Spatio-Temporal Dynamics and Sensitive Distance Identification of Light Pollution in Protected Areas Based on Muti-Source Data: A Case Study of Guangdong Province, China

Abstract

Ecosystems in protected areas (PAs) are facing new challenges from light pollution. Timely assessment of light pollution in protected areas and exploration of its characteristics are positively valuable for biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. As the province with the largest number of nature reserves and the richest biodiversity in China, Guangdong’s protected areas have faced more severe light pollution threats in recent years along with rapid urbanization. Hence, in this study, the temporal trends and spatial distribution of light pollution changes, the correlation between light pollution and human activities, and the sensitive distance induced by light pollution in PAs of Guangdong Province from 2000 to 2018 were analyzed based on nighttime light (NTL) remote sensing data, land-use data, and POI data. The results show that: (1) Overall, the light pollution within the PAs increased significantly in these years, with the mean value of NTL (MNTL) increasing from 8.04 to 15.21 nanoWatt/cm2/sr. The number of PAs affected by light pollution was 900 in 2018, accounting for 83% of the total. (2) From the perspective of spatial distribution, the PAs in the Pearl River Delta suffered from the highest intensity of light pollution. Specifically, the MNTL of PAs within the Pearl River Delta was 5.8 times and 2.8 times higher than that in northern Guangdong in 2000 and 2018, respectively. (3) There is a significant correlation between human activities and NTL in PAs within 100 km, and the most sensitive distance is within 40 km, especially the sensitivity within 20 km is much higher than that between 30–40 km. The findings of this study will provide a reference for the implementation of external lighting control and guidance measures to mitigate light pollution in protected areas in Guangdong Province.

The Impact of Zoning Designations on Bird Communities: A Case Study of National Nature Reserves in Guangdong Province

“…We assessed how the management zones of China's nature reserves influence bird communities by using data collected from five national nature reserves representing subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests in Guangdong province, which has the largest economy in southern China. Protected areas occupy approximately 14.3% of the terrestrial lands of Guangdong and half of the areas are national nature reserves [29]. Guangdong is one of the southern provinces that contains the highest number of threatened species in China; however, its biodiversity has significantly decreased due to industrial activities [30].…”