Logging within protected areas: Spatial evaluation of the monarch butterfly biosphere reserve, Mexico

Depending on the particular sociopolitical situation of a country or region, as well as the degree of dependence that a population has on its vegetation resources, both forest management or designating protected areas may serve as effective policies to protect highly valuable forest areas in the long term. Biosphere Reserves, where forest management is allowed in buffer zones but completely restricted in core zones, are an important category in this regard. They are of special importance in developing countries where a high dependency on natural resources as source of subsistence is still prevalent. This paper analyzes the effectiveness of authorized logging versus strict protection in preserving the forest cover within the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve (MBBR), in its portion in Michoacán state, México. This protected area is crucial for the preservation of the migratory monarch butterfly, and has been negatively impacted by logging and other activities. Data on logging permits from 1993 to 2006 were extracted and spatially digitized from all the officially approved Forest Management Programs (FMP) of the MBBR’s communities. Based on the delimitation of authorized logging areas, an analysis of the processes of change in forest cover was made, by means of spatial and statistical comparisons among land tenure units (LTU) with and without FMP. Statistical analyses found no significant differences of loss rates of conserved canopy cover forest between LTU with and without FMP, nor with other change processes such as recovery and re-vegetation. However, deforestation due to land use changes was significantly greater in LTU lacking FMP, although this involved a relatively small area. Spatial analyses clearly showed where the forest disturbance is concentrated, and that it is mostly caused by illegal logging and by inadequate management (extraction of timber beyond the authorized period, and forest fragmentation led by individual use of communal land). The results show that the total disturbance observed from 1993 to 2006 (5239 ha) is explained in 61% by illegal logging, 33% by extemporaneous authorized extractions and only 6% by authorized logging during the scheduled period. Thus FMP are an effective option for maintaining the forest cover in the reserve. The procedure used in the present analysis can be an effective and accessible monitoring tool, which can be used by officials responsible for forest use to supervise the strict application of logging licenses, and to give support to decision making when renewing, redesigning or revoking logging licenses.     

Deforestation in a Complex Landscape

Abstract

Deforestation is often the primary threat to conservation goals in tropical countries. However, accessing the remote locations in which most remaining forests of conservation value occur makes it difficult to quantify deforestation trends and to galvanize preventive action. Using remotely sensed images we were able to quantify rates of forest loss in La Amistad Biosphere Reserve, Panama. Annual deforestation rates were low between 1987 and 1998 at 0.05% but increased nearly 12-fold between 1998 and 2001 to 0.6%. Net forest loss was 0.56% between 1987 and 1998 and 2.34% between 1998 and 2001. Deforestation rates differed significantly between protected areas. Protected areas on the Caribbean side of the Biosphere Reserve experienced greater levels of deforestation than those on the Pacific, even though both absolute and percent forest cover are higher on the Caribbean. Most forest conversion was for cattle pasture and an area of industrial cattle ranching was identified within the Palo Seco and PILA protected areas as a priority for enforcement activities. Forest conversion to pasture was highly correlated with proximity to roads, rivers, and villages (p < 0.001). The spatial scale of correlation varied between feature types, suggesting a greater area of impact from roads and towns versus rivers. The acceleration of forest conversion from 1998 to 2001 confirms the negative ecological impact of the recent increase in population and development pressure in this previously isolated region.     

Is community-based forest management more effective than protected areas?: A comparison of land use/land cover change in two neighboring study areas of the Central Yucatan Peninsula,Mexico

The importance of the role of local community forestry institutions towards forest conservation is exemplified through a comparison of two adjacent areas within the Central Yucatan Peninsular Region (CYPR) in which Land-Use Cover Change (LUCC) analyses were conducted. We also used logistic regression analyses to examine key environmental, socioeconomic and institutional drivers associated with deforestation. One of the areas, La Montaña (LM) at Hopelchen, Campeche, is part of the northern section and buffer zone of the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve (CBR) as well as part of the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor. LM is an agricultural forest frontier region economically dependent on productive activities. The other study, Zona Maya (ZM), found at the municipality of Felipe Carrillo Puerto in Quintana is characterized by having developed community-based forestry enterprises with world wide recognition. In addition, the major tourism industry in nearby Cancun and Riviera Maya provide an important source of off-farm labor and temporary migration. Results show contrasting annual deforestation rates among the two study areas, being greater in the Campeche site (0.7% from 2000 to 2005) compared to Quintana Roo (−0.002% from 2000 to 2004). Logistic regression results show that the occurrence of land clearing at LM is significantly related to demographic variables as well as soil-environment types and conservation status did not reveal to relate to LUCC processes at all. At Quintana Roo, despite twice the population density, population variables at large did not strongly correlate to forest clearing. Rather forest conservation or maintenance was shown to be influenced by local community forestry institutions and a landscape zoning provided by larger management goals from the part of the communities. Greater availability of wage labor for the prominent tourism economy may also reflect a lesser dependence on agriculture and contribute to the much lower deforestation rate. Nonetheless, results show that community forest management can play an effective role in forest conservation. We argue for a regional land use management approach as a conservation strategy in which local inhabitants are considered key actors.     

