Appendix 1 Eco-region descriptions and fragmentation. Codes are those used in Figure 3.

Ecoregion Code / Mean Meff (FG3 km2) / 20% Least Fragmented Counties (km2) / 20% Most Fragmented Counties (km2) / Climatic Zone / Ecoregion Description
IIIB1 / 147 / 220 / 89 / Warm-temperate zone, sub-humid region / Deciduous broadleaf forest and cultivated vegetation region, hilly area of central Shandong
IIIA1 / 154 / 381 / 45 / Warm-temperate zone, humid region / Deciduous broadleaf and cultivated vegetation region, hilly land of East Liaoning and Jiaodong
IIIB2 / 180 / 427 / 54 / Warm-temperate zone, sub-humid region / Cultivated vegetation region of China’s Huabei Plain
IVA1 / 585 / 1603 / 96 / North-sub-tropical Zone, humid region / Evergreen, deciduous broadleaf & cultivated vegetation region in central & lower reaches of Yangtze Plain, Dabieshan Mountains
IIIB3 / 596 / 1619 / 98 / Warm-temperate zone, sub-humid region / Deciduous broadleaf forest region, China’s Huabei mountainous area
VIA2 / 981 / 2776 / 131 / South sub-tropical Zone, humid region / Evergreen broadleaf & cultivated vegetation region in hilly plains of Fujian, Guangdong & Guanxi
VA1 / 1023 / 2659 / 136 / Middile sub-tropical Zone, humid region / Evergreen broadleaf and cultivated vegetation region in JIangnan hilly and basin areas
VA2 / 1128 / 2400 / 210 / Middle sub-tropical Zone, humid region / Evergreen broadleaf region in Zhejiang, Fujian and Nanling Mountain
IIA1 / 1280 / 2744 / 533 / Medium temperate zone, humid region / Sanjiang Plain wetland region
IIIB4 / 1530 / 5001 / 146 / Warm-temperate zone, sub-humid region / Deciduous broadleaf forest region and cultivated vegetation region in Fenhe river and Weihe basins
VIIA2 / 1585 / 5725 / 105 / Margin tropical Zone, humid region / Semi-evergreen seasonal rainforest in the mountainous and hilly Leizhou and Hainan
VA3 / 2049 / 5300 / 419 / Middle sub-tropical Zone, humid region / Evergreen broadleaf region in Guizhou, Hunan highland and mountainous areas
IIB1 / 2084 / 7484 / 174 / Medium temperate zone, sub-humid region / Forest and steppe region in the central Songliao Plain
IIIC1 / 2237 / 6567 / 373 / Warm-temperate zone, semi-arid region / Steppe Region in the central and north Loess plateau
IIA2 / 2997 / 11190 / 213 / Medium temperate zone, humid region / Xiaoxing’anling & Changbai Mountainous area, coniferous forest region
VA4 / 3679 / 16863 / 98 / Middle sub-tropical Zone, humid region / Evergreen broadleaf & cultivated vegetation region in Sichuan Basin
VIIIA1 / 3727 / 8770 / 704 / Middle tropical Zone, humid region / Seasonal rainforest and rainforest in South Hainan, east and midddle Archipelagos.
IIA3 / 3807 / 14963 / 312 / Medium temperate zone, humid region / Broadleaf and coniferous mixed forest region in Piedmont platform of east Songliao Plain
IVA2 / 3942 / 12836 / 830 / North-sub-tropical Zone, humid region / Evergreen & deciduous broadleaf mix region in Qin-Ba Mountainous Area
IIC3 / 4429 / 14214 / 384 / Medium temperate zone, semi-arid region / Steppe Region in the east of Inner Mongolia Highland
VIIA3 / 5200 / 9547 / 1268 / Margin tropical Zone, humid region / Seasonal rainforest and rainforest in Xishuangbana Mountainous areas.
VIA3 / 5593 / 15364 / 907 / South sub-tropical Zone, humid region / Evergreen broadleaf and pine forest region of sub-mountain valley incentral and south Yunan
IIC1 / 5753 / 14260 / 926 / Medium temperate zone, semi-arid region / Steppe Region in the west of Liaohe River Plain
IIC2 / 6180 / 17175 / 614 / Medium temperate zone, semi-arid region / Steppe Region in the South section of Daxing’anling Mountain
IID1 / 7222 / 20555 / 1312 / Medium temperate zone, arid region / Desert steppe region of Ordos & west Inner Mongolia Highland
IIC4 / 9094 / 11823 / 5307 / Medium temperate zone, semi-arid region / Hulunbuir Plain steppe region
VA5 / 9494 / 37656 / 576 / Middle sub-tropical Zone, humid region / Evergreen broadleaf and pine forest region of Yunan Plateau
IIB2 / 13475 / 20948 / 7600 / Medium temperate zone, sub-humid region / Steppe and forest region in the mountainous central section of Daxing’anling range
HIIC1 / 16770 / 52068 / 1808 / Plateau temperate zone,semi-arid region / East Qinhai and Qilian mountain, high mountain and basin coniferous forest and steppe region
IIB3 / 20277 / 49596 / 7844 / Medium temperate zone, sub-humid region / Forest and meadow region, in the west side of Daxing’anling’s northern section
IA1 / 30082 / 55180 / 8332 / Cold temperate zone, humid region / North Daxing’anling deciduous coniferous forest region
IID2 / 32175 / 89579 / 2383 / Medium temperate zone, arid region / Desert region of Alex and Hexi Corridor
IID4 / 40757 / 71330 / 9528 / Medium temperate zone, arid region / Altay Mountain steppe and coniferous forest region
IID5 / 46665 / 118542 / 9724 / Medium temperate zone, arid region / The desert, steppe and coniferous forest region of Tianshan Mountain
HIIC2 / 47132 / 152013 / 10047 / Plateau temperate zone, semi-arid region / South Tibet Plateau, high mountain and valley shrub-steppe region
HIIA/B1 / 50001 / 110081 / 11753 / Plateau temperate zone, humid/sub-humid region / West Sichuan and East Tibet plateau, deep valley and high mountain, coniferous forest region
IID3 / 53374 / 147219 / 5634 / Medium temperate zone, arid region / Jungar Basin desert region
HIB1 / 93194 / 292752 / 14830 / Plateau sub-cold zone, sub-humid region / Guoluo, Naqu plateau alpine shrub-meadow region
VA6 / 97638 / 152293 / 24936 / Middle sub-tropical Zone, humid region / Seasonal rainforest and evergreen broadleaf region in south wing of East Himalayas Mountain
HIID1 / 161942 / 451358 / 14696 / Plateau temperate zone, arid region / Qaidam Basin desert region
IIID1 / 166883 / 394561 / 23495 / Warm-temperate zone, arid region / Tarim Basin desert region
HIC1 / 201576 / 593383 / 36655 / Plateau sub-cold zone, semi-arid region / Southern Qinhai plateau, wide valley, alpine meadow and steppe region
HIID3 / 220498 / 562547 / 20517 / Plateau temperate zone,arid region / Ngali Mountainous desert region
HIC2 / 276146 / 631453 / 38418 / Plateau sub-cold zone, semi-arid region / Qiangtang Plateau, lake basin alpine steppe region
HIID2 / 326085 / 517536 / 83372 / Plateau temperate zone,arid region / North Kunlun Mountainous desert region
HID1 / 473140 / 646214 / 243727 / Plateau sub-cold zone, arid region / Kunlun high mountain/plateau, alpine desert region