Cent. Eur. J. Geosci. • 6(3) • 2014 • 279-292 DOI: 10.2478/s13533-012-0184-x Central European Journal of Geosciences Analysis on spatial distribution characteristics and geographical factors of Chinese National Geoparks Research Article Wang Fang1,2, Zhang Xiaolei1∗, Yang Zhaoping1, Luan Fuming3, Xiong Heigang4, Wang Zhaoguo1,2, Shi Hui1,2 1 Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China 2 University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P.R, China 3 Lishui University, Lishui 323000, China 4 College of Art and Science, Beijing Union University, Beijing 100083, China Received 04 May 2014; accepted 19 May 2014 Abstract: This study presents the Pearson correlation analyses of the various factors influencing the Chinese National Geoparks. The aim of this contribution is to offer insights on the Chinese National Geoparks by describing its relations with geoheritage and their intrinsic linkages with geological, climatic controls. The results suggest that: 1) Geomorphologic landscape and palaeontology National Geoparks contribute to 81.65% of Chinese National Geoparks. 2) The NNI of geoparks is 0.97 and it belongs to causal distributional patternwhose regional distri- butional characteristics may be best characterized as ’dispersion in overall and aggregation in local’. 3) Spatial distribution of National Geoparks is wide. The geographic imbalance in their distribution across regions and types of National Geoparks is obvious, with 13 clustered belts, including Tianshan-Altaishan Mountain, Lesser Higgnan- Changbai, Western Bohai Sea,Taihangshan Mountain, Shandong, Qilianshan-Qinling Mountain, Annulus Tibetan Plateau, Dabashan Mountain, Dabieshan Mountain, Chongqing- Western Hunan, Nanling Mountain, Wuyishan Mountain, Southeastern Coastal, of which the National Geoparks number is 180, accounting for 82.57%. 4) Spatial distribution of National Geoparks coincide with latitudinal tectonic zone and longitude tectonic zone of ge- ological structure features, which is consistent with the areas around the Pacific Rim of volcanic tectonic zones. The coupling relationships are obvious between the spatial distributional pattern and the natural and geological conditions. Keywords: spatial distribution • National Geoparks • influencing factors © Versita sp. z o.o. 1. Introduction precious non-renewable natural resource with significant scientific and aesthetic values. Therefore, it is necessary to protect this heritage. The protection of geological heritage has gone through the Geological heritage is the record of the earth’s evolution in different periods: from protection alone to a combination of response to various endogenic and exogenic forces. It is a protection and exploitation. UNESCO’s geoparks combine geological research and protection with heritage tourism ∗ E-mail: zhangxl [email protected] as a way to protect and exploit geological heritage. 279 Analysis on spatial distribution characteristics and geographical factors of Chinese National Geoparks 1.1. International geological heritage protec- 1.2. Geological heritage protection in China tion China, with an area of 9.6 million km2, is of great size, has greatly varied geographical conditions and the re- In 1989, a meeting was held by UNESCO, the Interna- gional geological resources have different features. The tional Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) [1] the In- terrain is generally high in the west and low in the east. ternational Geological Correlation Program (IGCP),and Mountains, plateaus and hills account for 67% of the land the World Conservation Union (IUCN) in Washington in area and basins and plains is 33%. Most mountains run recognition of the global importance of geological her- northeast to southwest. The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is itage. It was decided to implement a plan to produce a the highest major plateau in the world, with the aver- Global Indicative List of Geological Sites (GILGES). In age altitude above 4000 m. It is known as the Roof of 1996, it was renamed the Geological Attractions Plan. the World. Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, the Loess Plateau, In 1997, a proposal by UNESCO was adopted by the the Sichuan Basin and the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau are United Nations General Assembly to select representa- to the north and east of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and to- tive and special regions from the recommended geological gether form a second lower step, with an average altitude ∼ heritage sites as Geoparks [2,3]. In April 1999, a project of between 1000 2000 m. The Kunlun Mountains-Qilian to establish geological parks was proposed in the 156th Mountains-Hengduan Mountains form the dividing line Standing Committee meeting of United Nations Educa- between the first and second steps. The