5. RECENT PROGRESS -- BIODIVERSITY IN CHINA

Wild plants and animals are increasingly threatened by population explosion and economic development. As a result, many animals and plants, especially the rare and endemic species, as well as those of great economic value, become endangered and threatened. Since the 1950's, regulations for protection of plants and animals have been enacted but they are not sufficient to stop the decline of the species. The Environmental Law, Forest Law, The Wildlife Protection Law and other related legislations have been issued for preserving species and their habitats, but their implementation and enforcement need to be strengthened.

Chinese Alligator (Alligator sinensis) an endangered species but successfully bored in captivity in a breeding center located in Anhui Province; wild population has increased in reserves too.

Meanwhile, the compilation and publication of China Red Data Books are in progress. The recently published China Plant Red Data Book Vol. 1 contains in the first version 388 species of endangered and rare plants.

Endangered species conservation and research work started in the 1950's. Research on Chinese Alligator was among the earliest projects. The program resulted in establishment of reserves and breeding centers based on ecological and biological research. The project was internationally recognized and acclaimed.

Surveys and research work on the flagship species, the Giant Panda, was initiated in the late 1960's and expanded and intensified in the past twenty years. These programs lead to establishment of a number of reserves as well as breeding centers. Currently, research initiatives on ecology, behavior, reproductive biology and population genetics are still in progress. Conservation projects on other critically endangered species such as the Yangtze River Dolphin, Guizhou Snub-nosed Monkey, Crested Ibis, etc. have also been conducted and some of them were jointly sponsored with NGOs of the world.

Since the first reserve (Guangdong Dinghushan Mountain Nature Reserve) was established in 1956 by Chinese Academy of Sciences, a network of reserves at national and local levels was developed. Among them, the majority concentrates on the conservation of forests and wildlife, while others preserve different types of wetland, high plateau, grassland, desert, small island, and coral reefs. For instance, there are altogether 13 reserves established mainly for protecting the Giant Panda, Golden Monkey, Takin, etc. in Sichuan, Gansu and Shaanxi provinces.

Name	County	Province	Year establ.	Area (sq.km)
Foping	Foping	Shaanxi	1978	350
Baishuijiang	Wenxian	Gansu	1978	953
Baihe	Nanping	Sichuan	1963	200
Jiuzhaigou	Nanping	Sichuan	1978	600
Wanglang	Pingwu	Sichuan	1965	277
Tabgjiahe	Qingchuan	Sichuan	1978	300
Xiaozhaizigou	Beichuan	Sichuan	1979	167
Fengtongzhai	Baoxing	Sichuan	1975	400
Wolong	Wenchuan	Sichuan	1975	2,000
Labahe	Tianquan	Sichuan	1963	120
Dafengding	Mabian	Sichuan	1978	300
Dafengding	Meigu	Sichuan	1978	160
Huanglongshi	Songpan	Sichuan	1983	400

Since 1980's, six reserves including Changbaishan Mountain Natural Reserve were listed in international network of Man Biosphere (MAB), providing the bases for joint research in different areas by scientists from home and abroad. The total coverage of different types of reserves accounts for about 2.1% of state' s land area. However, most of them are still on a primary stage, characterized by the lack of systematic scientific management although training courses for different purposes had been conducted. In most reserves, bioinventory has not yet been developed. In spite of the problems existed and to be solved, the reserve network will play its important role in biodiversity conservation in the future.

Botanical gardens provide important bases for ex situ conservation of plants, especially endangered and rare plant species. Approximately 104 botanical gardens contribute substantially to plant introduction, domestication, collection and cultivation. So far some of wild forms and relatives of cultivated plants as well as around 300 species listed in China Plant Red Data Book Vol. I have been introduced.

Floristic Region(Subregion)		Number
Holarctic Region		89
	Eurasia Forest Subregion	1
	Asia Desert Subregion	7
	Eastern Asia Steppe Subregion	3
	Qinghai-Xizang (Tibet)Plateau Subregion	1
	Sino-Japan Forest Subregion	72
	Sino-Himalaya Forest Subregion	5
Palaetropical Region		15
	Malay Subregion	15

Many botanical gardens also conduct surveys and experiments of certain introduced rare and endangered species regarding their ecology, reproduction, cultivation and biological characters. Some gardens were established aiming mainly at research and conservation of particular groups, such as Magnoliaceae, Cycadaceae and Zingiberaceae in South China Botanical Garden, Theaceae and Ericaceae in Kunming Botanical Garden, Dipterocartaceae and Myristicaceae in Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, and Rosaceae in Beijing Botanical Garden. While some others are engaged in resource sustainable utilization including research and experiments of introduction, domestication and production of wild economic plants, such as Rhododendron, camelia, orchid, Chinese ginseng, Chinese yam, elevated gastrodia and yangtao, etc. In addition, the establishment and improvement of nationwide network of plant ex situ conservation are now in progress.

Although zoos in china are administered by Urban Construction Department with long-standing efforts in planning and education, more attention has been given to research on breeding and reproduction of rare and endangered animals, and studbooks of certain species are now being established. In fact, reproduction and artificial insemination of Giant Panda succeeded in the 1950's and 1970's respectively. Moreover, captive breeding of certain species has also proved promising, such as Manchurian Tiger, South China Tiger, Lesser Panda, Clouded Leopard, Golden Monkey, cranes, eared-pheasants, Chinese Alligator, etc.

Milu (Elaphurus davidianus), an indigenous deer, extinct in the wild for at least 1,500 years. Reintroduced first into China in 1985 at Nanhaizi, Beijing and 1986 in Dafeng, Jiangsu.

Meanwhile, a number of breeding farms for wild animals are under construction. These animals include Chinese Alligator, Manchurian Tiger, and some primates.

Reintroduction efforts of some species native to China but already extinct in the wild or recently disappeared as Milu, Przewalski's Horse and Saiga have also been initiated. Two reintroduction projects of Milu appear successful and total population approaches nearly 250. A second stage project-releasing to the wild -is now under preparation. Reintroduction of the extirpated species Saiga is also targeted to the development and sustainable utilization of Saiga horns as an important and traditional medicinal resource.

To preserve genetic material by incorporating latest achievements in cell and molecular biology is another important supplementary measure in conservation of species and genetic diversity. This is especially necessary for some highly endangered species or important domesticated and cultivated species.

Currently, a national germplasm bank has been established to preserve crops and economic forest in China. To preserve germplasm and microbes under low temperature also has a history in the past decades.

In animals, 118 kinds of cells belonging to 92 species of higher or lower animals are being preserved.

Cell- and DNA-Bank of Kunming Institute of Zoology, CAS	G-banded metaphase of Gongshan's Muntjac (Muntiacus gongshanensis)
	Bgl II digestion phenotypes of mitochondrial DNA from two Rhesus Monkeys (A,B) showing polymorphism

BIODIVERSITY IN CHINA STATUS AND CONSERVATION NEEDS	Biodiversity Committee, CAS 生物多样性委员会
BIODIVERSITY COMMITTEE OF THE CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES	Content Page

Previous Chapter	4. GENETIC DIVERSITY
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Content Page	Biodiversity Committee, CAS	中国科学院生物多样性委员会


Botanical Collection of Institute of Botany of CAS	Publications

Vegetation Map of China