase in the core areas. The results we obtained are consistent with ecological indicator-based assessments. It is a challenge for the government to balance conservation and development in establishing Sanjiangyuan National Park.