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Lu Zhang
State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China

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Journal article
Published: 26 November 2020 in Journal of Cleaner Production
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Natural ecosystems provide essential regulatory services for local residents and provide benefits to human populations living outside a particular region through various transmission pathways. Accordingly, a spatially explicit conservation network is needed to protect key features from human disturbance. However, existing ecosystem protection surrogates have traditionally focused on biodiversity components or local ecosystem services (ESs). Additionally, conservation plans that protect the delivery value of an ES for regional, social and ecological security are lacking. Herein, we use a multi-objective optimisation method to design a conservation network that maximises the benefits of two regulatory ecosystem services (RESs) in a key eco-region, the Qinling Mountains of China. We identify a set of alternative conservation networks under different land restriction scenarios for both delivery and non-delivery RESs. Our planning results reveal clear spatial distinction between ES delivery and non-delivery values. Moreover, planning focusing on ES non-delivery values tends to ignore several areas that transmit important regulatory functions to downstream conurbations. Based on comparison of ES distribution, biodiversity richness, and existing nature reserves, we suggest that ES delivery values, especially those flowing along a terrain gradient, should be selected as a key protection proxy to complement nature conservation decisions associated solely with biodiversity indicators.

ACS Style

Lu Zhang; Liyuan Xie; Yi Xiao. Maximising the benefits of regulatory ecosystem services via spatial optimisation. Journal of Cleaner Production 2020, 291, 125272 .

AMA Style

Lu Zhang, Liyuan Xie, Yi Xiao. Maximising the benefits of regulatory ecosystem services via spatial optimisation. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2020; 291 ():125272.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Lu Zhang; Liyuan Xie; Yi Xiao. 2020. "Maximising the benefits of regulatory ecosystem services via spatial optimisation." Journal of Cleaner Production 291, no. : 125272.

Preprint content
Published: 23 March 2020
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Numerous methodologies are available so far measuring trends of land (LD) and ecosystem degradation (ED) with spatially explicit manner. Yet the delineation of spatial and temporal covariance between LD and ED remains challenging which limited the effectiveness of future conservation decision making for preventing risks of LD and ED simultaneously, especially in cold and drought areas because of high cost of restoration. Here, we produced the spatial networks for managing and restoring LD and ED based on the risk projection of LD and ED in Tibet plateau under human exploitation pressure and climate change. Firstly, we simulated 10 indicators for LD and ED separately by monthly interval from 2000 to 2015 to capture the current trends of LD and ED. Secondly, resilience, resistant, and risk exposure have been assessed to connect the vegetation traits, threaten factors and their reflections. Thirdly, by the exploration of relationship between LD and ED and their impact factors, we projected risks for both of them using 12 scenarios from different climate and land use change combinations identifying the key area of preventing LD and ED spatially. Finally, an effectiveness analysis has been processed ordering results under each scenarios leaded to the decline of nature capital for providing alternative strategies of regional land and ecosystem management. By our research, we found that LD and ED in Tibetan plateau have similar pattern of dynamic, while ED shows more significant correlation with climate change due to stronger intrinsic resilience in front of stressors. In opposites, once serious land degradation occurs, it is hardly being recovered by increasing of precipitation and temperature. Based on the relationship analysis, we modeled LE and ED risks under various potential scenarios suggesting that at least 100,000km2 area needed to human intervention for restoration. These suggested sites covered the worst 60% areas of both LD and ED producing 12.5 billion USD  dollars revenue from the maintenance of key regulating ecosystem services.

ACS Style

Lu Zhang. Projection of land and ecosystem degradation for preventing risk of natural capital decline in Tibet plateau. 2020, 1 .

AMA Style

Lu Zhang. Projection of land and ecosystem degradation for preventing risk of natural capital decline in Tibet plateau. . 2020; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Lu Zhang. 2020. "Projection of land and ecosystem degradation for preventing risk of natural capital decline in Tibet plateau." , no. : 1.

