China's key protected wild animal and plant populations continued to recover
– Focus on the 23rd International Day for Biological Diversity
On May 5, on the shores of Gaoyou Lake in Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, after being fully restored to health, four oriental white storks and one Japanese eagle owl were released into nature. In the animal square of Guangzhou Zoo, wild animal specimens such as egrets, snake eagles, and red deer display and popularize animal images for people, attracting many citizens to take photos and check in.
5 May marks the 22rd International Day for Biological Diversity, and this year's theme is "From Agreement to Collaboration: Restoring Biodiversity". The reporter learned from the State Forestry and Grassland Administration that since the "23th Five-Year Plan", China has taken the rescue and protection of flagship species as the starting point, continued to promote the construction of in situ and ex situ conservation systems, and a large number of rare and endangered wild animals and plants have steadily increased their populations, and the habitat and breeding environment has steadily improved.
The wild populations of more than 300 species of rare and endangered wild animals and plants have steadily increased
Not long ago, in the Qilihai Wetland of Tianjin, between the sparkling water surface and the lush grassland, white figures foraged or frolicked, bringing life to the wetland. According to staff statistics, the group consists of more than 20 white cranes. In March, researchers spotted a white crane in the Qilihai wetlands, the first time the species has been found in the Qilihai as a population.
The white crane is a large wading bird that is a national first-class key protected wildlife, rated as "critically endangered (CR)" on the IUCN Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and has a global population of less than 4000,2021 individuals. Before <>, the number of "appearances" of white cranes in Tianjin was very rare. With the continuous improvement of the local ecological environment, white cranes have appeared in Tianjin for three consecutive years.
In recent years, China has systematically implemented the rescue and protection project of critically endangered wild animals and very small populations of wild plants, and effectively enhanced the service functions of ecosystems through various measures such as in situ conservation, ex situ conservation, artificial breeding and cultivation, release or return to nature.
The data show that the wild populations of more than 300 rare and endangered wild animals and plants, such as Asian elephants, snow leopards, Siberian tigers, Hainan gibbons, golden snub-nosed monkeys, Tibetan antelopes, Mangshan ironhead snakes, cycads and orchids, have steadily increased. The number of Huagai trees has increased from 6 at the time of initial discovery to 1,5, the number of Qiaojia five-needle pines has increased from 34 at the time of initial discovery to more than 3000,3, and the number of Baishan Zu fir trees has been successfully replanted in the wild from 4000 plants at the time of initial discovery. The wild population of Asian elephants increased to more than 300, the wild population of Hainan gibbons increased to 6 in 37 groups, the wild population of white-headed langurs increased to more than 1300, the distribution points of Chinese pangolins continued to increase, the distribution range of Siberian tigers expanded from the Changbai Mountains to the Greater and Lesser Xing'an Mountains, and the wild population increased to about 60. The crested ibis range has expanded from 3 to 7 provinces, with a wild population of more than 7000 individuals. The global population of giant pandas in captivity reached 698, and the population of captive-bred crested ibises reached 1496. Through rewilding, wild populations of elk and Przewalski's wild horses have been re-established in several provinces.
Various policies and measures have helped biodiversity conservation achieve fruitful results
Recently, when sorting out the recovered infrared camera materials, the inspectors of the Dayi Management and Protection Station in the Chengdu Area of the Giant Panda National Park found that multiple infrared cameras had repeatedly captured images of giant pandas drinking water and foraging for food. In the shot, the giant panda holds a bamboo branch, chewing slowly, and is cute.
In the Chengdu area of Giant Panda National Park, people are increasingly capturing images of giant pandas and other wild animals, fully demonstrating China's fruitful achievements in protecting biodiversity and promoting the construction of giant panda national parks.
In recent years, China has launched the construction of national parks and national botanical garden systems, set up the first five national parks, issued the "National Park Spatial Layout Plan", scientifically laid out 49 candidate areas of national parks, with a total area of about 110.10 million square kilometers, accounting for 3.80% of the land area of the country, will achieve the world's largest protection scale, protect more than <>% of the national key protected wild animal and plant species and their habitats, protect many large-scale ecological corridors and international migratory birds, cetacean migration, A key area for the transboundary migration of mammals.
The National Botanical Garden and the South China National Botanical Garden were put into operation, which also led to the vigorous development of various botanical gardens, arboretums, germplasm resource banks, etc. at all levels. Very small populations of wild plants such as Putuo Thrush, Huagaimu, and Emei Hanxiao have initially escaped the risk of extinction.
In addition, a series of relevant laws and regulations have been promulgated. The Wetland Protection Law, the Wildlife Protection Law, the Yangtze River Protection Law and other laws have been completed one after another, the "List of Wild Animals under National Key Protection" and "List of Wild Plants under National Key Protection" have been adjusted and released, and the legal system for the protection of natural ecology and wild animals and plants in China has been continuously improved.
The relevant person in charge of the State Forestry and Grassland Administration said that the next step will be to continue to promote the construction of national parks in accordance with the overall goal of the "National Park and Other Nature Reserves and Major Engineering Construction Plan for the Protection of Wild Animals and Plants (2021-2035)", accelerate the construction of the nature reserve system with national parks as the main body, so that the authenticity, integrity and wildlife resources of important natural ecosystems and their important habitats (habitats) will be effectively protected, and the wild animal and plant populations under national key protection will continue to be stable and improving. During the 2025th Five-Year Plan period, the protection of giant pandas, Siberian tigers, Northeast leopards, Asian elephants, pangolins, gibbons, snow leopards, cycads, orchids and other key protected wild animals and plants will be further strengthened, ensuring that by 75, the conservation rate of terrestrial wild animals under national key protection will reach 80%, and the conservation rate of terrestrial wild plant species under national key protection will reach <>%.
The awareness of public participation has been continuously enhanced, and the concept of ecological civilization has been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people
On 5 May, a series of International Day for Biological Diversity events took place across the country. The main event of the 22 Shanghai International Day for Biological Diversity was held in Shanghai Botanical Garden, which initiated the establishment of Shanghai's first alliance with the theme of ex situ conservation of species, working together to strengthen the ex situ conservation, conservation and breeding of important species and biological resources, and continuously improve the level of biodiversity conservation. Chongqing's 2023 International Day for Biological Diversity science popularization activities were launched at the Chongqing Natural Resources Science Popularization Museum, during which Chongqing will carry out activities such as cultivating a group of "small ecological environment science popularization docents", launching a set of popular science reading materials, and creating a professional and diversified science popularization learning system.
In recent years, through the organization and implementation of a variety of science popularization and education activities, the awareness of public participation has been continuously enhanced, and the concept of ecological civilization has become increasingly popular among the people, creating a good social atmosphere for protecting biodiversity and maintaining national ecological security.
In addition, at present, the national, provincial, and key cities and prefectures have generally established an interdepartmental coordination mechanism for combating illegal trade in wild animals and plants led by the competent departments of forestry and grassland, and jointly carry out special law enforcement actions such as "Qingfeng" and "Green Shield" every year, severely cracking down on illegal and criminal acts such as indiscriminate mining, indiscriminate hunting, illegal smuggling, and illegal trade in wild animals and plants and their products, and the number of major and important cases has remained at a low level. (Guangming Daily reporter Yao Yaqi)