After 18 months, the first draft of the biodiversity survey report of the Dianchi Lake Basin was completed, which was jointly released by the Yunnan Dianchi Lake Conservation and Governance Foundation, Southwest Forestry University, institute of zoology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Kunming Plateau Lake Research Institute.
(Golden Iron Lock, National Grade II Key Protected Wild Plants)
The dianchi lake basin biodiversity survey was funded by the Yunnan Dianchi Lake Conservation and Governance Foundation, and was undertaken by the team of three units, including the School of Geography and Ecotourism of Southwest Forestry University, the Kunming Dianchi Plateau Lake Research Institute, and the Kunming Institute of Zoology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Professor Yang Yuming of Yunnan Academy of Forestry and Grassland Sciences said that this survey is the first all-round multidisciplinary scientific investigation and investigation in the history of the Dianchi Lake Basin. For the first time, the survey on biodiversity in the Dianchi Lake Basin was carried out from the four levels of biodiversity, such as species, landscape, ecosystem and gene, and its results were rich and remarkable.
Appendix to the CITES Convention Plant II Broad Medicine Septum (Habenaria limprichtii)
Key results
(1) The types of vegetation ecosystems have increased significantly, the composition of vegetation species is more abundant, the proportion of endemic species enrichment is higher, and the number of key protected plants is larger.
According to the classification principle and system of "Yunnan Vegetation", 7 vegetation types, 8 vegetation subtypes and 35 biomes were determined this time. Compared with the results of the 2010 Dianchi Wetland Reserve Survey, 2 vegetation types, 3 vegetation subtypes, and 21 biomes were added to the natural vegetation. This survey recorded 1682 species of vascular plants in 674 genera and 165 families. Among them, there were 137 species of ferns in 64 genera and 137 species in 64 genera in 139 families, and 1545 species in 610 genera in 139 families of seed plants; compared with 2010, the number of vascular plants increased by 18 families, 272 genera and 979 species, of which the number of ferns increased by 82 species in 8 families and 40 genera, and the number of seed plants increased by 897 species in 232 genera and 10 families. In this survey, 10 genera of endemic plants were investigated, and 7 new endemic genera were added compared with 2010, namely Goldenrod, Chrysanthemum, Purple Chrysanthemum, Yunnan Comfrey, Long-crested Moss, Short-eaves Moss, and Arrow Bamboo. There are 645 species of endemic plants, including 9 species endemic to the narrow area, 139 species endemic to Yunnan, and 497 species endemic to China. According to the statistics of the latest national key protected plant directory in 2021, this survey shows 9 species of national key protected plants, namely golden iron lock, golden buckwheat, large-leaf beech tree, etc. There are 5 kinds of Grade III key wild protected plants in Yunnan Province, namely Long-stemmed Runnan, Split Fruit Paint, Dian Ruixiang, Meihua Rice Tree, and Purple Golden Dragon. There are 35 species of plants appended to the CITES Convention, all of which are Appendix II species, including 32 species of orchids, 2 species of Argonales of the family Pteraceae, and 1 species of Diospyros in the family Diospyraceae.
Appendix to the CITES Convention Plant II Epipactis helleborine
(2) Mammal species diversity is low, and bird diversity species are relatively abundant. Amphibian reptiles as well as indigenous fish diversity decreased.
The survey recorded 64 species of mammals in 8 orders and 26 families, including 5 species of Lauya insectivorous order, 1 species of climbing shrew, 13 species of pterodactyls, 1 species of lepidoptera, 17 species of carnivorous order, 5 species of cetaceans, 21 species of rodents, and 1 species of rabbits. The composition of mammalian fauna shows the characteristics of mixing north and south and intersecting east and west. This survey recorded 311 species of birds in 17 orders and 60 families, and 52 species of birds under national key protection. There are 160 species of resident birds, 18 species of summer migratory birds, and 75 species of traveling birds and winter migratory birds. According to ecological taxons, there are 67 species of waterbirds, 32 species of raptors, 9 species of land birds, 23 species of climbing birds and 182 species of songbirds. Water birds and birds of prey make up a large proportion of the bird composition. This survey recorded 33 species of reptiles. The three species of turtles documented in the literature have not been reported in the field for many years and are highly likely to become regionally extinct. There are 7 species of turtles assessed as extremely endangered (CR) including flat-breasted turtles and Yunnan closed-shell turtles, and 7 species of endangered (EN) turtles, brittle snake lizards, fine brittle snake lizards, silver ring snakes, king cobras, haddon snakes, and king snakes. There are 1 species of green snake in susceptibility (VU), 3 species of Yunnan half-leaf toed tiger, Kunming slippery lizard and mountain soldering iron head in near danger (NT), a total of 13 species, and 19 species of non-hazardous (LC) and data deficiency (DD). This survey recorded 19 species of amphibians, and there were no national key protected species. There are 3 species of salamanders, 16 species of frogs, extinct (EX) of the Dianchi salamander, assessed as critically endangered (CR) of the Chenggong salamander, endangered (EN) of the double-clustered spiny-breasted frog, near-threatened (NT) of the broad-headed short-legged toad, Weining toe groove frog, fingerless plate stink frog and other species, the remaining 13 species are non-threatened (LC) species. Affected by the introduction of exotic fish species in the 1950s and long-term ecological degradation, only five indigenous species of fish exist in the lake, namely loach, yellow eel, crucian carp, Dianchi lake golden thread catfish and silver white fish. Instead, many invasive alien species include: Taihu New Silverfish, Large-scaled Loach, Resembrandent, Redfin Primordial, etc. The competition and predatory relationship between these invasive alien species and indigenous species is one of the main reasons for the sharp decline in the number of indigenous species in Dianchi Lake.
