One of the foremost challenges facing the world in the 21st century is maintaining global ecosystem diversity. This requires thorough understanding of ecosystem vulnerability and resilience. World economic globalization has forced nations to consider the environment and natural resources when forming natural security and international trade policy. Environmental diplomacy has become a necessary component of international relations and national development strategies. Ecosystems cross political boundaries. As cross-border movement of goods and people increase, transboundary ecological security becomes more crucial to border management, international economic cooperation, and sustainable development.The longitudinal range-gorge region (LRGR) in Southwestern China includes the basins of four major

international rivers, including the Yuanjiang-Red, Lancang-Mekong, Nujiang-Salween and Irrawaddy Rivers(The Maps below). The area is classified as one of the world"s biodiversity hotspots. The region provides an important ecological and economic corridor linking China and Southeast Asian countries. Over the past half century, the region served as a resource base for timber and minerals needed to fire economic development. This resulted in rapid and drastic changes in ecosystem and species diversity. Proposed and ongoing development programs, such as the national Western Development, Greater Mekong Subregional Economic Cooperation (GMS) and China-ASEAN free trade zone development  ("10+1"), threaten to bring unprecedented disturbance to the region"s ecosystems. Present and emerging threats to ecological security have caught tremendous attention worldwide. This research is critical and significant for enhancing ecosystem health and transboundary ecological security.

Ecosecurity_Project.pdf