Multiple cards in one place: Obstacles to achieving COP 15 goals

"Multiple Cards in One Place" pertains to the circumstance where multiple protected areas (PAs) are designated within the same geographical expanse, and natural resources are managed by multiple departments in an interlaced fashion, resulting in an inflated total PA area and impeding the achievement of the 30 × 30 target proposed at COP15. This phenomenon is referred to as “JiuLongZhiShui” in the domain of China's PA management. To address this issue, the initial step is to establish methodologies for assessing the influence of overlapping and interlaced settings on the conservation effectiveness, and subsequently propose adaptive strategies for diverse regions. In this study, the composite ecosystem service index (CESI) is used as a proxy for conservation effectiveness, and a combined method of basic grid-cell averaging and sample group comparison is proposed. Taking Qinghai province in China as an example, the study dissects the characteristics of alterations in the conservation effectiveness brought about by the overlapping protected areas (OPAs) at different scales, with the aim of determining the rationality of "Multiple Cards in One Place". The research outcomes indicate that the area of OPAs in Qinghai province constitutes 54.78 % of the total area of PAs in the province. The effectiveness of OPAs exhibits regional scale difference, ecological zone scale heterogeneity, and patch scale priority traits, and the optimal conservation layer varies for different spaces. The central-local departmental division mechanism, fund allocation and usage mechanism, local conservation and regional development mechanism collectively impact the effectiveness of OPAs. This study resolves the long-standing debate regarding whether "Multiple Cards in One Place" can enhance conservation effectiveness and assists policymakers in formulating targeted ecological optimization and regulation measures. • A hybrid method combining grid average and sample group comparison was constructed to analyze conservation effectiveness of OPAs. • The conservation effectiveness of OPAs exhibits scale difference, ecological zone heterogeneity, and patch priority traits. • Central-local departmental division, fund allocation, and conservation-development mechanism impact OPAs’ conservation effectiveness.