Journal article
Published: 26 September 2019 in Global Ecology and Conservation
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Over 240 migratory water bird species depend on China's 18,000 km coastline as a vital stopover area. However, the rapid loss of natural wetlands has threatened this seasonal water bird migration over the last few decades. In the present study, to improve our understanding of the pattern and amount of habitat loss in key stopover areas (KSAs) and the spatial covariance between habitat loss and economic development, we conducted a spatially explicit evaluation of coastal habitat loss in KSAs and explored its relationship with social and economic dynamics along the China coast by integrating high-spatial resolution satellite imagery with an updated coastal water bird investigation data set. The remote sensing survey detected a habitat loss percentage of 19.4% in the KSAs during 2000 and 2010. Aquaculture, urbanization, and land reclamation were responsible for the most severe disturbances to coastal habitats. These results demonstrate that the losses of wetland habitats in the KSAs in Chinese coastal areas are more severe than those in other coastal areas even though more protective measures have been implemented in these areas. Risk-based analysis showed that the risk of habitat loss was greatest in undeveloped regions with rich natural wetland and large populations, thereby demonstrating the critical importance of shifting the focus of water bird conservation to these regions to ensure the conservation of migratory water birds in the East Asian–Australasian Flyway. These findings disagree with the hypothesis that more habitats are lost when the economy is more developed. Therefore, we suggest that focusing conservation decisions on areas undergoing urbanization might improve the effectiveness of conservation measures given the pressures due to various forms of wetland exploitation.

ACS Style

Lu Zhang; Zhiyun Ouyang. Focusing on rapid urbanization areas can control the rapid loss of migratory water bird habitats in China. Global Ecology and Conservation 2019, 20, e00801 .

AMA Style

Lu Zhang, Zhiyun Ouyang. Focusing on rapid urbanization areas can control the rapid loss of migratory water bird habitats in China. Global Ecology and Conservation. 2019; 20 ():e00801.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Lu Zhang; Zhiyun Ouyang. 2019. "Focusing on rapid urbanization areas can control the rapid loss of migratory water bird habitats in China." Global Ecology and Conservation 20, no. : e00801.

Micro article
Published: 19 July 2019 in MethodsX
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The real emission mitigation by the ecological restoration projects depends upon the integrated effect of all greenhouse gas (GHG) budgets rather than the carbon sequestration alone. However, a comprehensive and robust methodology for estimating the relevant GHG budgets and net mitigation of China's ecological restoration projects is still urgently to await development. Based on the methods from IPCC and statistical data of the management practices under the projects, we constructed a methodology for carbon accounting and determining net mitigation for ecological restoration projects in China (CANM-EP). GHG emissions generated from different processes and practices of the projects were included in the CANM-EP, and by this methodology, carbon sequestration, GHG balance changes induced by ecological response, on-site and off-site GHG emissions could be estimated. Therefore, the CANM-EP provides comprehensive methods to estimate the whole GHG budgets as well as the net mitigation of China's ecological restoration projects. •The CANM-EP provides accounting methods for comprehensive processes and management practices under respective ecological restoration projects in China.•The CANM-EP could simultaneously estimate carbon sequestration and GHG emissions of the projects.•The CANM-EP indicates net carbon sequestration and net contribution of China's ecological restoration projects to climate change mitigation.

ACS Style

Bojie Liu; Lu Zhang; Fei Lu; Lei Deng; Hong Zhao; Yunjian Luo; Xiuping Liu; Kerong Zhang; Xiaoke Wang; Weiwei Liu; Xueyan Wang; Yafei Yuan. Methodology for accounting the net mitigation of China's ecological restoration projects (CANM-EP). MethodsX 2019, 6, 1753 -1773.

AMA Style

Bojie Liu, Lu Zhang, Fei Lu, Lei Deng, Hong Zhao, Yunjian Luo, Xiuping Liu, Kerong Zhang, Xiaoke Wang, Weiwei Liu, Xueyan Wang, Yafei Yuan. Methodology for accounting the net mitigation of China's ecological restoration projects (CANM-EP). MethodsX. 2019; 6 ():1753-1773.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Bojie Liu; Lu Zhang; Fei Lu; Lei Deng; Hong Zhao; Yunjian Luo; Xiuping Liu; Kerong Zhang; Xiaoke Wang; Weiwei Liu; Xueyan Wang; Yafei Yuan. 2019. "Methodology for accounting the net mitigation of China's ecological restoration projects (CANM-EP)." MethodsX 6, no. : 1753-1773.

