Ecotourism risk assessment in Yaoluoping Nature Reserve, Anhui, China based on GIS

Abstract

As tourism development and human disturbance increase, they have been affecting the functional structure distribution, sustainable utilization of resources, and ecological benefits of nature reserves. At the same time, ecological risk has increased significantly. This study proposes ecotourism development patterns for risk areas at each level, to provide a basis for stabilizing and promoting the ecological sustainable development of nature reserves. Yaoluoping National Nature Reserve in China is used as a study case. Based on GaoFen-2 satellite data within the reserve area in 2017, ENVI, Fragstats and ArcGIS10.2 are used for land use classification as well as evaluation indicators selection and analysis. The ecotourism risk assessment model of the reserve is constructed, which is also imbedded with analytic hierarchy process and Ecological Risk Index. The model consists of landscape ecology, topographic hydrology, land use and human activities factors, and it can produce the distribution map at the ecotourism risk level of the reserve. Results show that the high ecotourism risk areas in the reserve are mainly located around rivers and roads, and they are distributed in strips. Overall, the ecotourism risk level in the northern part of the reserve is higher than that in the southern part. Nearly 90% of the regional ecotourism risk is at the middle or low level, implying the reserve in a healthy level overall. However, except for low-risk areas, the proportion of risk areas at all levels in the core zone is higher than that in the buffer zone.

Ecological Risk Assessment of Forest Landscapes in Lushan National Nature Reserve in Jiangxi Province, China

“…For example, in a study on the Yaoluoping Nature Reserve in the Anhui Province of China, except for the lowest-risk area, the ecological risk level in the core zone was the lowest, whereas other levels of ecological risk in the core zone of the Yaoluoping Nature Reserve were greater than those in the buffer zone; furthermore, the levels of medium and medium-high ecological risk in the buffer zone were greater than those in the experimental zone. This research suggested that the ecological risks in the core zone and buffer zone are not optimistic [38]. Although the core zone of the Lushan National Nature Reserve is not at the highest level of risk, the higher-risk area accounted for 9.71% of the core zone, with the medium-risk area accounting for 28.97%.…”

“…The results of the ecological risk assessment almost indicated that the ecological risks of nature reserves are all at a relatively low level. According to a study by Tang et al [38], which focused on the Yaoluoping Nature Reserve in the Anhui Province of China, the ecological risks of nearly 90% of the area were at a medium or low level. Wang et al [39] found that the proportion of the Baishuijiang National Nature Reserve comprising the lowest-risk and lower-risk areas was 97%.…”

Dynamic Monitoring and Ecological Risk Analysis of Lake Inundation Areas in Tibetan Plateau

“…The other is based on the landscape index method to quantitatively evaluate and describe the overall quality and spatial-temporal differentiation characteristics of regional ecological risk [21,22]. These two evaluation methods have been widely used in the research scope of watersheds [23,24], administrative units [25,26], mining areas [27] and nature reserves [28,29]. The former approach focuses on the identification of risk sources and risk receptors.…”