Abstract:Assessment of the spatial layout of nature reserves can provide scientific basis for policy-makers. Most previous studies concerning nature reserves in the Tibet Autonomous Region only focused on a single nature reserve, and almost no studies have paid attention to the layout of all nature reserves in the Tibet Autonomous Region. In this study, on the basis of national nature reserves list data and employing classification, time series analysis, and spatial overlapping methods, we analyzed the current situation and spatial-temporal changes of nature reserves in the Tibet Autonomous Region and assessed the rationality of their spatial layout from the perspectives of human and nature dimensions. The results suggest that:(1) At the end of the year 2015, there were 47 nature reserves in the Tibet Autonomous Region with an area of 413.7×103 km2, ranking the first place in China. Fragile ecosystems and national key protected plants and animals in the Tibet Autonomous Region were mostly covered by national and provincial nature reserves. (2) Before the year 2000, the spatial patterns of newly established nature reserves during 1990-2015 expanded from the southeastern Tibet Autonomous Region to the mid-western Tibet Autonomous Region; after 2000, more newly established nature reserves appeared in the central of the Tibet Autonomous Region. The spatial layout of nature reserves is becoming more rational. (3) From the perspective of the human dimension, the mean human influence intensity of the total nature reserves is about half of that of the Tibet Autonomous Region, indicating that the contradiction between ecological protection and human activities is not serious in terms of the spatial layout of nature reserves. For several nature reserves whose human influence intensity is greater than the average value, their spatial layout can be optimized. (4) From the perspective of the nature dimension, the densities of nature reserves in each eco-geographic region or vegetation zone are close, but the percentages of nature reserve areas in each eco-geographic region or vegetation zone are obviously different, which means that the spatial layout can be optimized further.