Journal article
Published: 23 May 2019 in Biology
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In conservation biology, umbrella species are often used as agents for a broader set of species, or as representatives of an ecosystem, and their conservation is expected to benefit a large number of naturally co-occurring species. Southwest China is home to not only global biodiversity hotspots, but also rapid economic and population growth and extensive changes in land use. However, because of the large regional span, the diverse species distributions, and the difficulty of field investigations, traditional methods used to assess umbrella species are not suitable for implementation in Southwest China. In the current study, we assessed 810 key protected species from seven taxa by indicator value analysis, correlation analysis, and factor analysis. We selected 32 species as umbrella species, whose habitats overlapped the habitats of 97% of the total species. Furthermore, the selected species were significantly correlated with 70% of all species in the study area. A total of 16 out of 19 selected animal species have been previously mentioned as umbrella species, compared with only 3 out of 13 plants species; this is despite plants accounting for a large proportion of the total species in Southwest China. We discuss the roles of indicator species and co-occurring species, and provide suggestions for species protection in Southwest China based on the current results. Our research provides valuable scientific information for research on umbrella conservation species over large geographical scales, and related fields of biodiversity conservation.

ACS Style

Xuewei Shi; Cheng Gong; Lu Zhang; Jian Hu; Zhiyun Ouyang; Yi Xiao. Which Species Should We Focus On? Umbrella Species Assessment in Southwest China. Biology 2019, 8, 42 .

AMA Style

Xuewei Shi, Cheng Gong, Lu Zhang, Jian Hu, Zhiyun Ouyang, Yi Xiao. Which Species Should We Focus On? Umbrella Species Assessment in Southwest China. Biology. 2019; 8 (2):42.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Xuewei Shi; Cheng Gong; Lu Zhang; Jian Hu; Zhiyun Ouyang; Yi Xiao. 2019. "Which Species Should We Focus On? Umbrella Species Assessment in Southwest China." Biology 8, no. 2: 42.

Journal article
Published: 08 April 2019 in Sustainability
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By 2050, 70% of the human population is likely to be living in cities, making urbanization an increasing global trend. Detecting changes in ecosystem services (ES) and their bundles in response to urbanization is critical for evaluating land-use policies. We examined changes in the provision of grains, vegetables, fruits, carbon sequestration, soil retention, sandstorm prevention, and water retention from 2000 to 2010 in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei metropolitan area, China; then, using a k-means cluster analysis, we classified 202 counties of this area into groups (bundles) based on their similar sets of ES. We found that (1) urban area, forestland, and grassland increased by 22%, 3.6%, and 1.7%, respectively, while cropland decreased by 4.6%; (2) the provision of grains, vegetables, and fruits increased by 24–90%, despite an overall loss in cropland; carbon storage and sand retention increased by 40% and 7%, respectively, while soil and water retention increased slightly by approx. 1% each; (3) 72 counties changed their ES bundles; and the “agriculture bundle” dominated the landscape in 2000 while it decreased by 50% in 2010 and was mainly transformed to “sub-developed urban bundle”, indicating loss of cropland during that decade. The transformation of ES bundles can be used to understand the effects of urbanization. The study indicated that improved technologies and ecological restoration in rural areas can help sustain multiple ES in our rapidly urbanizing world.

ACS Style

Yanying Yang; Hua Zheng; Weihua Xu; Lu Zhang; Zhiyun Ouyang. Temporal Changes in Multiple Ecosystem Services and Their Bundles Responding to Urbanization and Ecological Restoration in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei Metropolitan Area. Sustainability 2019, 11, 2079 .

AMA Style

Yanying Yang, Hua Zheng, Weihua Xu, Lu Zhang, Zhiyun Ouyang. Temporal Changes in Multiple Ecosystem Services and Their Bundles Responding to Urbanization and Ecological Restoration in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei Metropolitan Area. Sustainability. 2019; 11 (7):2079.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Yanying Yang; Hua Zheng; Weihua Xu; Lu Zhang; Zhiyun Ouyang. 2019. "Temporal Changes in Multiple Ecosystem Services and Their Bundles Responding to Urbanization and Ecological Restoration in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei Metropolitan Area." Sustainability 11, no. 7: 2079.

