Main Achievements, Challenges, and Recommendations of Biodiversity Conservation in China

Authors

Fuwen WEI, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, ChinaFollow
Xiaoge PING, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Yibo HU, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Yonggang NIE, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Yan ZENG, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Guangping HUANG, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China

Keywords

Convention on Biological Diversity; ecological civilization; wildlife; protected area system; synergy; marine conservation

Document Type

Biodiversity Conservation and Ecological Civilization

Abstract

After nearly 30 years of development, China has basically realized the comprehensive conservation of biodiversity. Biodiversity conservation has been upgraded to a national strategy and incorporated into the top-level design, with laws and regulations gradually being improved and major scientific breakthroughs continuously being achieved. Through the implementation of major biodiversity conservation and ecological restoration projects, establishment of protected area system, and delineation of ecological red line, important ecosystems and endangered species have been effectively protected, and social participation and public awareness have been significantly improved. In addition, by signing a number of biodiversity-related international conventions and agreements and proposing the “Belt and Road Initiative International Green Development Coalition”, China has transformed from an important participant to an active contributor of international agreements. However, there are still problems to be solved and areas for further improvement in biodiversity conservation, such as pursuing quantitative targets while ignoring ecosystem structure and connectivity, insufficient conservation input on marine ecosystem, single source conservation funding mechanism, and non-uniform monitoring data which cannot be effectively integrated and analyzed. In the future, conservation strategies should focus on strengthening toplevel design; promoting the synergy between conventions; integrating biodiversity conservation into the territorial and spatial planning, and pollution control; improving quality instead of pursuing quantitative targets; reinforcing marine biodiversity conservation, the construction of wild animal genetic resources bank and field stations, and the research in invasive species and wildlife infectious diseases; and building a big data platform to facilitate the sharing and data mining of biodiversity information. These Chinese wisdom and solutions will contribute to the construction of global ecological civilization.

First page

375

Last Page

383

Language

Chinese

Publisher

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences

References

1 Wei F W, Cui S H, Liu N, et al. Ecological civilization:China's effort to build a shared future for all life on earth. National Science Review, 2020, doi:10.1093/nsr/NWAA279.

2 Mi X C, Feng G, Hu Y B, et al. The global significance of biodiversity science in China:An overview. National Science Review, 2021, doi:10.1093/nsr/NWAB032.

3 Huang G P, Ping X G, Xu W H, et al. Wildlife conservation and management in China:Achievements, challenges and perspectives. National Science Review, 2021, doi:10.1093/nsr/NWAB042.

4 Ma T X, Hu Y S, Wang M, et al. Unity of Nature and Man:A new vision and conceptual framework for Post-2020 Strategic Plan for Biodiversity. National Science Review, 2020, doi:10.1093/nsr/NWAA265.

5 Tian D X, Xie Y, Barnosky A D, et al. Defining the balance point between conservation and development. Conservation Biology, 2019, 33(2):231-238.

6 Bryan B A, Gao L, Ye Y Q, et al. China's response to a national land-system sustainability emergency. Nature, 2018, 559:193-204.

7 Ouyang Z Y, Zheng H, Xiao Y, et al. Improvements in ecosystem services from investments in natural capital. Science, 2016, 352:1455-1459.

8 Li B V, Pimm S L. How China expanded its protected areas to conserve biodiversity. Current Biology, 2020, 30(22):R1334-R1340.

9 Chen C, Park T, Wang X H, et al. China and India lead in greening of the world through land-use management. Nature Sustainability, 2019, 2(2):122-129.

10 Zhang L B, Luo Z H, Mallon D, et al. Biodiversity conservation status in China's growing protected areas. Biological Conservation, 2017, 210:89-100.

11 Gao J X, Wang Y, Zou C X, et al. China's ecological conservation redline:A solution for future nature conservation. Ambio, 2020, 49(9):1519-1529.

12 Wei F W, Costanza R, Dai Q, et al. The value of ecosystem services from giant panda reserves. Current Biology, 2018, 28(13):2174-2180.

