JOURNAL OF NANJING FORESTRY UNIVERSITY ›› 2023, Vol. 47 ›› Issue (1): 189-198.doi: 10.12302/j.issn.1000-2006.202109041

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Spatio-temporal changes of rubber plantations in Hainan Island over the past 30 years

LI Guangyang1,2(), KOU Weili2, CHEN Bangqian1,*(), WU Zhixiang1, ZHANG Xicai1, YUNG Ting3, MA Jun4, SUN Rui1, LI Ying5   

  1. 1. Rubber Research Institute(RRI)/ Hainan Danzhou Tropical Agro-Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Chinese Academy of Tropical Ariaulture Science(CATAS),Haikou 571101, China
    2. College of Big data and Intelligent Engineering,Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
    3. College of Forestry, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China
    4. Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
    5. China Academy of Aerospace Science and Industry Information Technology, Beijing 100000,China
  • Received:2021-09-23 Accepted:2021-12-08 Online:2023-01-30 Published:2023-02-01
  • Contact: CHEN Bangqian E-mail:li15130574839@163.com;chbq40@163.com

Abstract:

【Objective】 Natural rubber (NR) is an important strategic material. To promote the sustainable development of China’s natural rubber industry, it is of great significance to reveal the spatio-temporal changes in rubber plantations on Hainan Island, which is the second largest rubber growing area and one of the only two tropical regions in China. 【Method】 Based on the seven-phase distribution maps of rubber plantations on Hainan Island, this study analyzes the spatio-temporal changes of rubber plantations from 1990 to 2020 on the Google Earth Engine (GEE) cloud computing platform. 【Result】 (1) The area of rubber plantations has increased significantly over the past 30 years, from 344 400 hectares in 1990 to 585 800 hectares in 2020 (a net increase of 70.11%), with a general spatial trend that can be characterized as an increase in the north and a decrease in the south. (2) Among these cities/counties, Danzhou City, Baisha County, Qiongzhong County and Chengmai County have the largest rubber plantation area in order, accounting for 51.58% of the total rubber plantation area in 2020, while Sanya City, Dongfang City, Wenchang City, and Lingshui County have the smallest area, accounting for only 5.22% of the total rubber plantation area in 2020. (3) Approximately 91.24% of the rubber plantations in Hainan Island are located below 300 meters above sea level, and few rubber plantations are distributed in areas with elevation above 600 meters; finally, 97.75% of plantations are located in regions with slope less than 25°. (4) In the past 30 years, rubber plantations have increased the most in areas with elevation of 50-200 meters and slope of 0-5°. (5) A small portion of rubber plantations are distributed in the experimental or buffer zones of the four national protected areas, but the total area shows a clear downward trend. Among the plantations studied, the area of rubber plantations in the Bawangling Nature Reserve is the largest and that in the Wuzhishan Nature Reserve is the smallest, with a cumulative decrease of 68.02% in the last 30 years. Although the area of rubber plantations has increased significantly in the last 30 years, they are concentrated in areas of low elevation and are relatively flat and have no impact on tropical rainforests that occur in high elevation regions. 【Conclusion】 In general, the development model for rubber plantations on Hainan Island is sustainable, as it has a minimal impact on tropical forests and the general ecological integrity of the surrounding area.

Key words: rubber plantation, Hainan Island, spatial-temporal changes, national nature reserve

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