Final Report - Asian Development Bank

and fauna due in large part to the mountains forming the major divide between the subtropical/temperate
south and the temperate north.
24. In spite of the rapid growth in the protected area network and China’s impressive policy and
legal framework, nationwide there are few situations where species and/or habitat conservation crises
have been resolved with positive outcomes. The Qinling Mountains represent one location where this is
happening. The coverage of protected areas is increasing, a range of stakeholders participate in natural
resource management, sustainable use is not an abstract concept but a working goal, and the areas of
many important habitats and wildlife populations that rely on them are either maintaining current levels or
are recovering.
25. The Qinling Mountains are a major watershed of the Huang He (Yellow) and Chang Jiang
(Yangzi) rivers cover 50,500 km 2 in Shaanxi Province 6 and 76,500 km 2 in total 7 . The Qinling range is an
important geographical divide between north and south China and between the Yellow and Yangzi River
watersheds. The highest peak, Taibai Shan, is 3,767 m above sea level. The western part of the range
reaches elevations from 2-3,000 m, while most of the eastern part is below 2,000 m.
26. The Qinling Mountains remain well forested and while representing 0.6 percent of China’s land
area supply 1.1 percent of China’s forests. On only 1.1 percent of China’s forested area, the Qinling
supports nearly 14 percent of China’s vascular plant biodiversity and over 17 percent of China’s
vertebrate faunal biodiversity. Based on its high levels of biodiversity (and its importance as part of the
Yellow and Yangzi River basins) the Qinling was identified by SEPA as one of 10 national pilot sites for
establishment of ecological function protection areas. A second testament to the importance of the
biodiversity of the Qinling is its designation as one of 16 biodiversity hotspots in China designated in the
National Forestry Nature Reserve System Plan. The Daba range immediately south of the Qinling was
also selected as one of the 16 hotspots. Together they account for one eighth of the biodiversity hotspots
identified in the SFA plan 8 . These two areas are combined in SEPA’s ecological function conservation
area in the Qinling.
27. The rich biodiversity in the region means that it is not feasible to address the conservation status
and requirements of all 3769 vascular plants and 577 vertebrate animal species. There are a number of
species considered to be of regional, national, or global conservation concern. Only those species listed
as threatened by IUCN-World Conservation Union (IUCN), listed in China’s Red Data Book (RDB),
restricted in international trade by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES),
or included in conservation treaties are addressed in this summary.
Table 1: Land and Forest Area, and Species in the Project Area, Qinling and China
Project
Area
Total
Qinling
Total
Project
Area as a
percent of
Qinling
China Total
Qinling as
a percent
of China
Land area (km²) 458 50,500 0.8 9,326,410 0.6
Forest area (km²) 242 13,635 1.8 1,286,300 1.1
Ferns (no. of species) 71 323 22.0 2,600 12.4
6 Anon. 2006. Cities in Shaanxi Strive to Balance Environment, Development. 18 May 2006. China Daily.
7 Tsun-shen Ying and David E. Boufford. 1998. Phytogeography of the Qinling Mountains and a Comparison with the
Flora and Vegetation of Japan. In: Sino-Japanese Flora, its Characteristics and Diversification, Boufford, D. E. and
H. Ohba (eds), 1998, The University Museum, The University of Tokyo, Bulletin No. 37, Tokyo.
8 Li Diqiang, Song Yangling and Ouyang Zhiyun. 2003. Research on the National Forestry Nature Reserve System
Plan. World Bank-GEF Forest Resources Development and Protection Project, Nature Reserves Management
Project. China Land Press, Beijing, in Chinese and English.