Journal article
Published: 05 January 2019 in Forests
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Biodiversity, regulating ecosystem services (RES), and vegetation productivity are key indicators to instruct natural conservation planning. Decision makers often hope that ecosystems can be protected by focusing on certain key indicators, which requires an understanding of the relationships between the indicators. Using individual case studies, many have argued that these indicators commonly have significant relationships. However, these relationships at different spatial scales are unclear. Therefore, in this study, biodiversity and ecosystem services are modelled by the ecological niche model, the universal soil loss equation, and the equation of water balance in two study areas at different scales. The influence of vegetation productivity on the spatial pattern of other ecological indicators in the two areas is examined by a spatial lag model. The contributions of the driving factors on biodiversity distribution at both scales are identified by a boosted regression tree (BRT) model. The results showed that at the fine scale, the spatial correlations were strongest for species richness, especially mammalian species richness, and water retention. However, biodiversity had no significant relationship with vegetation productivity. In contrast, at a coarser scale, the correlation was stronger between plant diversity and regulating ecosystem services. In addition, plant diversity was significantly correlated with vegetation productivity. These differences between scales were controlled by various explanatory variables. At the fine scale, biophysical and climatic factors had the strongest effects on biodiversity distribution, while Net Primary Productivity (NPP) and ecoregion also had relatively high influences on biodiversity at the coarse scale. This demonstrates the critical importance of spatial scale in selecting conservation indicators. We suggest that rare mammalian species richness or flagship mammal species are suitable as conservation surrogates in fine-scale conservation planning. However, at a coarser scale, selecting vegetation patches with more rare plant species and high productivity for each ecoregion is a workable alternative method for conservation planning.

ACS Style

Lu Zhang; Zhiyun Ouyang. Exploring the Relationships between Key Ecological Indicators to Improve Natural Conservation Planning at Different Scales. Forests 2019, 10, 32 .

AMA Style

Lu Zhang, Zhiyun Ouyang. Exploring the Relationships between Key Ecological Indicators to Improve Natural Conservation Planning at Different Scales. Forests. 2019; 10 (1):32.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Lu Zhang; Zhiyun Ouyang. 2019. "Exploring the Relationships between Key Ecological Indicators to Improve Natural Conservation Planning at Different Scales." Forests 10, no. 1: 32.

Journal article
Published: 02 November 2016 in Biological Conservation
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Increasing human numbers and aspirations threaten protected areas worldwide. China faces especially strong pressure since many people live inside protected areas. It has sought to balance human needs and conservation goals within them by creating mixed zoning schemes loosely based on UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme. These include strictly-protected core zones, buffer zones allowing limited human use, and experimental zones that examine different land-use options. To test the efficacy of this zoning, we employed field surveys and remote sensing to assess the penetration of agricultural and urban land into 109 national nature reserves in China for 2000 and 2010. Human disturbance was lowest in core zones and highest in experimental zones in both 2000 and 2010. Over this period, 82% of the reserves were unchanged or had decreased human disturbance. Nonetheless, overall human disturbance increased by 7%, 4%, and 5% in the core, buffer and experimental zones respectively. Almost all the increase in the core zone was in four wetland reserves, where human actions converted large areas to agriculture. Some 58% of reserves experienced some human disturbance in core zones in 2010, demonstrating a need for more effective zoning. The findings have broader implications for protected area management globally because they highlight the strengths and weaknesses of zoning for balancing human needs and species conservation.

ACS Style

Weihua Xu; Xiaosong Li; Stuart L. Pimm; Vanessa Hull; Jingjing Zhang; Lu Zhang; Yi Xiao; Hua Zheng; Zhiyun Ouyang. The effectiveness of the zoning of China's protected areas. Biological Conservation 2016, 204, 231 -236.

AMA Style

Weihua Xu, Xiaosong Li, Stuart L. Pimm, Vanessa Hull, Jingjing Zhang, Lu Zhang, Yi Xiao, Hua Zheng, Zhiyun Ouyang. The effectiveness of the zoning of China's protected areas. Biological Conservation. 2016; 204 ():231-236.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Weihua Xu; Xiaosong Li; Stuart L. Pimm; Vanessa Hull; Jingjing Zhang; Lu Zhang; Yi Xiao; Hua Zheng; Zhiyun Ouyang. 2016. "The effectiveness of the zoning of China's protected areas." Biological Conservation 204, no. : 231-236.