Biodiversity conservation development based on Systematic Conservation Planning in urban areas

Abstract The purpose of this study is to apply the commonly used biodiversity conservation method, Systematic Conservation Planning, to identify the priority conservation areas in Harbin, China, using the conservation planning software C-Plan. Biodiversity features, spatial distributions and respective targets were compiled into C-Plan and built a database to calculate the irreplaceability index which represents the conservation value of sites. Results showed that about 30% of the study area has moderate or higher biodiversity conservation value. This process enables conservation planning and prioritizing work to be more scientific providing a feasible and effective framework for the establishment of urban conservation systems.