CHINA'S BIODIVERSITY: A COUNTRY STUDY
NATIONAL ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION ANGENCY OF CHINA
CHINA ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE PRESS
Published by China Environmental Science Press
No.
14 Puhui Nanli, Haidian District,
Beijing, P.R.China.
@Copyright
1998 China Environmental Science Press
First Edition 1998
Printed in Beijing
Leading Agency
State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA)
Participating Agencies
Ministry
of Foreign Affairs (MFA)
State Planning Commission (SPC)
Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST)
Ministry of Education (MOE)
Ministry of Finance (MOF)
Ministry of Construction (MOC)
Ministry of Agriculture (MOA)
State Forestry Administration (SFA)
General Adminstration of Customs (GAC)
Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)
Patent Office of the People¨s Republic of China (POPRC)
State Oceanic Bureau (SOB)
State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (SATCM)
Supported by
United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP)
Funded by
Global Environmental Facility (GEF)
Undertaken by
Peding
University
Nanjing Environmental Science Institute of SEPA
Foreword
The survival of mankind can not be separated from that of other species. Numerous plants, animals and micro-organisms provide indispensable human food, fibre, wood, medicine and industrial raw materials. They interact with their physical environment to form ecosystems which regulate energy flows on Earth and sustain the natural cycling of materials and, as a consequence, influence the concentrations of gases in the atmosphere, determine the properties of soils and control the hydrological cycle. Complex and diverse life forms and their combinations, that is, the Earth's biodiversity and its physical environment together constitute the life-support systems on which we humans depend.
The many beautiful and aesthetic life forms on the Earth also give human beings much enjoyment. They are also sources of artistic creation and scientific invention. Most of the functions of living organisms can not be replaced by other things. Today, man is modifying the features of the Earth at an unprecedented rate. This creates raw materials for human survival on the one hand, but has changed the living environment of other living things, continuously decreasing biodiversity and has led to the extinction of large numbers of species, on the other. The basis for human survival is gradually disintegrating and the protection of biodiversity is currently of worldwide concern.
China has one of the richest biodiversities in the world. China has not only numerous kinds of wild species and ecosystems, for example, there are more than 30, 000 species of higher plants and 6, 347 species of vertebrates, which make up 10% and 14% of the world totals, respectively. Based on preliminary estimates, there are 599 types of terrestrial ecosystems. There are also numerous strains of cultivated plants and domesticated livestock and their wild relatives, the number of which must be more than in any other country. For example, there are 50, 000 cultivars of rice, 20, 000 cultivars of soybeans, 1, 000 species of economic trees and more than 1 1, 000 species of medicinal plants. In addition, China has many endemic genera and species, its flora and fauna is ancient and it has many rare and endangered species. Such biodiversity has a high academic value. China ranks first in the Northern Hemisphere in terms of its biodiversity. Nevertheless, because of China's long history of exploitation, frequent wars and huge population, the destruction of biodiversity has been great, making its future protection an enormous task.
During recent years, the Chinese government has paid much attention to the protection of biodiversity, a number of laws and regulations have been formulated, its environmental protection has been determined to be a basic policy of the state and the policy of bioresource protection has been established; 799 nature reserves and over 200 centres for the introduction and propagation of animals and plants have been established. Various measures have been employed to strengthen management, publicity and education. To protect the complex and diverse biodiversity of China effectively, however, current measures are insufficient and need to be further improved and strengthened. Should the dramatic decline in biodiversity not be reversed in our generation, our descendants will be faced with a country of poor biodiversity and a weak base for survival. The general goal of sustainable development would then be difficult, if not impossible, to attain.
In order to protect China's biodiversity, according to the requirements of the "Convention on Biological Diversity", we have published this book: China ' s Bioditersity: A Country Study, with the support of UNEP, funded by GEF and with the help of international experts. It is a study of China's plants, animals and micro-organisms and their physical environment in our homeland and its marine waters. It is also a comprehensive summary of accumulated information related to biodiversity conservation in the fields of agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and fisheries, the various national activities related to biodiversity conservation and evaluations of their economic importance. The compilation of the Country Study has taken two and a half years, and was organized and led by the Co-ordination Group for the fulfilment of the "Convention on Biological Diversity", headed by the National Environmental Protection Agency and comprising representatives from thirteen departments. More than 80 experts took part in the compilation and appraisal of the country report. I express my heartfelt gratitude to all the experts and staff who organized and participated directly in the compilation and appraisal tasks.
Since the founding of new China, much research work has been undertaken on living resources, cultivation, domestication and the breeding of wild plants and animals and the protection of valuable, rare and endangered species. Much information and data have been accumulated. Because of China's vast area and rich biodiversity, however, such information is still insufficient. This Country Study is only a preliminary summary of China's biodiversity and of the work needed for its preservation. Nevertheless, this is a significant beginning.
In 1994, with the support of the World Bank and UNDP, we completed an Action Plan for Biodiversity Conservation in China. We have now finished this Country Study. The first was an action plan, the second is a basic study and an economic assessment of the problems and the costs involved in implementing the former. The two studies complement each other and provide a concrete base for the promotion of and guidance towards biodiversity conservation in China and for the strengthening of international co-operation. These are two significant events.
Please accept my sincere congratulations!
Song Jian , May 1997.
