Abstract:

【Objective】 As one of China's coastal areas with the richest biodiversity, Yancheng coastal wetland represents 10% of the biodiversity in China's coastal zones. With the Yancheng Wetland National Nature Rare Bird Reserve as an example, the study aimed to determine the changes in the land use pattern and habitat quality, which can form a practically important base for improving the quality of the regional ecological environment and promoting biodiversity conservation. 【Method】 Based on land use data from the year 2000 to 2018 in Yancheng Nature Reserve, the land use transfer matrix and InVEST model were used to study the spatiotemporal pattern of land use and dynamic changes in habitat quality. The effectiveness of biodiversity conservation in the reserve was evaluated in terms of the habitat degradation and habitat quality. 【Result】 The results revealed rich land use types in the Yancheng Nature Reserve and dramatically changing spatiotemporal patterns, mainly because the gradually change from ‘other construction land’ to ‘reservoir’. The overall habitat degradation degree index and habitat quality of Yancheng Nature Reserve all indicated a fluctuating increasing trend from the year 2000 to 2018. There was an increase in areas with moderate and high habitat degradation, along with areas of high habitat quality. 【Conclusion】 Although the frequent changes in land use types in the Yancheng Nature Reserve resulted in the deepening of habitat degradation, there was a gradual improvement in the overall habitat. Therefore, further optimizing the land use patterns in Yancheng Nature Reserve and stopping frequent changes in land use types in the reserve can prove helpful in promoting habitat quality and the effectiveness of biodiversity conservation.

Key words: land use, biodiversity, InVEST model, habitat quality, Yancheng Wetland National Nature Rare Bird Reserve