[Landscape ecological evaluation of Fenglin Nature Reverse: quantification and interpretation]

Area of Science:

• Ecology and Conservation Biology
• Forest Ecosystems
• Biodiversity Assessment

Context:

• Fenglin National Nature Reserve protects China's most extensive virgin Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis) forest.
• This reserve serves as a critical gene bank for precious plant and animal species.
• The area is vital for understanding and preserving temperate forest ecosystems.

Purpose:

• To establish and apply an ecological evaluation system for Fenglin National Nature Reserve.
• To assess the ecological condition using indices like diversity, naturalness, representativity, rarity, area suitability, stability, and anthropogenic interference.
• To determine the composite evaluation index (CEI) and overall conservation value.

Summary:

• The reserve harbors 568 higher plant and 220 higher animal species, indicating significant biodiversity (score 3).
• Key vegetation types include broad-leaved Korean pine forest and spruce-fir forest, representing the Lesser Xing'an Mountains' virgin forests (representativity score 3).
• High scores for naturalness (4) and low anthropogenic interference (4) reflect effective control of secondary succession and minimal disturbance over 20-30 years.
• The presence of ancient Tertiary period species, including the endangered Korean pine, contributes to a high rarity score (4).
• Sufficient area (18165 hm2) ensures ecosystem function (area suitability score 4), and the stability of broad-leaved Korean pine forest is high (stability score 4).
• The composite evaluation index (CEI) reached 0.87, signifying very good ecological quality and high protection value.

Impact:

• The study confirms Fenglin National Nature Reserve's excellent ecological status and high conservation importance.
• Findings support the reserve's capacity to meet sustainable development requirements.
• The established evaluation system provides a model for assessing other protected forest areas.