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ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Spatiotemporal Changes in Chinese Reserve
Vegetation Ecological Quality from 2002 to 2022
1
International College, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Beijing, 100876, China
2
School of Art and Design, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China
Submission date: 2024-03-08
Final revision date: 2024-05-02
Acceptance date: 2024-08-16
Online publication date: 2024-10-24
Publication date: 2025-11-14
Corresponding author
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2025;34(6):8339-8350
KEYWORDS
national nature reservesustainable developmentclimate changehuman activitiesvegetation ecological quality
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Over nearly seven decades, China’s comprehensive system of nature reserves has been meticulously
constructed, encompassing national, provincial, city, and county-level reserves that span diverse
ecosystems and species. However, despite garnering considerable attention, there remains a noticeable
research gap concerning the spatiotemporal variations in vegetation ecological quality and its driving
forces within national-level nature reserves. The study analyzed changes in the Vegetation Ecological
Quality Indicator (VEQI) within China’s national nature reserves from 2002 to 2022, encompassing
natural factors, human activities, and future trends prediction. Additionally, it evaluated the impacts
of ecological restoration and climate change on VEQI. The study revealed that the average VEQI
value in China’s national nature reserves was 3.741 from 2002 to 2022, indicating a notable increase
of 17.63%. A significant portion, encompassing 48.63×104 km2, demonstrated an upward VEQI trend,
whereas 29.36×104 km2 exhibited a declining trend, emphasizing the overall upward trajectory of VEQI
in China’s nature reserves. Approximately 3.2% of the total area was affected by the combined
inhibitory impacts of human activities and climate change, with an additional 17.5% affected solely by
climate change factors. Overall, the VEQI of China’s nature reserves exhibited an upward trend, with
natural factors and human activities playing pivotal roles in driving these changes. Looking ahead,
there is evident spatial heterogeneity in the VEQI trend within China’s national nature reserves, with
approximately 64.3% of the areas experiencing an increase. This research endeavor contributes to
the existing literature by furnishing scientific data to underpin assessments of vegetation ecological
quality within China’s national nature reserves. It adds to the body of knowledge and may inform
the formulation of environmental protection policies.
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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