On October 26, the Shaanxi Provincial Government held a press conference on the "Blue Book of Crested Ibis Protection", reviewing and summarizing the research results of crested ibis protection, and planning and looking forward to the blueprint for the development of crested ibises conservation. Zan Linsen, deputy director of the Provincial Forestry Bureau and president of the Provincial Academy of Forestry Sciences, Lei Yinghu, vice president of the Provincial Academy of Forestry Sciences, and Zhang Yazu, director of the Shaanxi Hanzhong Crested IbisEs National Nature Reserve Management Bureau, interpreted the Blue Book.
From 7 at the time of discovery to 5257
From "discovery" to "protection", "reproduction" and "rejuvenation", the crested ibis has realized the ecological miracle of nirvana rebirth. Zheng Guangmei, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and an ornithologist, once praised "crested ibis conservation as a successful example of saving endangered species".
Zan Linsen introduced that after 40 years of protection and restoration, the crested ibises have shown a thriving population. By the end of 2020, the population of the Shaanxi crested ibises had grown from 7 at the time of discovery to 5257, accounting for 79.45% of the country and 68.67% of the world; the habitat of wild populations was all in Shaanxi, and the area had expanded from less than 5 square kilometers at the time of discovery to 16,000 square kilometers; the distribution range had gradually recovered from Yaojiagou in Yangxian County, Shaanxi Province, to the historical distribution area of East Asia, and the populations had been rebuilt in Zhejiang, Sichuan, Beijing, Shanghai, Hebei, Guangdong, Japan, and South Korea. There is a trend of spreading around the Qinling Mountains as the center.
In the past 40 years, it has successively overcome technical problems such as the protection of extremely small populations, artificial breeding and breeding, disease (epidemic) disease prevention and control, and rewilding and repatriation, and formed a set of scientific, standardized and complete technical theoretical systems, which has become a scientific highland for the protection and research of crested ibises in the world. Relevant research achievements have won 1 second prize of the National Science and Technology Progress Award and 4 Science and Technology Awards of the Shaanxi Provincial Government. Three national industry standards were formulated, which set industry standards for the protection and breeding of crested ibises. There are 4 national and provincial scientific research platforms, and monographs such as "Chinese Crested Ibis" have received widespread attention.
On the basis of systematic summary, in-depth research, extensive discussion and repeated demonstration, the Provincial Forestry Bureau organized experts to compile and form the "Blue Book of Crested Ibis Protection", which includes 7 parts: overview of crested ibis, "extinction" and rediscovery of crested ibis, crested ibis protection research, main conservation measures, crested ibis protection effectiveness, crested ibis culture and foreign exchanges and crested ibis protection outlook.
Three key protection and recovery measures
After 40 years of exploration and practice, crested ibises have formed a protection model of "in situ protection as the mainstay, ex situ protection as a supplement, rewilding and returning to the group, scientific and technological research support, government and social coordination, and harmonious coexistence of human ibises", of which the three major measures of in situ protection, ex situ protection and rewilding and repatriation are the key to protection and restoration.
In situ conservation, through the establishment of nature reserves, the establishment of ecological corridors, the implementation of population monitoring, the implementation of community co-management and other measures, the protection and restoration of habitats, the rapid growth and spread of wild populations. At present, the forest coverage rate of Qinling Mountains in Shaanxi has reached more than 82%, and the wetland ecosystem has been effectively restored; the wild population of crested ibises has exceeded 4450, all in Shaanxi.
Ex situ conservation, through the innovation and exploration practice of artificial breeding and breeding technology of crested ibis, the formation of breeding and breeding technology system, the establishment and expansion of artificial populations, and the provision of seed source support for rewilding and returning. At present, Shaanxi has established 5 artificial breeding population bases for crested ibises, accounting for 25% of the country and 22.73% of the world; 467 individuals are raised, accounting for 32.03% of the country and 23.49% of the world.
Rewilding and repatriation, through artificial intervention, artificial breeding and breeding individuals reintroduced into their historical distribution areas, and the establishment of self-sustaining wild populations are effective means of population rejuvenation. At present, Shaanxi has established 4 rewilding and returned populations, accounting for 66.67% of the country and 50% of the world; 192 individuals released and returned to Shaanxi, accounting for 59.08% of the country and 23.91% of the world; Shaanxi has increased by 145, accounting for 38.06% of the country and 35.28% of the world.
Continue to promote the recovery of the wild population of the crested ibis
"The crested ibis is an ancient species that existed 60 million years ago, and a good forest and wetland ecosystem is the guarantee for the survival of the crested ibis. With the continuous expansion of human production and living space, it has invaded and destroyed the habitat of the crested ibis. This is one of the main reasons why the crested ibises are on the verge of extinction. Zhang Yazu said that what we are doing is to restore the living space of the crested ibis, and unremittingly protect the two major ecosystems of forests and wetlands.
