Directory of Protected Areas in East Asia - IUCN

Name Latitude/Longitude Area (ha) Date of inscription
grassland bordering the marshes supports a rich alpine meadow community. The site is extremely important for
breeding birds. The spring-fed marshes provide an important wintering area for Cygnus cygnus (1,000-1,250).
The site is also important for staging water birds in spring and autumn.
Conservation Issues: The site is administered by the Agriculture and Forestry Department of Qinghai Province,
which maintains a Wildlife Management Office and visitor facilities at the reserve. The lake is gradually decreasing
in size as the climate becomes more arid; water levels have fallen from 31m to 27m in recent times.
Over-grazing by domestic livestock is reducing the amount of nesting cover for birds and hunting is widespread
outside the reserve. Many birds’ eggs are taken for human consumption. The lake supports an important fishery,
and tourism is increasing.
Poyanghu 29°06’N/116°16’E 2,400 1992
Principal Features: A large freshwater lake, surrounded by marshes and wet grassland, and fed by five major
rivers – the Gan, Wu, Xing, Rao and Xiu – which flow into the lake’s southern end. At maximum water levels
the lake is 170km long and 90km wide at its widest point. During the dry season (October-March) water levels
drop by as much as 13m, dividing the lake into many smaller, shallow lakes and ponds and exposing extensive
mudflats, sand banks and wet grassland. The dominant aquatic plants are Vallisneria spiralis and Potamogeton
malainus, with small areas of Phragmites australis. The site is important for wintering and staging birds, supporting
5,000 swans, 100,000 geese and 600,000 ducks. The site also supports 92 species of plankton, 65 species
of mollusc, 126 species of fish, and 40 species of mammal.
Conservation Issues: State-owned. The lake lies within a region of subtropical, deciduous broad-leaved and
evergreen forest, although most of the surrounding areas have been cultivated or converted to grassland,
plantations (Cunninghamia sp.) and secondary scrub. There are about 60 villages in the nature reserve, with a
total population of 20,000 people. The main land-use activities within the nature reserve are fishing, grazing by
water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis), harvesting of grass and aquatic vegetation for a variety of purposes, and
small-scale cultivation of vegetable crops and rice. Fish, freshwater shrimps and molluscs are harvested for food,
and there is a small freshwater pearl industry. Wildlife tourism is increasing rapidly. Agriculture and forestry are
practised on a more intensive scale outside the reserve, resulting in a rapid loss of wetland habitat. The
widespread cutting of aquatic vegetation and burning of grassland drastically reduces the amount of cover for
nesting birds. Water bird hunting is prohibited within the reserve, but continues on a small scale outside it. The
two main rivers, the Gan and Xiu, are used intensively by shipping (mainly barges and river boats). An office,
laboratory, museum and bird observation station are located at Wucheng, and the South China Crane Research
Centre and Wetland Research Centre will be established within the site, with funding from the local government.
Xianghai 44°52’N/122°30’E 105,470 1992
Principal Features: A complex of freshwater marshes and lakes (12,441ha), wet grassland (30,396ha),
Phragmites australis and Typha orientalis beds (23,644ha), sand dunes and Fraxinus scrub (20,934ha),
plantations (7,000ha), cultivated land (11,052ha) and 22 water storage reservoirs. The wetlands are
inter-connected by a system of irrigation canals, and are fed by three major rivers, including the Huolin and Toi
Lin. The lakes are shallow, and mostly permanent with fresh water, although some are seasonal and
brackish/saline. The marshes and adjacent grassy plains are subject to spring flooding to a depth of 3m. The site
supports at least 30 species of mammal, including Canis lupus, Vulpes vulpes, Lutra lutra, Lepus tolai and
Capreolus capreolus. It is also important for breeding water birds.
Conservation Issues: The wetlands are state-owned, while the surrounding areas are under state and collective
ownership. The site is administered by the Bai Cheng Prefectural Commissioner’s Office. There are about
15,000 permanent inhabitants within the site, in 31 villages and scattered houses. These communities cultivate
various crops, raise livestock and, in winter, cut reeds for the paper industry. There is also a considerable
amount of fishing in the lakes and reservoirs, and an increasing amount of tourism. There are no restrictions on
traditional land use within most of the site, but intensification of farming, the use of pesticides and hunting are
forbidden. Over-grazing has resulted in severe degradation of much of the dune vegetation and increased
siltation in the wetlands. However, there are extensive replanting programmes to stabilise the sand dunes.
Reed-cutting rights are given to individuals and are not communal. This results in the intensive harvesting of the
more mature reeds, to the detriment of nesting birds. However, reed harvesting generates significant local
income. A Strict Nature Sanctuary has been created in the west-central part of the site, within which all human
activities are prohibited. There has been no conservation management at the site, but a captive crane (Gruidae)
breeding programme is being established within the site at the Nature Reserve headquarters. The Ministry of
Forestry has identified construction of a wetland research station as a priority.
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