A framework for functional zoning of national parks based on biocultural diversity assessment

Abstract

Reasonable zoning is essential for maintaining the integrity and stability of natural ecosystems and achieving multi-goal management of national parks, and can facilitate efficient management and protection of various resources. Biocultural diversity is an important result and outstanding representation of human-land relationships, directly affecting the resilience of socio-ecological systems. Taking Kunlun Mountains National Park in Qinghai Province (KMNP) as an example, we transformed the dualistic conservation model of biology and culture, and the Coupling Coordination Degree Model (CCDM) was used to establish a technical framework for the functional zoning of national parks based on the collaborative protection of biological diversity and cultural diversity. The research results indicated that biocultural diversity and its coupling relationship of KMNP are relatively good, with high coupling areas mainly dominated by cultural diversity and low coupling areas mainly by biological diversity. The research suggests that KMNP should be divided into 4 functional zones: strict protection area, ecological conservation area, traditional utilization area, and comprehensive development area. These findings provide references for the planning and construction of national parks and reserves around the world, to unleash their transformative potential in addressing global biodiversity loss.

Keywords

• Biocultural diversity
• Coupling coordination degree model
• National parks
• Functional zoning
• Kunlun Mountains National Park