13 Ouyang Z Y, Song C S, Zheng H, et al. Using gross ecosystem product (GEP) to value nature in decision making. PNAS, 2020, 117(25):14593-14601.

14 秦天宝. 中国履行《生物多样性公约》的过程及面临的挑战. 武汉大学学报(哲学社会科学版), 2021, 74(2):95-107.

15 Cao S X, Chen L, Yu X X. Impact of China's Grain for Green Project on the landscape of vulnerable arid and semiarid agricultural regions:A case study in northern Shaanxi Province. Journal of Applied Ecology, 2009, 46(3):536-543.

16 Feng X M, Fu B J, Piao S L, et al. Revegetation in China's Loess Plateau is approaching sustainable water resource limits. Nature Climate Change, 2016, 6(11):1019-1022.

17 Zhang J Z, Fu B J, Stafford-Smith M, et al. Improve forest restoration initiatives to meet Sustainable Development Goal 15. Nature Ecology & Evolution, 2021, 5(1):10-13.

18 Hua F Y, Wang X Y, Zheng X L, et al. Opportunities for biodiversity gains under the world's largest reforestation programme. Nature Communications, 2016, 7(1):12717.

19 Huang Y Y, Chen Y X, Castro-Izaguirre N, et al. Impacts of species richness on productivity in a large-scale subtropical forest experiment. Science, 2018, 362:80-83.

20 Li S, McShea W J, Wang D J, et al. Retreat of large carnivores across the giant panda distribution range. Nature Ecology & Evolution, 2020, 4(10):1327-1331.

21 Xu W H, Xiao Y, Zhang J J, et al. Strengthening protected areas for biodiversity and ecosystem services in China. PNAS, 2017, 114(7):1601-1606.

22 Mei Z G, Cheng P L, Wang K X, et al. A first step for the Yangtze. Science, 2020, 367:1314.

23 赵林林, 程梦旎, 应佩璇, 等. 我国海洋保护地现状、问题及发展对策. 海洋开发与管理, 2019, 36(5):3-7.

24 Yan F, Lü J C, Zhang B L, et al. The Chinese giant salamander exemplifies the hidden extinction of cryptic species. Current Biology, 2018, 28(10):R590-R592.

25 黄宝荣, 马永欢, 黄凯, 等. 推动以国家公园为主体的自然保护地体系改革的思考. 中国科学院院刊, 2018, 33(12):1342-1351.

26 欧阳志云, 杜傲, 徐卫华. 中国自然保护地体系分类研究. 生态学报, 2020, 40(20):7207-7215.

27 Ward M, Saura S, Williams B, et al. Just ten percent of the global terrestrial protected area network is structurally connected via intact land. Nature Communications, 2020, 11(1):4563.

28 马克平, 朱敏, 纪力强, 等. 中国生物多样性大数据平台建设. 中国科学院院刊, 2018, 33(8):838-845.

29 Schmidt-Traub G, Locke H, Gao J X, et al. Integrating climate, biodiversity, and sustainable land-use strategies:Innovations from China. National Science Review, 2020, doi:10.1093/nsr/NWAA139.

30 Hu Y B, Fan H Z, Chen Y H, et al. Spatial patterns and conservation of genetic and phylogenetic diversity of wildlife in China. Science Advances, 2021, 7(4):eabd5725.

31 Zhou W L, Wang M, Huang M P, et al. A marine biodiversity plan for China and beyond. Science, 2021, 371:685-686.

Recommended Citation

WEI, Fuwen; PING, Xiaoge; HU, Yibo; NIE, Yonggang; ZENG, Yan; and HUANG, Guangping (2021) "Main Achievements, Challenges, and Recommendations of Biodiversity Conservation in China," Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version): Vol. 36 : Iss. 4 , Article 6.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.16418/j.issn.1000-3045.20210305001
Available at: https://bulletinofcas.researchcommons.org/journal/vol36/iss4/6