The application of landscape character classification for spatial zoning management in mountainous protected areas – A case study of Laoshan national park, China

National parks provide a considerable number of co-benefits to society, including the balance of ecosystems, conservation of heritage values, and tourism. However, studies on zoning approaches for the management of national parks are lacking. The landscape characterization approach is a holistic method for identifying regional landscapes and helps improve zoning management, thus promoting sustainable planning. Here, we propose a landscape character classification (LCC) approach for national parks by integrating a k-means clustering algorithm and geographic information system (GIS). We used Laoshan National Park (LNP) as a case study and aimed to (1) quantify the major landscape factors (altitude, topography relief, soil type, and heritage impact intensity) that influence the landscape classification of mountainous protected areas; (2) create a map of landscape character types and areas to guide a zoning boundary; and (3) further examine how decision makers assign different conservation strategies to each landscape character area. Our results indicate that different landscape character areas reflect distinct ecological environments and heritage values and that differentiated zoning management can effectively mitigate the impact of natural disasters and human activities. Our study suggests that national parks require scientific landscape character zoning, rational descriptions of landscape character types, and targeted management measures to achieve the dual objectives of zoning and landscape conservation.