Characterizing changes in land cover and forest fragmentation from multitemporal Landsat observations (1993-2018)in the Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve,Nepal

Natural forces and anthropogenic activities greatly alter land cover,deteriorate or alleviate forest frag-mentation and affect biodiversity.Thus land cover and forest fragmentation dynamics have become a focus of concern for natural resource management agencies and biodiversity con-servation communities.However,there are few land cover datasets and forest fragmentation information available for the Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve (DHR) of Nepal to develop targeted biodiversity conservation plans.In this study,these gaps were filled by characterizing land cover and forest frag-mentation trends in the DHR.Using five Landsat images between 1993 and 2018,a support vector machine algorithm was applied to classify six land cover classes:forest,grass-lands,barren lands,agricultural and built-up areas,water bodies,and snow and glaciers.Subsequently,two landscape process models and four landscape metrics were used to depict the forest fragmentation situations.Results showed that forest cover increased from 39.4％ in 1993 to 39.8％ in 2018.Conversely,grasslands decreased from 38.2％ in 1993 to 36.9％ in 2018.The forest shrinkage was responsible for forest loss during the period,suggesting that the loss of for-est cover reduced the connectivity between forest and non-forested areas.Expansion was the dominant component of the forest restoration process,implying that it avoided the occurrence of isolated forests.The maximum value of edge density and perimeter area fractal dimension metrics and the minimum value of aggregation index were observed in 2011,revealing that forests in this year were most fragmented.These specific observations from the current analysis can help local authorities and local communities,who are highly dependent on forest resources,to better develop local forest management and biodiversity conservation plans.     

Implications of Mayan agroforestry for biodiversity conservation in the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve,Mexico

Agroforestry for production and ecosystem health is a centuries-old form of ecosystem management used in many cultures indigenous to Mesoamerica, yet implications of such practices for biodiversity conservation are not well understood. Agroforestry systems were studied using interviews of farmers and field surveys of tree and bird diversity in three communities surrounding the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve in Campeche, Mexico to examine how differences in forest management practices affect forest biodiversity. Tree diversity and bird species richness were higher in areas surrounding communities that generated a greater variety of forest products and that cultivated “restoration trees,” species planted to aid in regeneration of mature forest. We conclude that traditional ecosystem management methods in areas surrounding natural reserves as practiced by inhabitants who depend on resources in the reserve for survival are compatible with maintaining and perhaps enhancing diversity of bird and tree communities at the site level.     

Effects of roads,topography, and land use on forest cover dynamics in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Roads and topography can determine patterns of land use and distribution of forest cover, particularly in tropical regions. We evaluated how road density, land use, and topography affected forest fragmentation, deforestation and forest regrowth in a Brazilian Atlantic Forest region near the city of São Paulo. We mapped roads and land use/land cover for three years (1962, 1981 and 2000) from historical aerial photographs, and summarized the distribution of roads, land use/land cover and topography within a grid of 94 non-overlapping 100 ha squares. We used generalized least squares regression models for data analysis. Our models showed that forest fragmentation and deforestation depended on topography, land use and road density, whereas forest regrowth depended primarily on land use. However, the relationships between these variables and forest dynamics changed in the two studied periods; land use and slope were the strongest predictors from 1962 to 1981, and past (1962) road density and land use were the strongest predictors for the following period (1981–2000). Roads had the strongest relationship with deforestation and forest fragmentation when the expansions of agriculture and buildings were limited to already deforested areas, and when there was a rapid expansion of development, under influence of São Paulo city. Furthermore, the past (1962) road network was more important than the recent road network (1981) when explaining forest dynamics between 1981 and 2000, suggesting a long-term effect of roads. Roads are permanent scars on the landscape and facilitate deforestation and forest fragmentation due to increased accessibility and land valorization, which control land-use and land-cover dynamics. Topography directly affected deforestation, agriculture and road expansion, mainly between 1962 and 1981. Forest are thus in peril where there are more roads, and long-term conservation strategies should consider ways to mitigate roads as permanent landscape features and drivers facilitators of deforestation and forest fragmentation.     