(White-bellied golden pheasant, National Grade II Key Protected Wild Animal)
(Ocelot, National Grade II Key Protected Wild Animal)
(Blue-headed diving duck, national first-class key protected wild animal)
(Black Stork, a wildlife under national key protection)
(3) The diversity of phytoplankton in Dianchi Lake has improved, and clean water-loving species have appeared in local waters. Zooplankton are generally dominated by pollution-tolerant species, and the number and diversity of benthic animals in the whole lake are still insufficient, but in recent years, molluscs have begun to appear in lakeside areas.
The species and distribution of large aquatic plants are relatively stable, and the number of clearwater-loving species has increased. The 2019-2020 survey shows that there are 8 phytoplankton and about 68 genera in the whole lake of Dianchi Lake, and the overall microcystics of the genus Microcystis, Roche microcysticella and microcystines aeruginosa are absolutely dominant, and the formation of cyanobacterial blooms will still be an important ecological problem in Dianchi Lake in the future. However, in recent years, phytoplankton such as cysanobacteria, brittle algae, star bulbous algae and flying swallow horned algae have appeared in local waters. From 2019 to 2020, a total of 40 species of zooplankton were identified in dianchi Lake, including 13 genera of protozoa, 13 genera of rotifers, 10 genera of branches, and 4 genera of copepods. The number and diversity of benthic animals in dianchi lake are still insufficient, but in recent years, with the restoration of lakeside wetlands, mollusks such as snails and mussels with higher requirements for water environment have appeared in local areas. From 2019 to 2020, there are 303 species of vascular plants in 111 families and 248 genera in Dianchi Lake, including 59 species of aquatic plants, including 28 species of water plants, 7 species of floating plants, 7 species of floating plants, 7 species of floating plants, and 17 species of submerged plants.
(Cauliflower)
(4) Dianchi Lake indicator species - Dianchi Lake golden-line catfish conservation and population recovery in the wild are in good condition.
Dianchi golden-threaded catfish is endemic to Dianchi Lake, but also the dianchi lake indicator species, since 2009 began to carry out the Dianchi lake golden line catfish breeding and stocking, has accumulated breeding and stocking of Dianchi lake golden line catfish seedlings more than 2 million. The evaluation of the effect of breeding and stocking showed that the Dianchi lake golden herring could survive in the existing water environment of Dianchi Lake, and its growth and development were in good condition, and its growth rate was faster than that of pond cultured populations. After more than ten years of efforts, the Dianchi golden line catfish has formed a stable population in the Panlong River, a tributary of the upper reaches of Dianchi Lake, with about 400-500 individuals. More research will be conducted on this population in the future. At the same time, from the level of genetic diversity, the assessment of the conservation effect of Dianchi golden herring was carried out, and the assessment results showed that whether it was pond culture or recapture population, Dianchi golden herring had high genetic diversity, indicating that the protection and breeding and stocking effect of Dianchi golden herring habitat was good, which benefited from the reasonable genetic management in the process of habitat conservation and artificial reproduction of Dianchi golden thread catfish. The conservation of the Dianchi lake golden-lined catfish is not only an increase in population, but also more attention should be paid to genetic diversity, and at the same time to the protection and restoration of its inhabited fish holes to ensure a positive impact on the restoration of its wild population.
(Dianchi Lake Golden Thread)
(5) The landscape pattern of the Dianchi Lake Basin has changed dramatically, especially the transfer of farmland to residential land. The central habitat quality index of the Dianchi Lake Basin is low, the quality index of peripheral habitats is high, and the spatial distribution characteristics are obvious.
Overall, the species diversity of the Dianchi Lake Basin is rich, which represents the basic characteristics of the biodiversity composition of the Central Yunnan Plateau, the ecosystem types are diverse and relatively intact, the landscape pattern changes greatly, the urban development is rapid, and the mountain vegetation around the urban area is restored quickly and well. The survey lasts for a year and a half, and continuous observations will continue in the future. We should follow the integrity, systematization and inherent laws of the lake ecosystem, and carry out the ecological restoration of Dianchi Lake in a scientific and rational manner in accordance with the concept of "landscape, forest, field, lake grass" as a community of life, and finally realize the beautiful scene of "clear water and green shore, shallow bottom of fish".
Source: Yunnan News Broadcasting
Courtesy of Yunnan Dianchi Lake Conservation and Governance Foundation