Defining Important Areas for Ecosystem Conservation in Qinghai Province under the Policy of Ecological Red Line

• DOI: 10.3390/su15065524
• Publication Date: 2023-03-22T11:09:31Z
• Authors: Jundong He; Jun Chen; Juan Xiao; Tingting Zhao; Pengxi Cao
• Keywords: 2. Zero hunger; 13. Climate action; 11. Sustainability; ecosystem conservation; biodiversity; soil retention; important areas; Qinghai; 15. Life on land; 6. Clean water

Delimiting important ecological conservation areas is critical for integrity, sustainability of the service function, and management environmental degradation. However, process defining protection purposes elusive, especially in Qinghai Province China, which home to unique ecosystems. To address this issue, we selected biodiversity (endangered mammals, birds, plants), soil retention, water storage, carbon sequestration define delimit these ecosystem functions. We found that endangered birds were mainly distributed eastern southern parts, while plants relatively centralized, with high distribution Golog Province. The total amounts 2.245 billion tons, 46.513 m3, 60.91 Tg ecosystems, respectively. Soil retention presented a similar trend, levels low western parts Qinghai, storage was higher south than north. Among various types, grassland main body sequestration; quite small desert, town, city By evaluating spatial functions extremely function totaled 247,200 square kilometers, summed 124,500 kilometers. Combined reached 371,700 kilometers accounted 53.36% area Qinghai. red line has now become an national strategy protection. demarcation great significance safeguarding Qinghai’s security. It basic guarantee sustainable economic social development China.