Assessing ecosystem integrity in protected areas: A systematic review of methods and applications

Abstract

The ecosystem integrity of protected area (PA) is critical for biodiversity conservation, and is emphasized as a long-term goal and an action target in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). However, there is a lack of systematic review on ecological integrity assessments in PAs that consider various ecosystem types and spatial scales. We conducted a systematic review based on the Web of Science databases. A total of 110 articles were included in the analysis. The results showed that studies were predominantly conducted in the United States, China, Canada, South Africa, and Australia, which were influenced by geographical characteristics, conservation policies, ecosystem diversity, climatic conditions, and human activities. The temporal span of the studies is diverse, capturing ecological changes at various temporal scales. While individual-scale studies are more common, there is a notable lack of research at the global scale. Complex ecosystems have received the most research attention, followed by wetland ecosystems, while deserts and agricultural fields remain significantly understudied. The assessment indicators, methods and application vary across different spatial scales. Future research should integrate cross-scale assessments, taking into account data availability and ecosystem types, to develop specific and integrated evaluation models. There is a need to consolidate data across platforms and establish a long-term global ecological monitoring program to continuously track ecosystem changes. This systematic review improves the understanding and assessment of ecosystem integrity, providing theoretical and practical guidance for achieving the goals in the GBF.