Identifying ecological corridors for the Chinese ecological conservation redline

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Conservation Biology
• Spatial Planning

Background:

• Protected area fragmentation threatens biodiversity conservation.
• Ecological corridors are essential for connecting fragmented habitats and forming robust protection networks.
• China's ecological conservation redline (ECR) policy aims to enhance protected area systems in ecologically significant regions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and map ecological corridors within China's ECR network.
• To assess the connectivity of ECR core areas and identify critical corridors for biodiversity conservation.
• To provide a scientific basis for territorial spatial planning and biodiversity protection policies.

Main Methods:

• Utilized ArcGIS masking and dissolving technology to identify 187 ECR core areas.
• Employed Linkage Mapper and Pinchpoint Mapper tools to design and analyze ecological corridors.
• Conducted line density analysis to identify key regional biological corridors at a national scale.

Main Results:

• Identified 454 ecological corridors totaling 68,794 km, connecting 95% of ECR areas.
• Revealed 9 key regional biological corridors crucial for national ecological connectivity.
• Highlighted the importance of these corridors for the effective implementation of the ECR policy.

Conclusions:

• The study provides a methodological framework for constructing ecological corridors within large-scale conservation networks.
• The identified key corridors are vital for maintaining ecological security and biodiversity across China.
• Findings offer critical references for territorial spatial planning and strengthening biodiversity conservation efforts.