Overview of restoration and management practices in the degraded landscapes of the Sahelian and dryland forests and woodlands of East and southern Africa§

The highest deforestation and forest degradation rates in Africa occur in the dry forests and woodlands where pressure for land is increasing, poverty is rampant, livelihood options are few and climate change effects are severe. This paper examines factors that cause land and forest degradation in the Sahel and dry forests and woodlands of eastern and southern Africa and highlights some successful restoration practices, technologies and approaches. In the Sahel, enclosures are used to protect young growing trees while in East Africa enclosures are implemented on degraded land as a mechanism for environmental rehabilitation with a clear biophysical impact. The choice of techniques for rehabilitating specific degraded areas depends first on the priorities and management objectives of stakeholders followed by the costs and benefits associated with available rehabilitation techniques and the economic, social, and environmental values of the land resources in their current and desired future states. In the Sahel, sustainable land management is considered to be an imperative for their sustainable development and the practices include soil and water conservation activities and structures. In all regions, natural forest rehabilitation has used both natural and assisted regeneration to promote the growth of especially indigenous species through coppice regrowth and root suckers rather than seeds. Assisted regeneration was especially prevalent in the Sahel where indigenous tree species have been identified to dominate the degraded sites during early stages of secondary forest succession. The success of any rehabilitation activities depends on community-based natural resources management. In addition, the forest policies and their related policies need to be enabling in order to address issues of concern, including (1) the full participation of communities, (2) clear land and tree tenure and (3) equitable benefit sharing.     

Assessing the drivers of land use change in the Rumpi hills forest protected area,Cameroon

Protected areas serve two objectives, biodiversity conservation and securing of ecosystem services. But the recent expansion of human activities around Cameroon’s Rumpi Hills Forest Reserve in this Era of Sustainable Development Goals is a call for concern. This study assesses land use and land cover change around the reserve and their potential impact on its sustainability. A total of 250 household surveys were conducted across 13 villages in four selected sites around the reserve in addition to 11 focus group discussions. Landsat 7 ETM (2000) and Landsat 8 OLI (2014) images and topographic maps were utilized to quantify land use and land cover change.

During the 14-year period, dense forest dropped to 90.2% while settlements increased from 744.6 to 2148.8 hectares in 2014. Also, farmlands increased by 18.25% representing a change from 9400.4 to 11117.16 hectares. Over 98% and 85% of the respondents are engaged in the cultivation of food and cash crops and are dependent on the forests for timber and non-timber forests products. Land and tree-based interventions that improve soil fertility should be promoted among smallholder farmers to ensure the sustainability of protected areas in Cameroon.     

Trends in land cover change and isolation of protected areas at the interface of the southern boreal mixedwood and aspen parkland in Alberta, Canada

The Beaver Hills region of central Alberta is located at the interface of the southern boreal mixedwood forest and the aspen parkland, an area now dominated by agriculture, urban and industrial development. Increasing anthropogenic land cover will eventually isolate remaining natural habitats currently protected in parks and reserves. This paper analyzes land cover and land cover change (LCC) in the Beaver Hills moraine and surrounding areas using a structured hierarchical satellite imagery classification applied to Landsat Multi Spectral Scanner and Thematic Mapper from 1977, 1987, and 1998. Our goal was to quantify deforestation and habitat fragmentation trends and then discuss how this information could be used to develop a conservation approach that will protect current areas against further habitat loss. We found that the rate of deforestation in the lands surrounding the moraine was similar to the broad trend at the southern periphery of the Canadian boreal forest region: annual rate of change in forest cover was −0.82%/year. However, in the Beaver Hills there was a net gain of +0.61%/year, due to regeneration of low quality agricultural lands. All fragmentation indices used indicated an increase in forest fragmentation. We designed a network of protected areas and remaining large forest patches, based on the UNESCO-MAB biosphere model. Our results underline concerns regarding the increasing isolation of national parks and biological reserves in Canada.     

