Comparing the Effectiveness of Biodiversity Conservation across Different Regions at County Scale

The central government of China encourages enthusiasm for biodiversity conservation by implementing a transfer payment policy targeted at Biodiversity National Key Ecological Functional Areas at the county scale. Biodiversity National Key Ecological Functional Areas are types of PAs that were designated by the State Council of China for the implementation of biodiversity conservation. However, regional comparative assessment results of biodiversity conservation effectiveness in different county-level administrative units are still lacking. In this study, we developed a reference condition index to represent the ecological background, and we then constructed a conservation effectiveness index to compare the conservation efforts among 131 counties in seven Biodiversity National Key Ecological Functional Areas. The results showed the following: (1) The biological background could be well reflected by the reference condition index. The Tropical Rainforest Ecological Function Area in Mountain Areas in the Middle of Hainan Island had the best biological background, while the Desert Ecological Function Area on the Northwest Qiangtang Plateau had the worst. (2) The biodiversity conservation effectiveness of the Desert Ecological Function Area on the Northwest Qiangtang Plateau was the best, and that of the Wetland Ecological Function Area of the Three River Plain was worst. (3) Among the 131 counties, Taibai County in the Biodiversity Ecological Function Area of Qinba Mountain performed best, while Fujin City in the Wetland Ecological Function Area of the Three River Plain performed worst. Our study could provide valuable insights for the transfer payment. Meanwhile, it can also supply a scientific reference for the management of Biodiversity National Key Ecological Functional Areas to enhance biodiversity.