Landscape patterns indicate reduced forest fragmentation in the Danjiangkou Reservoir Area following the implementation of the Natural Forest Protection Program

IF 4.1 2区环境科学与生态学 Q1 ECOLOGY

Ecological Engineering Pub Date : 2025-10-04 DOI:10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107814

Zhiwen Yuan , Shili Meng , Tao Yu , Xiaodong Niu , Yong Pang

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

The Natural Forest Protection Program (NFPP) is the largest forest restoration program for protecting natural forests in China. The Danjiangkou Reservoir Area (DRA) offers a good opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of the NFPP program due to its unique implementation timeline and location characteristics. While most regions initiated the NFPP in 2000, the DRA began implementation in 2011. Its proximity to both early NFPP and non-NFPP regions provides a comparative framework for assessing the program's impacts on forest landscapes. This study employed dynamic landscape patterns analysis to compare the protection effects of forest resources both within and outside the NFPP areas, as well as before and after the NFPP implementation. Among the identified landscape categories, the core class represents large forest patches with high landscape connectivity. From 2000 to 2020, the area of core forests increased by 5.01 % of the total landscape area in NFPP-I (areas that initiated the NFPP in 2000) and by 7.65 % in NFPP-II (areas that initiated the NFPP in 2011), whereas the increase was only 0.73 % in non-NFPP (areas without NFPP implementation). Meanwhile, the net growth rate of core areas in the NFPP-II rose sharply from 0.92 % of the total landscape area before the implementation of the NFPP to 13.6 % after its implementation. These findings further demonstrate the positive role of the NFPP in reducing forest fragmentation. Moreover, landscape category transitions show consistent patterns, with the islet category being prone to forest loss, whereas other categories, such as bridge, are more likely to be converted into core areas. To halt forest ecosystem degradation, we recommend implementing measures to reduce the fragmentation of plantation forests and promoting a transition to more stable landscape types. This study provides a scientific basis for comprehensively promoting the protection and restoration of forests and the sustainable development of forest resources.

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景观格局表明，丹江口库区天然林保护工程实施后，森林破碎化程度有所降低

天然林保护工程是中国最大的天然林恢复工程。丹江口库区由于其独特的实施时间和区位特征，为评估NFPP项目的有效性提供了一个很好的机会。虽然大多数地区在2000年就启动了NFPP，但DRA在2011年才开始实施。它靠近早期森林保护计划和非森林保护计划地区，为评估该计划对森林景观的影响提供了一个比较框架。本研究采用动态景观格局分析的方法，比较了保护区内外、保护区实施前后的森林资源保护效果。在已识别的景观类别中，核心类代表景观连通性高的大型森林斑块。从2000年到2020年，国家森林保护计划ⅰ（2000年启动国家森林保护计划的地区）和国家森林保护计划ⅱ（2011年启动国家森林保护计划的地区）的核心森林面积分别增加了5.01%和7.65%，而非国家森林保护计划ⅰ（未实施国家森林保护计划的地区）的核心森林面积仅增加了0.73%。同时，核心区占景观总面积的净增长率从实施前的0.92%急剧上升至实施后的13.6%。这些发现进一步证明了NFPP在减少森林破碎化方面的积极作用。此外，景观类别的转变呈现出一致的模式，岛屿类别容易发生森林损失，而其他类别，如桥梁，更有可能转变为核心区。为了阻止森林生态系统的退化，我们建议采取措施减少人工林的破碎化，并促进向更稳定的景观类型过渡。本研究为全面推进森林保护与恢复、森林资源可持续发展提供了科学依据。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Ecological Engineering 环境科学-工程：环境

CiteScore

8.00

自引率

5.30%

发文量

293

审稿时长

57 days

期刊介绍： Ecological engineering has been defined as the design of ecosystems for the mutual benefit of humans and nature. The journal is meant for ecologists who, because of their research interests or occupation, are involved in designing, monitoring, or restoring ecosystems, and can serve as a bridge between ecologists and engineers. Specific topics covered in the journal include: habitat reconstruction; ecotechnology; synthetic ecology; bioengineering; restoration ecology; ecology conservation; ecosystem rehabilitation; stream and river restoration; reclamation ecology; non-renewable resource conservation. Descriptions of specific applications of ecological engineering are acceptable only when situated within context of adding novelty to current research and emphasizing ecosystem restoration. We do not accept purely descriptive reports on ecosystem structures (such as vegetation surveys), purely physical assessment of materials that can be used for ecological restoration, small-model studies carried out in the laboratory or greenhouse with artificial (waste)water or crop studies, or case studies on conventional wastewater treatment and eutrophication that do not offer an ecosystem restoration approach within the paper.