Coffee Agroforestry Systems for Conservation and Economic Development

Abstract

The agroforestry program of the AMISCONDE Initiative was implemented in 13 buffer zone communities of La Amistad Biosphere Reserve. This program introduced citrus (Citrus spp.) and promoted the widespread inclusion of poró (Erythrina poeppigiana) shade trees, ground story vegetation, and soil conservation techniques to the local cultivation of coffee (Coffea arabica var caturra). This program sought long-term socioeconomic and ecological health in these buffer zone communities through conservation and development projects such as coffee agroforestry systems. This paper examines the ecological and socioeconomic benefits of two introduced coffee agroforestry systems: coffee-poró and coffee-citrus. The project has decreased agrochemical inputs, integrated multi-strata vegetation, and implemented soil conservation techniques such as vetiver grass, cover crops, terraces, water channeling, and shade trees in an effort to sustainably manage coffee production on the steep buffer zone slopes. The agroforestry project of the AMISCONDE Initiative has likely improved the production of coffee ecologically and economically. However, new specialty markets should be explored to increase economic and ecological gains. Organic and fair trade coffee niche markets are suggested as alternatives for meeting the long-term AMISCONDE objectives of community development and conservation.     

Tourism-induced deforestation outside Changbai Mountain Biosphere Reserve,northeast China

• Introduction   

Old-growth forests on Changbai Mountain are economically and ecologically important but have been fragmented outside Changbai Mountain Biosphere Reserve. The trend of forest landscape degradation on Changbai Mountain threatens forest sustainability and biodiversity conservation in the region. Previous studies have focused mainly on the structure and function of protected forests but have ignored managed forests outside the reserve border.     

Respiratory Parameters Define Growth Rate,Species Distribution and Adaptation to Temperature

Abstract

Agricultural expansion by smallholder producers has been identified by management agencies as one of the main threats to the ecological integrity of La Amistad Biosphere Reserve, in Panama and Costa Rica. Promotion of cacao agroforestry has been proposed as a way to reduce the need for farmers to clear new land within the reserve. In order to realize this goal, the larger cultural, economic, and political forces that motivate agricultural expansion need to be examined, looking beyond the smallholder practices that are the immediately apparent causes of ecological degradation. The four main assumptions behind the proposal to promote smallholder cacao production in the buffer zone are explored: (1) cacao agroforestry is an ecologically benign agricultural system; (2) if cacao production were more financially viable, ecologically degrading activities, such as cattle grazing, would decrease; (3) migrants from other areas are primarily responsible for clearing land on the eastern side of the park; and (4) direct intervention at the smallholder level is the most effective means of preventing agricultural expansion. Our analysis demonstrates that while cacao agroforestry is an ecologically appropriate production system for the buffer zone of the park, price and production stabilization is important for assuring adoption by smallholders. We also suggest that both indigenous and migrant groups are responsible clearing forest for agriculture and that a more useful distinction for managers to make is between clearing enacted as part of sustainable vs. unsustainable management regimes. Finally, we recommend that the impact to the biosphere reserve caused by large-scale cattle and banana production not be overlooked.     

Spatial Modeling of Tropical Deforestation Using Socioeconomic and Biophysical Data

Tropical forests are disappearing at an alarming rate. In Central America, a hectare of forest is cleared for agriculture every 5 min. This study was conducted in a forested 4,000 ha watershed of central Honduras to find deforestation causes based on socio-economic characteristics of population. First, a multitemporal analysis of Landsat TM imagery was conducted to determine deforestation rates and agricultural–forest boundaries. A GIS buffer procedure allowed determining which households were at the deforestation front and which households were located at the rest of the area (control). GIS techniques were used to extract biophysical information such as slope, elevation, land cover, temperature, precipitation, etc. Then, we set up a data base with more than 50 socioeconomic variables (level of education, income, children per family, major economic activity, use of conservation practices, etc.). Around 500 households, distributed all over the watershed, were visited, interviewed and GPS-located. A multivariate statistical analysis allowed an exploratory analysis to eliminate non useful and redundant variables and then to determine what variables appear to be important predictors of deforestation behavior among rural families. A resulting logistic regression model showed that household with lower annual income heads and with less use of conservation practices were more statistically prone to clear the forest (α = 0.001). The study uncovered the complexity of this problem and confirmed the need of using GIS–remote sensing techniques to combine socioeconomic and environmental data in several time–space dimensions to find the causes and trends of tropical deforestation.     

