Ecological integrity assessment system for Wuyishan national park

• Ecological integrity assessment is vital for national park management and boundary delineation. • A quantitative ecological integrity assessment system was developed for China’s national parks. • The ecological integrity assessment system was effective for Wuyishan National Park, scoring 0.74. • Proposed strategies include optimizing zoning and enhancing biodiversity connectivity. Protecting ecological integrity is one of the primary objectives in the establishment of many national parks. Accurately assessing ecological integrity is vital for evaluating the rationality of national park boundaries and the effectiveness of management practices. However, research on ecological integrity within the context of Chinese national parks remains limited. This study, grounded in the inherent characteristics of ecosystems and the management needs of China’s national parks, selects eight secondary indicators and ten tertiary indicators based on the “pattern-structure-function” framework. All indicators are quantified using a mathematical model to ensure robust assessment and analysis. Wuyishan National Park has been selected as a case study, yielding an ecological integrity index of 0.74. Notably, scores for the proportion of natural ecosystems area, boundary index, natural heritage and landscape Integrity Index, ecosystem functioning index, and food chain integrity index were relatively high, Conversely, scores for artificial patch density (including skylight), proportion of representative ecosystem types, proportion of the largest patch area of representative ecosystems, proportion of species richness and habitat connectivity of flagship species were comparatively low. In response to these identified issues, the following strategies are proposed: 1) Strictly control and gradually phase out artificial land use within the park, implement ecological restoration tailored to local conditions; 2) construct habitat corridors to improve overall connectivity; 3) Optimize the boundary of Wuyishan National Park to enhance its biodiversity coverage and representative ecosystems; 4) Establish a long-term monitoring system to track changes in key conservation targets, thereby providing scientific support for ecological integrity assessments in national parks.