Language: English
Published on: 1998-01
Paperback
In order to protect China’s biodiversity, according to the requirements of the Convention on Biological Diversity, we have published this book: Chinas Biodiversity: A Country Study, with the support of UNEP, funded by GEF and with the help of international experts. It is a study of Chinas plants, animals and micro-organisms and their physical environment in information related to biodiversity conservation in the fields of agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and fisheries, the various national activities related to biodiversity conservation and evaluations of their economic importance. The compilation of the Country Study has taken two and a half years, and was organized and led by the Co-ordination Group for the fulfillment of the Convention on Biological Diversity, headed by the National Environmental Protection Agency and comprising representatives from thirteen departments, More than 80 experts took part in the compilation and appraisal of the country report. I express my heartfelt gratitude to all the experts and staff who organized and participated directly in the compilation and appraisal tasks.
Main ContentExecutive summary
Chapter 1 Introduction
1.1 The background, goals and a brief review of the compilation
process for the Country Study
1.2 The Country Studyand global biodiversity conservation
1.3 Basic concepts and methods
1.3.1 What is biological diversity?
1.3.2 The values of biological diversity
1.3.3 Three main levels of biodiversity
1.3.4 The extinction and introduction of species
1.3.5 The protection and sustainable utilization of biodiversity
Chapter 2 Physical and socio-economic conditions
2.1 Complex and diverse physical conditions
2.1.1 Geomorphology
2.1.2 Climate
2.1.3 Inland and marine waters
2.1.4 Soil
2.1.5 Vegetation
2.2 Socio-economic conditions
2.2.1 Population
2.2.2 Economic development and its impact on the environment
2.2.3 The impact of infrastructure construction
2.2.4 The impact of government policies
2.2.5 The influence of cultural tradition
Chapter 3 The present status of Chinas biodiversity and threats to
it
3.1 General features of Chinas biodiversity
3.2 Species diversity and threats to them
3.2.1 Plants
3.2.2 Animals
3.2.3 Micro-organisms
3.2.4 Invasive alien species and their impacts on the biodiversity
in China
3.3 Forest biodiversity
3.4 Biodiversity in temperate steppe areas
3.5 Biological diversity of deserts
3.6 The biodiversity of the high-cold Qingzang Plateau
3.7 Wetland biodiversity
3.8 Biological diversity in rivers, lakes and reservoirs
3.9 Biodiversity of Chinas seas, coasts and islands
3.10 Biodiversityin agricultural regions
3.11 Biodiversity in urban and subraban areas
3.12 The conservation and sustainable use of the genetic diversity
of cultivated plants and domesticated animals and their wild
relatives
3.12.1 Crops
3.12.2 Domestic animals
3.12.3 Aquatic products
3.12.4 Economic forest trees
3.12.5 Wild and cultivated fruit trees
3.13.6 Ornamental plants
3.12.7 Medicinal plants
3.12.8 The release of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and
biosafety
3.13 The contribution of national minorities to biodiversity
conservation
3.14 Critical regions for biodiversity conservation in China
3.14.1 Terrestrial
3.14.2 Wetlands
3.14.3 Marine biota
Chapter 4 Measures taken to protect and utilize sustainably Chinas
biodiversity
4.1 Legal action
4.2 Policy measures
4.3 Administrative measures
4.4 Measures taken for conservation and the sustained utilization of
biodiversity
4.5 Scientific research
4.6 International co-operation
Chapter 5 Economic evaluation of biodiversity in China
5.1 Classification of the economic value of biodiversity
5.2 Economic evaluation of the direct value of Chinas biodiversity
5.3 Economic evaluation of the indirect value of biodiversity
5.4 Economic evaluation of the potential use of Chinas biodiversity
5.5 Economic evaluation of the willingness-to-pay method for the
conservation value of biodiversity
5.6 Calculating the economic loss from damage to Chinas biodiversity
5.7 Calculating a protection benchmark value for some rare and
endangered species in China
5.8 Overall evaluation and conclusion
Chapter 6 Building of the nations capacity for protection and
sustainable utilization of biodiversity
6.1 Construction of laws and regulations
6.2 Institutional capacity building
6.3 Build-up of biodiversity personnel resources
6.4 Establishment of policy systems
6.5 Capacity building protection facilities
6.6 Development of biodiversity science and technology in China
6.7 Capacity buildinginformation management
6.8 Capacity building biodiversity publicity, education and public
participation
6.9 International co-operation in the field of biodiversity
references
Chapter 7 Anestimate of costs and an analysis of the benefits for
the conservation and sustainable utilization of
biodiversity
7.1 Estimation of cost in conservation and sustainable utilization
of biodiverstiy
7.2 Cost-benefit analysis of biodiversity conservation References
Appendix 1 Staff member
Appendix 2 Index of scientific names of plants, animals and
microorganisms
Appendix 3 Glossary of technical terms and acronyms
Appendix 3.1 Technical terms
Appendix 3.2 List of acronyms
Appendix 4 List of endemic and endangered angiosperms and
vertebrates
Appendix 4.1 Representative species and their geographical
distributions of endemic geners of Chinese angiosperms
Appendix 4.2 Endangered or rare species of Chinese angiosperms
Appendix 4.3 Endemic species of Chinese vertebrate and their
geographical distributions (selected)
Appendix 4.4 Endangered species of Chinese vertebrates (selected)
Appendix 5 The species number of China in comparison with that of
the world
Appendix 5.1 Comparison of the species number of freshwater algae
between China and the whole world
Appendix 5.2 Species number of lichens and vascular plants of China
in comparison with theat of the world
Appendix 5.3 The species number of animals in China in comparison
with that of the world
Appendix 5.4 The species number of insects in China in comparison
with that of the world
Appendix 5.5 Species number of different class of fungi in China in
comparison with that of the world
Appendix 5.6 Species number of different orders of Ocmycota and
Eumycota in China in comparison with that of the world
Appendix 6 Legislative works and protective institutions
Appendix 6.1 Legislative works
Appendix 6.2 Catalogue of nature reserves in the Peoples Republic of
China (by the end of 1995)
Appendix 6.3 A list of main zoos in China
Appendix 6.4 A list of the main botanical gardens and arboreta in
China