Content
Executive sununary
Chapter 1 Introduction
1. 1 The background, goals and a brief review of the compilation process for the "Country Study"
1. 2 The "Country Study" and global biodiversity conservation
1. 3 Basic concepts and methods
1.3.1 What is biological diversity?
1.3.2 The values of biological diversity
1.3.3 Three main levels of biodiversity
1.3.4 The extinction and introduction of species
1.3.5 The protection and sustainable utilization of biodiversity
References
Chapter 2 Physical and socioeconomic conditions
2. 1 Complex and diverse physical conditions
2.1.1 Geomorphology
2.1.2 Climate
2.1.3 Inland and marine waters
2.1.4 Soil
2.1.5 Vegetation
2.2 Socio-economic conditions
2.2.1 Population
2.2.2 Economic development and its impact on the environment
2.2.3 The impact of infrastructure construction
2.2.4 The impact of government policies
2.2.5 The influence of cultural tradition
References
Chapter 3 The present status of China's blodiversity and threats to it
3. 1 General features of China's biodiversity
3.2 Species diversity and threats to them
3.2. 1 Plants
3. 2. 2 Animals
3. 2. 3 Micro-organisms
3.2.4 Invasive alien species and their impacts on the biodiversity in China
3.3 Forest biodiversity
3.4 Biodiversity in temperate steppe areas
3.5 Biological diversity of deserts
3.6 The biodiversity of the high-cold Qingzang Plateau
3.7 Wetland biodiversity
3.8 Biological diversity in rivers, lakes and reservoirs
3.9 Biodiversity of China's seas, coasts and islands
3.10 Biodiversity in agricultural regions
3.11 Biodiversity in urban and suburban areas
3. 12 The conservation and sustainable use of the genetic diversity of cultivated plants and domesticated animals and their wild relatives
3.12.1 Crops
3.12.2 Domestic animals
3.12.3 Aquatic products
3.12.4 Economic forest trees
3.12.5 Wild and cultivated fruit trees
3.12.6 Ornamental plants
3.12.7 Medicinal plants
3. 12.8 The release of genetically modified organisms (GMOS) and biosafety
3. 13 The contribution of national minorities to biodiversity conservation
3.14 Critical regions for biodiversity conservation in China
3. 14. 1 Terrestrial
3. 14. 2 Wetlands
3.14.3 Marine biota
References
Chapter 4 Measures taken to protect and utilize sustainably China's biodiversity
4.1 Legal action
4.2 Policy measures
4.3 Administrative measures
4.4 Measures taken for conservation and the sustained utilization of biodiversity
4.5 Scientific research
4.6 International co-operation
References
Chapter 5 Economic evaluation of blodiversity in China
5. 1 Classification of the economic value of biodiversity
5.2 Economic evaluation of the direct value of China's biodiversity
5.3 Economic evaluation of the indirect value of biodiversity
5.4 Economic evaluation of the potential use of China's biodiversity
5.5 Economic evaluation of the willingness-to-pay method for the conservation value of biodiversity
5.6 Calculating the economic loss from damage to China's biodiversity
5.7 Calculating a protection benchmark value for some rare and endangered species in China
5.8 Overall evaluation and conclusion
References
Chapter 6 Building of the nation's capacity for protection and sustainable utilization of biodiversity
6. 1 Construction of laws and regulations
6.2 Institutional capacity building
6.3 Build-up of biodiversity personnel resources
6.4 Establishment of policy systems
6.5 Capacity building protection facilities
6.6 Development of biodiversity science and technology in China
6.7 Capacity building information management
6.8 Capacity building biodiversity publicity, education and public participation
6.9 International cc>-operation in the field of biodiversity
References
Chapter 7 An estimate of costs and an analysis of the benefits for the conservation and sustainable utilization of biodiversity
7. 1 Estimation of cost in conservation and sustainable utilization of biodiversity
7.2 Cost-benefit analysis of biodiversity conservation
References
Appendix 1 Staff member
Appendix 2 Index of scientific names of plants, animals and microorganisms
Appendix 3 Glossary of technical terms and acronyms
Appendix 3. 1 Technical terms
Appendix 3.2 List of acronyms
Appendix 4 List of endemic and endangered angiosperms and vertebrates
Appendix 4. 1 Representative species and their geographical distributions of endemic genera of Chinese angiosperms
Appendix 4.2 Endangered or rare species of Chinese angiosperms
Appendix 4.3 Endemic species of Chinese vertebrate and their geographical distributions(selected)
Appendix 4.4 Endangered species of Chinese vertebrates(selected)
Appendix 5 The species number of China in comparison with that of the world
Appendix 5. 1 Comparison of the species number of freshwater algae between China and the whole world
Appendix 5.2 Species number of lichens and vascular plants of China in comparison with that of the world
Appendix 5.3 The species number of animals in China in comparison with that of the world
Appendix 5.4 The species number of insects in China in comparison with that of the world
Appendix 5.5 Species number of different class of fungi in China in comparison with that of the world
Appendix 5.6 Species number of different orders of Ocmycota and Eumycota in China in comparison with that of the world
Appendix 6 Legislative works and protective institutions
Appendix 6. 1 Legislative works
Appendix 6.2 Catalogue of nature reserves in the People's Republic Of China(by the end of 1995)
Appendix 6.3 A list of main zoos in China
Appendix 6.4 A list of the main botanical gardens and arboreta in China