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eISSN: 2083-5906
ISSN: 1230-1485
ISSN: 1230-1485
ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Spatio-Temporal Changes in Habitat Quality
and Linkage with Red-Crowned Cranes
Using the InVEST Model: A Case Study at
Yancheng National Nature Reserve, China
1
College of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China
2
Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China
3
Jiangsu Yancheng National Nature Reserve, Yancheng, 224057, China
4
School of Geographic Information and Tourism, Chuzhou University, Chuzhou, 239000, China
Submission date: 2024-12-17
Final revision date: 2025-02-18
Acceptance date: 2025-03-17
Online publication date: 2025-04-22
Publication date: 2026-04-21
Corresponding author
Yinlong Zhang
College of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China
College of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2026;35(2):2583-2596
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
The red-crowned crane is a rare species, classified as a national first-class protected animal in China.
It relies on the Yancheng National Nature Reserve (YNNR) as its largest wintering habitat globally.
Therefore, studying the habitat quality and spatiotemporal distribution of red-crowned cranes in the
YNNR is important for their conservation and the maintenance of biodiversity. This study employed
the Random Forest algorithm for land use classification and the InVEST model for habitat quality
assessment, innovatively incorporating red-crowned crane survival factors and vegetation cover. The
gray correlation was used to analyze the response of cranes to the habitat quality. The results showed
that: (1) Despite an overall high habitat quality, a declining trend was observed, with the average habitat
quality index decreasing from 0.553 in 1993 to 0.516 in 2023. (2) Habitat degradation significantly
exceeded improvement by 107.37 km2, reflecting intensifying human impact. (3) The red-crowned
crane population initially increased and subsequently declined, shifting its distribution from uniform
across the YNNR to a concentration within the core area. The red-crowned crane population showed
an extremely strong correlation with the areas of lowest and medium habitat quality. Finally, this study
recommends controlling anthropogenic disturbances, curbing the expansion of Spartina alterniflora,
and strengthening governmental oversight to protect the environment and biodiversity of the redcrowned
crane habitat.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
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| eISSN: | 2083-5906 |
| ISSN: | 1230-1485 |
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