China accelerates the construction of a nature reserve system to protect rare animal and plant parks | National | System
On April 16, 2021, forest rangers patrolled the mountain forest of Gongtong flowers blooming in Buzuo Village, Zhangjiawan Town, Nayong County. Photo by Yang Ying, journalist from Xinhua News Agency
Xinhua News Agency, Guiyang, July 11-- In the midsummer, the Leigong Mountain National Nature Reserve in Guizhou is surrounded by green mountains and clear waters, which is the watershed between the Yangtze River and the Pearl River water systems in China. Recently, a new national key protected wild plant investigation team organized by the Forestry Bureau of Guizhou Province discovered a new species here - the second level national key protected wild plant, the round leaved maiden flower.
Guizhou, known as the "Mountain Park Province", is a paradise for wild animals and plants such as the Guizhou golden monkey, black necked crane, and Gongtong. As of the end of 2022, Guizhou has known 24547 species of living organisms, ranking among the top in terms of biodiversity richness in China. To protect these biological resources, Guizhou has established over 300 nature reserves.
"We have established diverse types of nature reserves, effectively protecting typical ecosystems such as forests, grasslands, wetlands, deserts, and oceans that have not been included in national parks, as well as natural concentrated distribution areas of rare and endangered wild animal and plant species and natural heritage areas with special significance." Zhang Liming, Director of the Nature Reserve Management Department of the State Forestry and Grassland Administration, said at the 2023 Guiyang International Forum on Ecological Civilization.
A set of data he shared shows that 90.5% of terrestrial ecosystem types, 85% of wild animal and plant species, and 65% of higher plant communities are protected within China's nature reserves. More than 300 key protected wild animals and 130 key protected wild plants are also protected.
The Gongtong flower was photographed in the mountains and forests of Buzuo Village, Zhangjiawan Town, Nayong County on April 16, 2021. Photo by Yang Ying, journalist from Xinhua News Agency
In 2021, the 15th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity adopted the Kunming Declaration on the Protection of Biodiversity, emphasizing the need to strengthen and establish an effective protected area system to ensure that biodiversity is restored by 2030 at the latest, and to fully realize the vision of "harmonious coexistence between humans and nature" by 2050.
At present, China has established about 10000 nature reserves of various levels and types with a large number, diverse types, and diverse functions. "With the joint efforts of various departments and the participation of the whole society, a preliminary system of Chinese characteristic nature reserves with national parks as the main body, nature reserves as the foundation, and various natural parks as supplements has been established." Zhang Liming said.
"The most effective measure to protect ecology, especially some of the most important natural ecosystems, is to build nature reserves." In the view of Tang Xiaoping, the director of the National Park Research Institute, compared to traditional nature reserves, national parks built in response to the trend of ecological civilization have a higher level of protection.
At present, China is accelerating the construction of a natural reserve system with national parks as the main body, and gradually bringing into the national park system the areas with the most important natural ecosystem, the most unique natural landscape, the most essence of natural heritage, and the most abundant biodiversity.
In 2021, China announced the establishment of the first five national parks, including Sanjiangyuan, Giant Panda, Amur Tiger and Amur Leopard, Hainan Tropical Rainforest and Mount Wuyi, covering an area of 230000 square kilometers, covering nearly 30% of the national key protected wildlife species in the land area.
Several experts participating in the seminar on promoting the construction of a high-quality nature reserve system mentioned that by 2035, China will significantly improve the management efficiency and ecological product supply capacity of nature reserves, make the scale and management of nature reserves reach the world's advanced level, and comprehensively build a nature reserve system with Chinese characteristics. To build ecological civilization, preserve rare and endangered species, maintain natural ecological balance, and provide strong ecological support for achieving sustainable economic, social, and ecological development.
