Human Footprint dataset for Sanjiangyuan Area of China

Measuring human impacts is vital to protect biodiversity and respond to climate change. Located in the third pole of the world, the Sanjiangyuan area (SA) is known as the source of the Yellow River, Yangtze River, and Mekong River, with an area of 363 thousand km². It is rich in biodiversity and highly sensitive to climate change and human activities. Protected areas, e.g., the Sanjiangyuan National Park and the Coco Xili Nature Reserve, have been established in the SA to restrict human activities for biodiversity conservation. To measure the human impacts of this area, we developed a human footprint (HF) dataset cumulating population density, land use activity, grazing intensity, nighttime lights, roads and railway factors. This dataset is at a 1 km resolution covering the whole area and the years 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, and 2015. Our dataset is more accurate for the SA than the global HF dataset. This dataset will not only help to understand the human-nature relationship in the area, even in the third pole of the world, but can also be used to assess the effectiveness of nature reserves.