天然林是长江经济带最重要的生态要素之一,对构筑长江经济带生态安全屏障具有重要作用。基于第九次全国森林资源连续清查(2014—2018年)数据,分析了天保工程实施16年后,长江经济带天然林保护修复的现状、存在的问题,并提出针对性建议。研究发现,第九次清查期间,长江经济带森林覆盖率44.38%,比天保工程实施初期提高了14个百分点,天然林面积和蓄积分别增加了1 418.58万hm²和13.68亿m³,实现了森林覆盖率、天然林面积和蓄积的三增长。但仍面临缺乏整体统筹规划,天然林保护空间压力大,天然林资源质量不高,补助政策不健全,资金投入长效机制未建立等突出问题。建议从完善顶层设计、加强资源管护、提高生态补偿、拓宽资金投入渠道等方面着手进行保护修复,夯实长江经济带高质量发展的生态根基。

Natural forest is one of the most important ecological elements in Yangtze River Economic Belt,and the conservation and restoration of the natural forest has important significance for constructing the ecological security shelter in the Yangtze River Economic Belt. Based on the data of the 9th National Continuous Forest Inventory(2014—2018),this paper analyzed the current situation,the existing problems and proposed the targeted recommendations in the Yangtze River Economic Belt. The results showed that the forest coverage rate was 44.38%,14 percentage higher than that in the early stage of the natural forest project,while the area of natural forests and the stock increased by 14.18 million hectares and 1 368 million cubic meters,respectively. However,there were still problems such as lack of overall planning,high pressure on natural forest protection,the low quality of natural forest resources and weak management and protection ability,incomplete subsidy policy,failure to establish a long-term fund guarantee mechanism. It is suggested that long-term mechanisms such as top-level design,resource management and conservation,fund investment,and ecological compensation should be established,so as to lay a solid ecological foundation for high-quality development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt.