Source: People's Daily
International people have experienced the conservation of wild animals and plants in China
This year marks the 40th anniversary of China's accession to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. Over the past 40 years, China has firmly fulfilled its obligations under the Convention and actively promoted the implementation of the Convention, with remarkable results in implementing the Convention, effectively protecting 90% of vegetation types and terrestrial ecosystems, 65% of higher plant communities, and 85% of key protected wildlife populations.
A number of foreign experts engaged in wildlife protection in China said in an interview with this reporter that China has made remarkable achievements in the protection of wild animals and plants. By establishing and improving the legal system, strengthening the protection and rescue of wildlife habitats, cracking down on illegal trade in wild animals and animal products, and strengthening international cooperation in wildlife protection, China has made important contributions to promoting global biodiversity conservation and promoting the formation of a new pattern of harmonious coexistence between man and nature.
Hainan gibbons grew from less than 10 in two groups to 33 in 5 groups.
"Important implications for the conservation of endangered species in other countries"
The palm-sized "melon face" and the head "wear" a black hat, and the Hainan gibbon, a national-level key protected wild animal, not only has a high "appearance" in the gibbon family, but also is known as the "rainforest song king" because of its beautiful song. The Hainan gibbon is one of the smallest surviving primates in the world and is considered "critically endangered" by the IUCN.
In 1987, Bi Weilin, an American wildlife conservation expert, came to China for the first time. After that, he participated in several China projects of international organizations such as the Wildlife Conservation Society. He walked into the Bawangling Nature Reserve in Hainan and inspected the Hainan gibbons up close. "I was worried about the results of the expedition, when the survival of this species was not ideal. But today, things have changed, and it's really gratifying. ”
With the unremitting efforts of China's forestry department and wildlife conservation organizations, the number of Hainan gibbons has increased from less than 10 in two groups 40 years ago to 33 in 5 groups, and the living space has been expanding. According to the World Conservation Union, as of last year, of the 20 species of gibbons in the world, only the population of the Hainan gibbon remained stable and achieved slow growth.
This achievement is closely related to the Great Importance that the Chinese Government attaches to the protection of the Hainan gibbon and its ecological habitat. The "Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park System Pilot Program" was deliberated and approved, and the Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park Administration and the Hainan National Park Research Institute were established successively. Bi Weilin said that Chinese governments at all levels have continuously increased the protection of Hainan gibbons with an open and scientific attitude. "China's experience has brought important implications for other countries to protect endangered species."
In Guizhou Fanjingshan Nature Reserve, the Golden Snub-nosed Monkey was inspected, the Tibetan antelope was inspected in Xinjiang and Tibet, and the habitat of giant pandas was assessed in the Bashu Mountains... Bi Weilin witnessed the progress and development of China's wildlife protection cause. "China has become a global leader in biodiversity conservation in biodiversity survey and monitoring, breeding and conservation, protected area planning, and addressing climate change." Bi Weilin praised.
Banna Botanical Garden has more than 13,000 species of living plants.
"Guarantees the systematicness and integrity of ecological functions"
"The mountains are stacked on top of each other, and the trees of Wanmu Sensen are on the sea." Cai Xitao, a famous botanist in China, described the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (referred to as the Banna Botanical Garden) with such verses. Located in the tropical forest sea of Menglun Town, Mengla County, Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, Banna Botanical Garden is the largest botanical garden in China, with the richest collection of species and the largest number of plant parks. Since July 2012, British researcher Gao Lixing has been involved in biodiversity conservation here.
This internationally renowned tropical biologist has studied tropical plants in Thailand, Singapore and other places for more than 30 years. When he received the invitation to hire the Banna Botanical Garden, he considered it for less than half a minute, and then gladly accepted the invitation to serve as the director of the Integrated Conservation Center of the Banna Botanical Garden and the head of the biodiversity research group. Gao Lixing admitted that it was the first-class facilities and unique research environment of the Banna Botanical Garden that attracted him.
The Banna Botanical Garden is home to more than 13,000 species of living plants, 38 plant zones, and a pristine rainforest of about 250 hectares. Frequent international exchanges and cooperation have attracted more than 100 expatriates to work here.
Colliers' research group is dedicated to understanding and conserving plant diversity. In 2013, banna Botanical Garden, as the lead unit of the China Botanical Gardens Alliance, promoted the implementation of the full coverage protection plan for indigenous plants, that is, the "zero extinction" plan aimed at saving endangered plants. "In the first 5 years of the program, we conducted a lot of field expeditions." Gao Lixing said that the plan was launched in 15 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities in China, further clarified the home of native plants, saved a large number of plants through ex situ protection and other measures, and began field return experiments for some rare and endangered plants.
"In Xishuangbanna, after decades of protection, wild elephants are 'fearless' here." Gao Lixing laughed and said that a few months ago, 18 wild elephants were found in the Banna Botanical Garden, which was the most on record. For his outstanding contributions to the conservation of biodiversity in China, Gao Lixing won the Chinese Government Friendship Award in 2016.
Gao Lixing spoke highly of the progress made in China's biodiversity conservation work in recent years. He said that the Chinese government has continuously increased investment in ecological environmental protection, and the level of ecological management at all levels and the public's awareness of environmental protection have been significantly improved. "It is particularly worth affirming that the ecological protection redline supervision system ensures the systematicness and integrity of ecological functions." Many environmentalists abroad are very interested in this system and hope to implement it locally. ”
The protected area of giant panda habitat has increased by about 1 times——
"Leaving precious natural assets for future generations"
35 years ago, John Ma Jingneng, a British expert on biodiversity conservation, came to China for the first time to lead the WWF expert group to formulate an overall plan to save giant pandas. Since then, he has been engaged in wildlife conservation in Yunnan, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Hainan and other places for a long time, and has served as a consultant for many provinces and nature reserves in China.
The expert group proposed that increasing the number of giant pandas should not only rely on captivity breeding, but also protect their wild habitat. The Chinese side has conscientiously organized relevant conservation work, connecting the original scattered giant panda habitats and forming habitat corridors. "The area protected by giant panda habitat has increased by about 1 times, and the Efforts made by the Chinese government to protect giant pandas are admirable." In Ma Jingneng's view, respecting and adopting expert suggestions and implementing scientific planning and management are one of the successful experiences of Wildlife Conservation in China.
In China, Ma Jingneng loves not only giant pandas. "I also enjoy the moments of up close contact with brown bears, elephants, antelopes, golden snub-nosed monkeys, etc. I was also amazed by the dazzling butterflies of the Daxing'an Mountains and the rich diversity of birds in southwest Yunnan. Ma Jingneng's "Field Manual of Chinese Birds" has become an essential tool for Chinese bird lovers.
Ma Jingneng said that the increasingly perfect national park system with Chinese characteristics is an important innovative measure to promote the protection of natural ecology, build a beautiful China, and promote the harmonious coexistence between man and nature. "By protecting the authenticity and integrity of natural ecosystems, protecting biodiversity, and building a solid ecological security barrier, China will leave precious natural assets to future generations."