Deforestation and loss of bushland and grassland primarily due to expansion of cultivation in mainland Tanzania (1995–2010)

Information on land use and cover changes (LUCC) is important for planning of conservation and development and thus ensure forest sustainability. The current paper assesses LUCC for the whole of the mainland Tanzania. The analyses were done using land use and cover maps covering the whole of mainland Tanzania for 1995 and 2010. For 1995, forest, bushland, grassland, cultivation and other land use and cover (built up areas, bare land, etc.) covered 43.5%, 19.8%, 23.5%, 11.2%, and 2.0% of the study area, respectively. For 2010, the same land use and cover classes covered 38.0%, 14.5%, 6.9%, 36.5%, and 4.1% of the study area, respectively. The annual rate of deforestation was 320,067 ha, which is equivalent to 0.9%. Bushland and grassland were lost at 313,745 and 969,982 ha/year, respectively. Most forest was converted to cultivation and least to other land use and cover. In conclusion, the net changes were deforestation and loss of bushland and grassland primarily due to expansion of cultivation. Further research on how to reduce or halt expansion of cultivation may shed light on improving sustainability of forest, bushland, and grassland in mainland Tanzania.     

Long-term trends in vegetation changes of managed versus unmanaged Eastern Carpathian beech forests

A vegetation survey of semi-permanent plots was conducted between years 1955–1962 and 2005–2009, and aimed to determine floristic changes occurring in beech forests located on a scarcely populated, dense forest area. The survey encompassed all natural beech forest types within the Polish part of the “Eastern Carpathians” International Reserve of Biosphere. A comparison of trends in changes between unmanaged (Bieszczady National Park) and managed (the remaining part of the Biosphere Reserve) forests was attempted. DCA analysis was used for the determination of changes on the community level. The density of vegetation, species richness, frequency of occurrence and cover, and functional groups of species were determined. Much more profound community changes were determined to have occurred in managed beech forests. However, a similar direction in vegetation changes within both managed and unmanaged forests verifies the existence of a regional pattern of changes in beech forests. This regional pattern involves (1) a decrease in the shares of arborescent species within the shrub layer, (2) disturbance of the canopy layer, (3) acidification of the top layer of the soil, (4) change of light conditions, (5) increase in shares of generalist species and decrease in shares of specialist species. A decreasing anthropogenic pressure, aging of forest stands, functioning of large, dense forest areas and sustainable forest management strategies forestry management system mimicking natural deciduous forest disturbance regime constitute factors shaping the regional changes of the forest vegetation. The undergoing changes can lead to biotic and spatial homogenization of the Eastern Carpathian beech forests.     

Fire Ecology and Management in the La Amistad Biosphere Reserve,Panama

Abstract

The use of fire in the La Amistad Biosphere Reserve, Panama, is a complex issue, especially given its biophysical, cultural, and socioeconomic context. A geographic gradient exists, depicting the threat from fire to the reserve. Areas around Volcan Baru have a high potential fire threat due to the biophysical aspects of the area and land-use activities. Fire use has a long cultural history in Panama. It continues to be frequently employed to clear land for swidden agriculture, cattle ranching on the Atlantic side of the Talamancan mountain range, and agricultural development on the Pacific side. Land tenure insecurity and perverse policies also incite its utilization for claiming land. Set fires often escape their boundaries and burn property, structures, crops, and fire-sensitive ecosystems. If left unchecked, anthropogenic fires pose a significant threat to both the ecological and socioeconomic well being of the Biosphere Reserve. Recommendations for the reserve's fire management plan focus on policy augmentation, educational outreach, monitoring, prevention, and fire research.     

Forest transition in developed agricultural regions needs efficient regulatory policy

The shift from net forest loss to gain—forest transition—has been associated variously with economic development, market-driven reforestation, forest policy, and globalization. Evidence shows that governments can expedite forest transition, although economic and institutional failures can distort policy incentives. This study addresses the paucity of spatially explicit empirical research on the robustness of the forest transition hypothesis in a developed country context and identifies factors that may hasten, delay, or even reverse forest transition. We applied spatial-econometric analysis to high-resolution forest cover, climatic, socioeconomic, physiographic, and State-jurisdiction data for the Australian intensive agricultural zone from 1988 to 2014. While environmental and physiographic factors explained the spatial distribution of forests, net forest cover change was significantly associated with trends in farm-output prices inducing deforestation in Queensland, the State with less effective land clearance regulations. Changes in land clearing regulations in Queensland were significantly associated with the national forest cover trends that resulted in forest transition in Australia around 2008. Yet when land clearing regulations and their enforcement were subsequently relaxed in 2012, significant forest cover loss was once again observed in that State, particularly in remnant forests. We conclude that if forest regulatory protection is not effective, net forest loss could resume or increase, even in developed countries, in response to growing incentives for forest conversion to agriculture.     

