ObjectiveAn in-depth analysis of the quantitative characteristics of national natural protected areas in large geographical units of China is crucial for reforming the protected area system and establishing an effective national park system.

MethodBased on the data collected from 594 national natural protected areas in Northeast China, this paper examines their quantitative characteristics on the basis of three aspects: construction categories, construction periods and natural ecosystem, We also identified and calculated national natural protected areas that have overlapping boundaries.

ResultThe results show that the establishment of national natural protected areas in Northeast China experienced three stages, namely the stage of stagnation, the initial develop stage and the stage of rapid development, suggesting the overall upward trend from 1956 to 2016. Affected by natural environmental and social factors, the distribution of national natural protected areas in the study area is uneven and patchy. There are as many as 108 national natural protected areas with overlapping scope, especially nature reserves and forest parks. According to ecosystems in the research area, it can be roughly classified into six categories, among which forest ecosystems and inland wetland ecosystems dominate in terms of quantity and area, grasslands and meadows, desert, ocean and coasts was overlooked, some parts of areas were not protected.

ConclusionWe suggest that the future development of natural protected area in Northeast China can take into account both diversification and systematization. In regard to the planning and establishment of natural protected areas, we should focus on the spatial distribution of natural ecosystems and pay more attention to the consistency of natural protected area catigories with ecosystem types, in order to provide the convenient for construction and management. Optimize and integrate hot spots that natural protected areas gathered according to main natural ecosystem by construct national park, merge natural protected areas that spatial proximity, protected objects has association. This research will provide scientific data support for the establishment and management of national parks and natural protected areas in Northeast China.