Optimizing conservation strategies: Incorporating ecosystem services into the proposed Asian Elephant National Park...

Biodiversity and ecosystem services (ES) represent two primary focuses in global ecological conservation efforts. Protected area plans that integrate both objectives are generally more effective; however, ES are often neglected by policymakers and protected area managers. In China, nature reserve networks have been established to conserve the habitats of endangered flagship species such as the Asian elephant, in response to habitat loss, fragmentation, and increasing human-elephant conflicts. This study focused on the primary distribution of Asian elephants in Yunnan province, China. We utilized the InVEST model to quantify four ESs (habitat quality, carbon storage, soil retention, and water yield) and the MaxEnt model to assess habitat suitability, identified the spatial distribution and relationship between ES hotspots and suitable habitats for Asian elephants, and explored their proportions and coverage within existing nature reserves. The results revealed that the existing nature reserves encompass 6.38% of the total study area, 34.42% of the double-target overlapping areas, 24.59% of suitable habitats for Asian elephants, and 9.95% of ES hotspots. Consequently, there were extensive ES hotspots and suitable habitats located outside the boundaries of the existing reserves. Although these reserves reflect ES and Asian elephant habitats, ES will probably be overlooked as a conservation target. The scope of protecting the Asian Elephant National Park needs expansion based on existing nature reserves and consider dual conservation objectives to improve conservation efficiency and narrow the conservation gap. This study provides a scientific basis for developing conservation policies for the Asian Elephant National Park and offers insights into the improvement of conservation efficiency in other regions by incorporating both biodiversity and ES.