Socioeconomic and Environmental Basis for the Development of Small Scale Forestry in a Highly Degraded Watershed in the Venezuelan Andes

In the last 20?years, the Mocotíes watershed in the Venezuelan Andes has experienced an intense process of land-use change, with natural forests being replaced by ??sun grown coffee?? (Coffea arabica) monocultures in sites of high slope, increasing risk conditions and the vulnerability of people living in lower parts of the watershed. Using a local-scale approach, 37 productive units (10% of total) in the San Isidro micro-watershed (51.85?km²) were assessed in order to evaluate local socioeconomic conditions and perceptions of ecosystem services, and how both are affected by human activity. Almost 65% of residents work in small farms of less than 5?ha, while family ownership remains the most important form of management. A significant lack of financial support was detected, support which is required to improve coffee productivity and improve conservation practices. Severe soil loss was detected in 45% of the area, associated with cultivation on steep slopes and the use of chemical fertilizers. Agroforestry and tree planting are well-regarded, as locals tend to recognize soil protection and climate change mitigation as two of the most important ecosystem services. Using a small-scale forestry approach, it is believed that current land management could be greatly improved to: (1) progressively introduce tree cover into coffee monocultures; (2) restore degraded areas where forest cover is lost and (3) reduce deforestation. Recommended policies and actions include institutional strengthening, decentralization and the development of community-based forest enterprises. The general principles presented in this work could provide a preliminary basis for basin-wide land restoration.     

Development and evaluation of local communities incentive programs for improving the traditional forest management: A case study of Northern Zagros forests,Iran

We examined the local community incentive programs to improve traditional forest management in three forested villages in Baneh city, Kurdistan province in the northern Zagros forests of western Iran. Zagros forests cover 6.07 million ha and support rich plant and animal diversity. Changes in local community social and economic sys-tems and the inefficiency of traditional forest management led to a criti-cal situation in the stability of forest regeneration in recent decades. Due to a shortage of productive and arable lands and resulting unemployment and poverty, people overexploited the Zagros forests. Outside interven-tion in traditional forest management creates conflicts between local peoples and forest management organizations. To achieve sustainable forest management, including forest resources conservation and im-provement of natural resource based livelihoods of communities, it is desirable to implement Forestry Incentive Programs （FIP） based on the important functions of forests. Detailed information on the so-cio-economics of communities, the effect of forests on local livelihoods, and lists of products extracted from the forest were obtained from a sur-vey of local communities though questionnaire, interview and observa-tion. We studied 276 households in three villages and completed 76 ques-tionnaires by householders in the quantitative analysis. Sampling was performed by simple random sampling （SRS）. The needs of rural com-munities, such as livestock husbandry, mainly arise from the characteris-tics and environmental features of villages. We identified the driving forces, pressures, status, impacts and responses （DPSIR） to design incen-tive programs, by DPSIR analysis and interaction analysis. Evaluation of local community benefits from forests showed that in order to improve forest management, 319 dollars per year would be needed by each family as an incentive in 2010 to prevent lopping and firewood collecting, the main causes of forest degradation.     

辽东林海中一颗璀璨的明珠——辽宁白石砬子国家级自然保护区

辽宁白石砬子国家级自然保护区位于辽东山区宽甸县北部,主要任务是保护长白、华北植物区系交汇地带原生型红松阔叶混交林的自然景观,为繁育珍贵树种、野生动物创造生存环境,开展生物生态科研、教学活动。是一个森林生态系统类型的自然保护区。保护区区划面积７４６７ｈｍ２,分为４个功能区,地形错综复杂,属温带大陆性气候。植物种类繁多,有维管束植物１０５４种,隶属１１４科、４４１属。植被类型多样,分为２个类型组,３个植被类型,５个植被亚型,９个群系组,１５个群系。动物资源丰富,共有脊椎动物１８７种,其中鱼类１６种,两栖类１０种,爬行类９种,鸟类１２６种,兽类２６种。保护区成立以来,自然资源保护取得了突出成绩,１７年来无森林火险火灾,乱砍滥伐、乱捕滥猎现象也很少发生。科学研究工作取得丰硕成果,产业创收也取得一定成绩。利用景观资源,开展生态旅游是保护区今后发展方向。