Biodiversity Day： China’s first ecosystem directory, Yunnan Ecosystem Directory (2018 Edition), was released.
CCTV News:2018 is the 25th anniversary of the entry into force of the International Convention on Biological Diversity and China’s accession to the Convention. Over the past 25 years, China, as one of the earliest contracting parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, has done a lot of fruitful work in the implementation of the Convention, established the China National Committee for Biodiversity Protection, chaired by Vice Premier the State Council, and promulgated a series of laws, regulations, policies, plans and the China Biodiversity Protection Strategy and Action Plan (2011– In 2030), a large number of major projects were implemented and a protection network system was built. The 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity and its Protocol will be held in China in 2020, which reflects the international community’s full recognition of China’s biodiversity protection work and will also promote the continuous deepening and expansion of related work in China.
Yunnan is the province with the richest biodiversity in China, and one of the 34 biodiversity hotspots with the richest species and the greatest threat in the world, which occupies a very important ecological position in China and even in the world.
Yunnan is located in the plateau of low latitude in the northern hemisphere, with towering mountains, deep canyons, steep terrain, criss-crossing rivers and scattered plateau lakes, with the highest elevation of 6740 meters and the lowest elevation of 76.4 meters. The special geographical location, complex topography and unique and diverse climate environment have given birth to rich biodiversity in Yunnan. The number of biological species in various groups is close to or more than half of the whole country. The land area of Yunnan only accounts for 4.1% of the whole country, but it includes all the ecosystem types on the earth except oceans and deserts.
This assessment is based on the classification system of plant communities in Yunnan Vegetation, with flora as the basic unit of ecosystem cataloging. According to the collected and sorted published monographs and related documents on various vegetation types in Yunnan, the natural vegetation types in Yunnan are divided into ecosystem types, and the latest research results and the public’s understanding of ecosystems are adjusted and summarized appropriately, and finally the Directory of Yunnan Ecosystems (2018 Edition) is formed. The Catalogue includes all kinds of natural ecosystems from tropical to alpine periglacial deserts, including 14 vegetation types, 38 vegetation subtypes and 474 formations.
The Catalogue of Ecosystem in Yunnan Province (2018 Edition) is an important scientific research achievement that can reflect the basic information of ecosystem diversity in Yunnan Province most accurately, systematically and authoritatively so far. It is the first systematic, comprehensive and in-depth ecosystem research achievement in China, and also the first publicly released ecosystem catalogue in China, which is valuable and innovative.
It should be pointed out that the investigation and assessment of biodiversity is a gradual and long-term basic work. Whether it is the species list released two years ago, the species red list or today’s ecosystem list, it is only a phased achievement. With the continuous deepening of investigation and research, it needs to be continuously updated and improved in the future. (CCTV reporter Wang Xi)