Protect the treasure house of biodiversity

The number of Asian elephants has increased to more than 300, the number of Yunnan golden monkey has increased to more than 3,300, the population of more than 20 kinds of wild animals, such as western black-crowned gibbon and green peacock, has risen sharply, and 30 kinds of extremely small wild plants, such as Yangbi Acer truncatum and Huagaimu, have escaped the threat of extinction … Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, Yunnan has always adhered to ecological priority and green development, and promoted the rescue and protection of wild animals and plants with the protection of extremely small species as the starting point.

In May this year, the Strategy and Action Plan for Biodiversity Conservation in Yunnan Province (2024-2030) was issued, which clarified the strategic positioning, strategic objectives, strategic tasks, priority areas and priority actions of biodiversity conservation in the province in the new period, pushed biodiversity conservation to a new level, and provided strong support for the construction of colorful Yunnan in beautiful China.

Guard seed source "chip"

Recently, researchers found several Cyclobalanopsis pubescens in the evergreen broad-leaved forest of mountain moss in Jinping Watershed National Nature Reserve. This species was discovered in Jinping watershed in 1976 and published as a new species. So far, no specimens have been collected except the model specimens, and the relevant distribution and population information are almost blank. The List of Wild Plants with Minimal Population in Yunnan Province (2021 Edition) lists it as a wild protected plant with minimal population.

Discovered again after 48 years, the Institute of Forestry and Grassland Science of Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture and Jinping Watershed National Nature Reserve quickly monitored and protected Cyclobalanopsis Maomaiensis, collected seeds at the same time, and carried out near-ground and ex-situ protection as soon as possible.

A species is a gene pool, and saving and protecting a very small population of wild plants is a strategic biological resource to protect the country’s sustainable development. As one of the hot spots of biodiversity in the world, Yunnan took the lead in putting forward the initiative of protecting the minimal population of wild animals and plants in China in 2005, and in 2010, it issued the planning outline and emergency action plan for the rescue and protection of the minimal population species in Yunnan Province, which included the concentrated distribution area of 224,100 hectares of minimal population species in the "ecological red line" and successfully promoted it into the national plan.

Seeking, discovering, protecting, breeding and returning to nature … In order to continuously lay a solid foundation for protection, the province has established a wildlife germplasm resource bank in southwest China, an orchid germplasm resource bank and 12 plant (tree) gardens, with nearly 20,000 species of plants preserved, covering more than 90% of the province’s minimal population species. Since 2021, 30 protected communities (sites), 13 near-earth or ex-situ protection bases and 5 species return bases have been established, and 31 species with minimal population have returned to the wild. Empowered by science and technology, the key laboratory and propagation center for species protection of very small populations have been built, and breakthroughs have been made in artificial propagation technology of 36 plants. Among them, the cultivation technology of Malania oleifera with high medicinal value has made a major breakthrough, and the planting area has been promoted to 30,000 mu; Artificial propagation of extremely small populations of plants such as Rhododendron macrophylla and Pterocarya yunnanensis, which are unique to Gaoligong Mountain, has been successfully applied to regression planting and regional vegetation restoration.

In December, 2022, in Montreal, Canada, a side event on the protection of extremely small species and biodiversity was held in the exhibition area of "China Corner", the main venue of the second phase conference of COP15. Yunnan showed and shared typical cases of the rescue and protection of extremely small species to the world, providing a "China plan" for the global biodiversity protection. Nowadays, the concept of protection of extremely small populations of wild plants has been theorized and internationalized, and it has become an important part of biodiversity protection strategies of countries and local governments around the world. The basic theory, protection mode and practical experience of the protection of extremely small populations of wild plants have been applied to the protection of native plants in Italy, Russia, Mexico, Iraq and other countries.

Protect the ecological home

In Baima Snow Mountain National Nature Reserve, Yunnan, 40 Yunnan golden monkeys were released into the wild after scientific grouping. Innovatively build a "Yunnan golden monkey all-around protection network", establish a joint protection mechanism in Yunnan, and continue to increase the construction of protected areas through the way of "habitat restoration+species protection+community support", and include 1,133 hectares of Yunnan golden monkey habitats outside the protected areas into the protection scope, basically realizing the all-around protection of Yunnan golden monkey, and providing new ideas for the protection of national flagship species.

According to the monitoring data, the number of Yunnan golden monkeys in Baima Snow Mountain Reserve has increased from nearly 500 in the initial stage to about 2,500 in 14 populations, and the number of individuals accounts for 65% of the number of Yunnan golden monkeys in China. However, the increasing number of monkeys also brings great pressure to the ecological environment of habitats. "Controlling the number of monkeys in a certain scale and releasing them after scientific grouping can solve the problem of food shortage of monkeys and effectively alleviate the problems of broken and damaged trees, which is of great significance to the sustainable protection and habitat restoration of Yunnan golden monkey." Lai Jiandong, stationmaster of the Wildlife Rescue Station in Baima Snow Mountain Reserve, introduced.

Restoring and protecting the ecological homes on which animals and plants depend is the key to saving the extremely small population species. Yunnan has continued to strengthen the protection and restoration of wildlife habitats. Since 2021, more than 600 hectares of Asian elephant feeding areas have been restored and reconstructed, and more than 560 hectares of green peacock habitats have been integrated and demarcated. The project of habitat restoration and corridor construction of the white-browed gibbon in Gaoligong has been successfully launched. Improve the level of intelligent protection, integrate infrared cameras, drones and other information technologies into the supervision of extremely small population animals, and develop automatic identification and early warning technologies for elephant faces and monkey faces. The national second-class key protected wild animal golden pheasant reappeared in Dianchi Lake Basin, and the rare and endangered species clouded leopard successfully returned, greatly improving the quality and efficiency of protection of extremely small population species. At the same time, we will continue to deepen cross-border protection, sign a cooperation agreement with Viet Nam on border forestry and wildlife protection, and establish a 200,000-hectare cross-border joint protection zone in Xishuangbanna, China and northern Laos to jointly protect Asian elephants, red sandalwood and Dalbergia odorifera.

First try to explore the protection path of harmonious coexistence between man and nature. On the journey of protecting extremely small populations, Yunnan has innovated the compensation mechanism for wildlife accidents, and took the lead in issuing the Measures for Compensation for Personal and Property Damage Caused by Key Protected Terrestrial Wild Animals in Yunnan Province. Up to now, the province has insured 710 million yuan and paid 656 million yuan. Explore effective ways to protect and prevent Asian elephants, successively establish an integrated system of monitoring, early warning, prevention and control of Asian elephants and an emergency response system, and implement projects such as community isolation protection and food source construction to comprehensively improve the protection level of Asian elephants. In 2021, the Asian elephants traveled to the north and returned to the south in Yunnan, vividly showing the "China sample" of biodiversity protection to the whole world and winning wide acclaim.

Merit lies in the present and benefit lies in the future. The whole province will continue to shoulder the responsibility of biodiversity protection, solidly promote the rescue and protection of extremely small species, consolidate and expand the results of rescue and protection of critically endangered species, and make contributions to building a harmonious earth home between man and nature in Yunnan. (Wang Dan)