Abstract:

Functional zoning is a method of classifying areas to define human use and is of great significance for the effective management of protected areas. Qianjiangyuan National Park is one of the ten national park pilot sites in China and is divided into four functional zones, the core protection zone, ecological conservation zone, recreation zone and traditional utilization zone. Each zone is assigned a different level of protection and corresponding management measures. This study examined the spatial overlap of existing functional zones in Qianjiangyuan and suitable habitats for its target conservation species, the endangered black muntjac (Muntiacus crinifrons). We constructed distribution models based on 94 occurrence locations obtained from camera-trapping surveys from 2014-2018 using MaxEnt. Fifteen covariates related to altitude, topography, vegetative characteristics and human disturbance were used in the MaxEnt models to predict suitable habitats for the black muntjac. The results showed that the black muntjac tended to inhabit areas with intact forest and low road density. We identified 42.5 km ² of suitable habitat, which accounted for 16.9% of the land in Qianjiangyuan National Park. Of this suitable habitat, 69.3% and 30.4% were located in the core protection zone and ecological conservation zone, respectively, which indicated that the existing zone designations can protect black muntjac habitat appropriately. These results also indicated that the black muntjac may serve as an indicator species of the subtropical primary forests where it lives. Promoting habitat integrity for the black muntjac by restoring habitat, constructing corridors and managing across provinces will be key to strengthening the protection of the black muntjac in the region.

Key words: national park, functional zones, black muntjac, species distribution model, corridor