In a study published in Conservation Biology, researchers from Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the collaborators developed a new framework for transboundary conservation in the biodiversity-rich Gaoligong Mountains. This framework emphasizes integrating biodiversity hotspots, ecological gradients, and ecosystem services to create an effective conservation plan that transcends national boundaries.

Through remote sensing techniques and geographic information systems, researchers collected and analyzed biodiversity data, ecological gradient information, and ecosystem service functions of the Gaoligong Mountains region. By applying principles of ecology and conservation biology, they established a multi-criteria framework on the basis of threatened species distribution, key ecosystem services, border gradient characteristics, and ecological connectivity between protected areas.

Researchers found that multi-dimensional conservation hotspots in the transboundary Gaoligong Mountains region currently cover approximately 20% of the existing protected areas, primarily located in the northern and central parts. However, they found that 27.7% of newly identified priority conservation areas lie outside existing protected areas, with only 2.93% receiving formal protection.

The richness of threatened plants and animals showed a positive spatial correlation but were spatially mismatched, meaning their hotspots are in different locations. Threatened plant richness was positively correlated with carbon storage and soil retention but negatively correlated with water retention. Threatened animal diversity showed the opposite pattern. The richness of threatened plants and animals decreased substantially as distance from the border increased, showing a strong linear relationship.

Researchers proposed to prioritize areas in the central and southern regions, expand protection areas within 5 km of the border, gradually moving outward, and enhance ecological connectivity networks in the south by implementing conservation actions. Moreover, they suggested strengthening collaborative management for biodiversity-friendly borders, and creating borders that facilitate species movement.

"Our study provides a pathway to align conservation with ecological reality," said BAI Yang from XTBG. "Based on species distribution, ecosystem services, and the critical border gradient effect, we can significantly improve the effectiveness of transboundary conservation efforts globally."