【Objective】The aim of this study is to conduct a quantitative analysis of the overlapping characteristics of national natural protected areas in the middle Yangtze River basin and their optimization and integration strategies. This could provide a scientific basis for rational planning and layout of natural protected areas in China. 【Method】The 661 national natural protected areas in the middle Yangtze River basin were classified into six types and used as the research object. This study quantitatively revealed their overlapping characteristics and optimized integration strategies by using the ArcGIS nearest neighbor index and nuclear density index. 【Result】We found 214 overlapping national natural protected areas in the middle Yangtze River basin, mainly concentrated in the Poyang Lake, South of the Dabie Mountains Wuling Mountains and Funiu Mountains, as well as provincial administrative divisions, river basin divisions, biodiversity conservation priority areas, and ecological function protection areas. Priority should be given to the above areas for optimization and integration and type integration. Moreover, similar mergers, absorption mergers, and scope adjustments should be carried out with national parks, nature reserves, scenic spots, and natural parks as goals. 【Conclusion】Using the ArcGIS quantitative visualization overlay analysis method, the problem of overlapping of natural protected areas can be effectively solved, which is conducive to the scientific construction of a country’s nature reserve system and its spatial pattern planning.
【Objective】The aim of this work is to conduct a quantitative analysis of the endowment pattern of water resources in the middle Yangtze River basin and its spatial relationship with natural protected areas. This would provide a scientific basis for the rational planning and layout of basin-type natural protected areas. 【Method】By constructing a comprehensive evaluation model of water resource endowments and combining ArcGIS technology, the relationship between water resource endowment patterns and different types of natural protected areas in the middle Yangtze River basin was quantitatively revealed from the perspective of quantity and density. 【Result】The higher, high, medium, low and no endowment areas in the middle Yangtze River basin accounted for 2.61%, 29.13%, 40.01%, 18.58% and 9.67% of the study area, respectively. The high endowment area was located in Poyang Lake, and the no endowment area was located in the Tangbai River basin. Except for geoparks, other natural protected areas had a high coupling relationship with water resource endowments, and there were obvious differences in the correlations between different types of water resources and their ecosystem functions and social and economic values.South Poyang Lake and the Liangzi Lake Group, which had a high endowment of water resources, had very few natural protected areas in the fourth-level basin, and the protection and development control of water resources in this area should be strengthened. 【Conclusion】A comprehensive evaluation model of water resource endowments with nature conservation as the goal, combined with ArcGIS technology, can quantitatively reveal the pattern of water resource endowments and quickly identify its conservation vacancy status, which is conducive to the construction of water resources protection and basin-type nature reserve systems in China.
【Objective】The comprehensive application of ecosystem service values and landscape ecological risk assessments can provide better decision support for the sustainable development of the Anhui section of the Yangtze River basin. Moreover, it can provide a reference for ecological environment management and protection in the trans-river region. 【Method】Based on land use data from Anhui Province in 1995, 2005 and 2015, ecosystem service value assessment, landscape ecological risk assessment and bivariate spatial autocorrelation were used to analyze spatiotemporal changes in ecological service values and ecological risks and their correlation characteristics in the Anhui section. 【Result】(1) From 1995 to 2015, the total ecosystem service values in the study area showed a decreasing trend, with a decreasing rate of 0.54%. The study area was dominated by medium-high and medium levels of ecological service values, which were mainly distributed along the Yangtze River, Dabie Mountain area, and southern Anhui Mountain area. (2) Over the past 20 years, the ecological risk of the Anhui section showed an overall increasing trend, and the ecological risk level was mainly medium, medium-low and low. In terms of spatial distribution, the medium-high and high-risk areas were mainly distributed along the Yangtze River and Chaohu Lake region and tended to expand from a concentrated distribution to a continuous distribution. (3) There was a positive spatial correlation between ecosystem service value per unit area and ecological risk in Anhui Province, and the main relationship was a high value-high risk correlation. In other words, the regions with high ecological service value were also those with relatively fragile ecological environments, which should receive special attention. 【Conclusion】It is necessary to focus on the protection of wetlands and forest and grass landscapes, strengthen the ecological protection of wetlands along the Yangtze River and Chaohu Lake, and protect and restore the natural forest and grass landscape in Dabie Mountain and the southern Anhui mountains. This approach would help improve the ecosystem service function of the Anhui section and protect the ecological environment of the Yangtze River.