In order to build a win-win situation between people and crested ibises, our province first implemented ecological space governance measures such as returning farmland to forests and grasslands, natural forest protection and restoration, and wetland restoration, and continuously improved the living environment of crested ibises. Second, in Yangxian County, we took the lead in exploring the development of the "crested ibis brand" industry. Guide and encourage local people to develop green industries around the "crested ibis" brand, such as planting green organic rice, building crested ibis-themed sightseeing and leisure, ecological experience places, etc. At present, Yangxian has certified 144,200 mu of organic or organic conversion products, registered more than 50 kinds of "crested ibis" trademarks, and 21 related graphics and trade names of crested ibises. The third is to carry out science popularization and education, popularize the concept of ecological civilization, and improve the awareness of the masses to protect the crested ibis.
In the next step, our province will mainly do a good job in the protection of crested ibises from three aspects ——
Strengthen scientific and technological support. With the Crested Ibis Conservation Alliance and the Key Laboratory of Crested Ibis Conservation as the platform, the technical forces of universities and scientific research institutes inside and outside the United Nations have carried out in-depth conservation research and carried out scientific and technological research on the technical problems existing in the protection of crested ibises.
Strengthen the protection of wild populations. Continue to promote the potential habitat protection and restoration of crested ibises habitats and historical distribution areas, expand habitat range, and improve habitat quality to achieve wild population expansion. At the same time, ecological corridors are established to establish stable and sustainable wild crested ibis populations with the help of natural diffusion capabilities.
On the basis of the existing breeding bases, a number of artificial breeding bases will be built to expand the number of artificial populations, strengthen genetic exchanges between artificial populations, improve genetic diversity, and provide seed sources for rewilding and repatriation. At the same time, a number of crested ibises will be built to rewild and return training bases, carry out rewilding training for artificial populations, continue to implement the repatriation plan for the northern foothills of Qinling Mountains for ten consecutive years, and in accordance with the unified deployment of the State Forestry and Grassland Administration, gradually carry out the rewilding and repatriation of other historical distribution sites, and promote the recovery of crested ibises in the wild. (Reporter Zhou Li)
Crested ibises overview
Crested ibises are an ancient species originating from the Tertiary Eocene 60 million years ago, known as the "Jewel of the Orient", belonging to the birds of the pelican family, endangered species on the IUCN Species Red List, and a national level I key protected wild animal.
China's crested ibis, the earliest recorded in the "History", "Book of Han", "Erya Wing" and other ancient books, ancient called "Mochio" "Spiral Order", etc., in 1835 by the Dutch Leiden Museum of Natural History naturalist Tempinck according to the model specimen collected from Japan to name the crested ibis (Ibis nippon), and then revised by ornithologists, in 1922 by the Japanese Ornithological Society finally determined its scientific name as Nipponia nippon. According to literature, the crested ibises were widely distributed in eastern Asia, from Blagoveshchensk, Siberia, Russia in the north, to Donggang in Taiwan in the south, to Miyako in Iwate County, Japan in the east, and to the junction of Gansu and Qinghai in China in the west.
China is an important distribution area of the crested ibis, from Heilongjiang to Hainan in 20 provinces (autonomous regions) have distribution, Shaanxi is suitable for growth, the population was extremely prosperous. After entering the twentieth century, the wheel of history of agricultural industrialization has caused the ancient crested ibises to encounter an unprecedented existential crisis. In 1963, the crested ibis became extinct in Russia; after 1964 it was not found in China; in 1979, it disappeared from the Korean Peninsula; and from December 1980 to January 1981, the last five wild individuals in Sado, Japan, were captured and raised in captivity. Until May 1981, the world's only 7 remaining wild crested ibises were rediscovered in YangXian County, Shaanxi Province, and Qinling became the last "shelter" for crested ibises.
The study believes that there are five main factors for the rapid decline of the crested ibis population: First, environmental pollution. The large use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers has led to the bio-enrichment of DDT in the crested ibis, resulting in thinning of its egg shell and a decrease in the reproductive rate. The second is the lack of food. Changes in land-use structure have led to a decrease in the area of crested ibises' foraging land (paddy fields). The third is excessive logging. The nesting trees, rest trees, and overnight trees of the crested ibises have been greatly reduced. The fourth is climatic factors. Warming and drought have caused large areas of paddy fields and wetlands to dry up. Fifth, illegal hunting. In history, there has been a large-scale hunting of crested ibises.