Data for article "Spatio-temporal variations of natural hazards caused by extreme climate events and associated ecological risks in China's National Parks"

Climate change is anticipated to pose the most challenging issue among all the difficulties in the operation of national parks aimed at preserving biodiversity and natural ecosystems. However, the interactions between climate change and ecological risks remain poorly understood and challenging to address. Furthermore, previous studies have demonstrated that, compared with gradual climate change, the natural hazards induced by extreme climate events are likely to cause more severe biodiversity loss and greater damage to local ecosystems. In this study, to improve understanding of the interactions between ecosystem services and the natural hazards triggered by extreme climate events, we analyzed and evaluated the spatial and temporal distribution trends of extreme climate events in Chinese national parks from 1961 to 2020 using high resolution gridded climate data. By integrating the frequency of extreme climate events, ecological exposure, and ecological vulnerability, we assessed the risk levels of extreme weather events in national parks. Based on our findings, extreme precipitation had a high risk in all five national parks. Droughts, wildfires, and declines in false springs were identified as the primary increasing ecological natural hazard threats in the Three-river-source National Park. For the Northeast Tiger and Leopard National Park, it is crucial to focus on the impact of snow disasters and false springs. Droughts and snow disasters represented the main threats for the Giant Panda National Park. Wuyishan National Park should prioritize attention to droughts, snow disasters, and false springs. While the Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park needs to consider the impact of droughts. The methodology developed in this study could be extended to other protected areas facing similar extreme climate risks with proper adjustments accounting for local ecosystem characteristics.