Effectively managed Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park by regulating Korean pine seed collection

Xiongjiao Hu; Weihua Xu; Limin Feng; Nan Jiang; Zhenhua Zang; Xi Zhang

doi:10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03595

Global Ecology and Conservation (Aug 2025)

Effectively managed Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park by regulating Korean pine seed collection

Xiongjiao Hu,
Weihua Xu,
Limin Feng,
Nan Jiang,
Zhenhua Zang,
Xi Zhang

Affiliations

Xiongjiao Hu: State Key Laboratory of Regional and Urban Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
Weihua Xu: State Key Laboratory of Regional and Urban Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Correspondence to: 18 Shuangqing Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100085, China.
Limin Feng: Northeast Tiger and Leopard Biodiversity National Observation and Research Station, National Forestry and Grassland Administration Amur Tiger and Amur Leopard Monitoring and Research Center, National Forestry and Grassland Administration Key Laboratory for Conservation Ecology in Northeast Tiger and Leopard National Park, and School of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
Nan Jiang: State Key Laboratory of Regional and Urban Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
Zhenhua Zang: State Key Laboratory of Regional and Urban Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
Xi Zhang: National Parks (Nature Reserves) Development Centre, National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing 100714, China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03595
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 60
p. e03595

Abstract

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“Effectively conserved and managed” is an important component of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Human activities continue to affect protected areas (PAs) worldwide, and reconciling biodiversity conservation with resource utilization represents a significant challenge for PA research. The Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park (TLNP) is a typical region of conflict between conservation restrictions and local livelihood. We employed Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis) seed collection activity in the TLNP as an illustrative example, utilizing maximum entropy model and spatial analysis to simulate suitable amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) habitat and human-tiger conflict risk areas during seed collection, to investigate approaches for enhancing the construction effects of PAs through delineating function zones. Results indicated that Korean pine contracting was ongoing in approximately one-third of core protected zones, reflecting high-intensity forest resource utilization. Suitable habitat for amur tiger covered 57.9 % of the park’s total area, and 23.7 % was affected by seed collection areas, which implied seed collection may alter tiger habitat use and exacerbate regional human-tiger conflict risks. Furthermore, we divided the Korean pine resource management function zones into four subzones, with differentiated management measures implemented. In addition, we proposed strategies for balancing conservation and development, including constructing collaborative governance systems, exploring pathways for ecological value transformation, and reinforcing the construction of early warning and monitoring systems. This study aims to provide a scientific foundation for underforest resource management in the TLNP and to serve as a reference for zoning planning of PAs in other regions.

Published in Global Ecology and Conservation

ISSN: 2351-9894 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: Netherlands
LCC subjects: Science: Biology (General): Ecology
Website: https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/global-ecology-and-conservation

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