The Sanjiangyuan Nature Reserve Is Partially Effective in Mitigating Human Pressures

Abstract

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.

Effectiveness of the Qilian Mountain Nature Reserve of China in Reducing Human Impacts

“…The area of QMNR is large, and our study period reached 40 years. It is timeconsuming and high-cost to assess the effectiveness of the reserve using traditional ecological indicators, including biodiversity and ecosystem services [22]. Thus far, globally, at least 22.5 million km 2 (16.64%) of land and inland water ecosystems, and 28.1 million km 2 (7.74%) of coastal waters and the ocean, are within protected areas.…”

“…Anderson and Mammides [18] and Geldmann et al [16] also assessed the effectiveness of global protected areas in reducing human activities. Similar studies are also available at national and regional scales, including China [19], South Ecuador [20], and Tibetan Plateau [21][22][23]. These studies provided a simple and efficient way for evaluating the effectiveness of large or multiple protected areas in reducing human pressure.…”