Identifying restoration priorities for wetlands based on historical distributions of biodiversity features and restoration suitability

Qu, Yi, Sun, Gongqi, Luo, Chunyu, Zeng, Xingyu, Zhang, Hongqiang, Murray, Nicholas, and Xu, Nan (2019) Identifying restoration priorities for wetlands based on historical distributions of biodiversity features and restoration suitability. Journal of Environmental Management, 231. pp. 1222-1231.

[img] PDF (Published Version) - Published Version
Restricted to Repository staff only

View at Publisher Website: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2018.1...
23


Abstract

Wetland restoration is a major objective of environmental management worldwide. We present a frameworkat the regional level that prioritizes historical biodiversity and restoration suitability. The goal of the framework is to maximize biodiversity gains from restoration while minimizing the cost. We used C-Plan, a prioritization tool for systematic conservation planning (SCP), to balance the biodiversity gains withthe costs of restoration, or restoration suitability. We overlaid historical spatial data from 1995 to estimate historical distributions of 91 biodiversity features. These features were used to conduct an irreplaceability analysis to assess the restoration value of historical biodiversity. We then modelled restoration suitability based on environmental data of six criteria. Finally, we applied a complementarity analysis to achieve the quantitative targets of all biodiversity features while minimizing the cost of restoration. We tested this framework in the highly degraded wetlands ofSanjiang Plain, China. By applying our framework to Sanjiang Plain, we successfully identified areas with both high restoration value and high restoration suitability. The area of this cost-effective plan was an extension of 4620 km2, covering 80% of the disappearing wetlands and 4% of the total Sanjiang Plain. Compared to the restoration value-only plan, which had an extension of 4486 km2, the cost-effective plan covered a little more area to achievethe targets forall biodiversity features but with lower implementation costs where the proportion of high restoration suitability increases from 43% to 50%.Our prioritization framework can be used to analyse regional restoration efforts in other regions and ecosystems, and inform planners on how to maximize biodiversity gains while minimizing costs.

Item ID: 60285
Item Type: Article (Research - C1)
ISSN: 1095-8630
Keywords: Complementarity, Cost-effective, Historical biodiversity, Irreplaceability, Restoration priorities, Restoration value, Wetland
Funders: National Natural Science Foundation of China (NNSFC)
Projects and Grants: NNSFC Project Number 41501583
Date Deposited: 19 Sep 2019 02:40
FoR Codes: 41 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES > 4104 Environmental management > 410401 Conservation and biodiversity @ 20%
41 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES > 4104 Environmental management > 410405 Environmental rehabilitation and restoration @ 80%
SEO Codes: 96 ENVIRONMENT > 9612 Rehabilitation of Degraded Environments > 961204 Rehabilitation of Degraded Fresh, Ground and Surface Water Environments @ 30%
96 ENVIRONMENT > 9608 Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity > 960805 Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity at Regional or Larger Scales @ 40%
96 ENVIRONMENT > 9609 Land and Water Management > 960904 Farmland, Arable Cropland and Permanent Cropland Land Management @ 30%
More Statistics

Actions (Repository Staff Only)

Item Control Page Item Control Page