Spatial Optimization of Protected Areas in Dongguan City Based on Human Disturbance Evaluation

Dongguan City is at the forefront of China’s reform and opening up and a representative forest area in southern China, where the protected areas face a series of contradictions and conflicts between human and land. Taking Dongguan City as an example, this research superimposes the two topographic factors of slope position and topographic relief on the traditional human disturbance evaluation based on land cover types, evaluates the spatial distribution intensity of human disturbance from a three-dimensional perspective and, in combination with the spatial autocorrelation analysis method, evaluates the protection status of protected areas and identifies areas that may have protection gaps. Research results show that: there exists such a risk that the boundary expansion of construction lands may force the boundary of protected areas to retreat in Dongguan City, and there exist some areas not overlapped with areas featuring little human disturbance in the spatial scope of existing protected areas in Dongguan City. On this basis, the research, further combines with the current ecological protection value, puts forward relevant suggestions for the spatial optimization suggestions of protected areas in Dongguan City, such as strictly controlling the boundary of urban development and incorporating areas featuring little human disturbance that are suitable for the establishment of protected areas in the southern part of Dongguan City into the scope of protected areas, which can provide an important reference for strengthening the protection function of regional ecological barriers and optimizing the spatial scope of protected areas.