Great Khingan- tional, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Taihang Mountains-Wu Mountains-Xuefeng Mountains is The aim was to establish 500 geoparks in the world at the dividing line between the second and third steps,with a rate of 20 per year [4, 5]. China was one of the pilot many plains and low hills, and most areas are below countries for this world geoparks program. On 13 Febru- 200 m [21, 22]. ary 2004, UNESCO held a meeting at its headquarters The varied altitudes, terrain types and mountain ranges in Paris to designate the first batch of world geoparks. give rise to diverse combinations of temperature and pre- The meeting unanimously approved 28 world geoparks, of cipitation, forming a variety of climates. Eastern China which 8 were located in China and 20 in European coun- has a monsoon climate, northwest China a temperate con- tries, including the UK, France, Spain, Greece, Ireland, tinental climate, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau a alpine cli- Austria, Italy and Germany [6]. So far (in 2012) there are mate, with obvious implications for surficial geology [23– 88 world geoparks distributed in 27 countries around the 25]. world. China has the largest number (26), accounting for Protection of the geological heritage of China began in 30% of the total. In the USA and many countries in Eu- the late 1970s, usually in nature reserves, and developed rope, great importance has also been attached to the pro- rapidly thereafter. The first national geological nature re- tection of geological heritage, and economically advanced serve, Shangyuan Mesoproterozoic stratigraphic section, countries, such as USA, Canada and UK, rules and regu- was located in Ji county, Tianjin, and was established in lations have been worked out, and effective measures have 1985 [23, 26]. ”Provisions on the establishment of ge- been adopted to protect geological heritage [7]. ological nature reserves” was promulgated in 1987. Tai- wan took geological heritage protection seriously and took There are a growing number of studies on the topic of geo- initiatives beginning in 1989 and carried out county by heritage and national geoparks on a global scale. Janice county investigations (ref). On the mainland, the Min- [8] emphasized the positive role of geoparks in the de- istry of Geology and Mineral Resources issued ”Regula- velopment of local economy. Some researchers discussed tions on geological heritage protection” in 1995 [24, 25]. the links between geodiversity, landscape and geotourism In 2000, the Ministry of Land and Resources released a in Britain [9]. Glasser [10], Wolfgang [11] focused more document suggesting criteria for the establishment of Na- on the role of geoparks in aspects of education and pop- tional Geoparks and, in the following year, the first batch ularization of science. Many scholars have studied the of 11 National Geoparks was set up. As of 2013 there are geoparks and geotourism products [12–14]. K´atiaLeite 218, established in 6 batches. Mansur [15] believed the way of Geological Paths would Many researchers discussed the relationship between Na- make the Geoheritages protected in Brazil. Susan [16] tional Geoparks and the landform, and between geology, studied the Geoheritage and Geoparks in Australian by climate,and socio-economic [24, 25, 27–29]. Li and Jiang virtue of female point of view. With the climate change [30] (2000), Xing [31] (2004) attempted to find the effect are now well recognised by many scholars, much attention of National Geoparks on the local economic development. havebeen given to the effects on geodiversity, geological Several scholars have studied the geotourism carried out heritage and its conservation [17–20]. in many Chinese National Geoparks,and clearly proposed 280 W. Fang et al. their development ideas [32–34]. Mu [35] (2007) and Wu to the distribution of all sites over a geographical space. [36] (2008) paid close attention on the issues appeared The Nearest Neighbor index is defined as R: when exploiting geoheritage resources. √ Despite national geoparks have unique geological and R = d/dE = D · d: (1) scientific importance, the distribution pattern and influ- encing factors of geoparks within China remains few in In the above formula, d is the average distance value the international literature. Therefore, strengthening the among the Nearest Neighbor points, d = dE , is the Near- research on geoheritage resources in China has important est Neighbor distance (that is the Poisson distribution), meanings. This paper describes the number, types, dis- D is point density. If R = 1 d = dE , the distributional tribution pattern, and influencing factors of geoparks in pattern is considered random; if R > 1 d > dE , the pat- China, which proposes a framework for their interpreta- tern is uniform; if R < 1 d < dE , it is considered