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1 May 2015 Exploring Conservation Options in the Broad-Leaved Korean Pine Mixed Forest of the Changbai Mountain Region
Ma Lin, Yi Qu, Gongqi Sun, Jacky Wan, Junqing Li
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

The broad-leaved Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis) mixed forest (BKPF) is one of the most biodiverse zonal communities in the northern temperate zone. Changbai Mountain in northeastern China contains one of the largest BKPFs in the region. The government of China has established a network of 23 nature reserves to protect the BKPF and the species that depend on it for habitat, including the endangered Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altaica). This study used the conservation planning software C-Plan to calculate the irreplaceability value of each unit to assess how efficiently and comprehensively the existing conservation network supports biodiversity and to identify gap areas that, if integrated into the network, would expand its protection capability. Results show a number of high-conservation-value planning units concentrated along certain ridges. The existing conservation network is structured such that the habitats of only 24 species (out of a total of 75) achieve established conservation targets. Of the other 51 species, 20 achieve less than 50% of their conservation targets. However, expanding the network to include high-conservation-value gap areas could achieve conservation targets for 64 species and could provide different degrees of protection to the other 11 species. Using C-Plan software can guide decision-making to expand the conservation network in this most precious of mountainous ecological zones.

International Mountain Society
Ma Lin, Yi Qu, Gongqi Sun, Jacky Wan, and Junqing Li "Exploring Conservation Options in the Broad-Leaved Korean Pine Mixed Forest of the Changbai Mountain Region," Mountain Research and Development 35(2), 171-179, (1 May 2015). https://doi.org/10.1659/MRD-JOURNAL-D-14-00069.1
Received: 1 January 2015; Accepted: 1 March 2015; Published: 1 May 2015
KEYWORDS
Biodiversity conservation
Changbai Mountain
China
conservation network
Pinus koraiensis
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