Research On The Establishment Of Natural Reserve Network System Based On GAP Analysis And Its Application

Natural resources and physical environment are an indispensable material basis forhuman life and also a spatial condition for the development of human society. As a placefor protecting important species and ecological environment, the natural reserves play avital role in protecting natural resources and physical environment. Therefore, theestablishment of natural reserve network system will be of great instructional significancefor the protection of biological diversity&ecological environment, as well as thereasonable development and utilization of natural resources.Situations about the establishment of natural resources will directly reflect how wellthe physical environment is protected in the region, namely, whether there is any flora andfauna or any ecological system that is not included in the scope of protection; whether thereis any endangered species; whether there is any rare or precious species that is not includedin the reserve; whether there is any protection gap. GAP analysis is applied to analyze alldata related to the natural reserves in Anhui Province and find out such protection gaps, toprevent extinction of the species and damage of the ecological system. Natural reservenetwork system is established to scientifically, systematically and comprehensively managethe natural reserves.Natural reserves in Anhui Province are chosen for case study in this paper. Taking50natural reserves with complete data as the objects of research, firstly, specially analyze thegeological&topographic conditions, climate characteristics, soil, water system, vegetationand animal species in Anhui Province; then analyze the specific circumstances of theabovementioned50natural reserves, including national, provincial, municipal andcounty-level natural reserves, and carry out comparative analysis with respect to the layersof species, ecological system&protection zone by means of RIS, RS and othertechnologies; and finally use GAP theory to find out the protection gaps. Three protectiongaps for the biological diversity of otu rufescens, merlin and wild taxus chinensis var.mairei in Jingde County and Ningguo City, are finally obtained through GAP analysis, alllocated at the mountain area south of Anhui Province, which is also deemed as the hot spotfor protection of biological diversity. According to GAP analysis of the ecological system,even though the temperature-zone swamp and subtropical&tropical swamp are proven tobe the protection gaps, they are inappropriate for planning the natural reserves due to the average quality of ecological environment and the small size. Therefore, the subtropicaldeciduous broad-leaved forest and subtropical mixed evergreen&deciduous broad-leavedforest are selected as the important ecological systems to establish the reserve networksystem. Based on the distribution area of the existing natural reserves, the abovementionedtwo ecological systems serve as one hot spot, connecting important vegetation patches andnatural reserve network system is established in local areas of the hot spot so as to providescientific basis and guidance for the development, optimization and management of naturalreserves in Anhui Province.