Hengshui Lake National Nature Reserve is one of the most ecologically valuable freshwater wetlands in the northern plains of China. It provides crucial staging and wintering habitats for a large variety of endangered waterbirds. However, this unique wetland has suffered from serious habitat fragmentation and ecological function degradation caused by increased socioeconomic activities within and surrounding the Nature Reserve. With the aim of enhancing the Reserves ecological function while balancing conservation priorities and indispensable socioeconomic activities, the ecological risks resulting from each three scenario were evaluated. To conduct this research, we developed a systematic framework for ecological risk assessment, in which indices of biodiversity, ecological vulnerability and ecological risk were introduced and employed. Then, an ecological risk assessment was conducted for the scenarios and the pros and cons of each scenario were evaluated based on the applicability of a particular risk in each situation. The results of modeling and assessments provided the basis for adopting wetland restoration scenarios allowing for the development of practical suggestions for wetland restoration and habitat modification.
Tibetan Antelope, Tibetan wild donkey and wild yak are protected endangered wild animals in China, the endangered ungulates in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. As the national first class protected wild animals in China, their survival and sustainability received extensive concern. We evaluate the habitat suitability in the alpine desert ecosystem. The percentages of high suitability habitat for Tibetan Antelope, Tibetan wild donkey and wild yak are 18.03%, 20.06% and 18.14%, respectively, mainly in the south and east of the alpine desert ecosystem. The habitat of Tibetan Antelope and Tibetan wild donkey are more similar for a certain overlap of their habit. The habitat of wild yak is more concentrated in the eastern. Major of the high suitability habitat are protected in the national nature reserves (NNRs), while there is still approximate 30% adjacent to the boundary of the reserves. The Qiangtang NNR's protection proportion is higher than others, and the conservation efficiency in the Kekexili NNR is highest, indicating the importance of Qiangtang NNR and the rational allocation of protection resource. The lower conservation efficiency in Arjin Mountain NNR may be due to the poorer geographical natural conditions.
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