Significant achievements made in protecting biodiversity of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau: white paper

BEIJING - A number of eco-projects have been implemented on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, achieving positive results in ecosystem conservation, bringing under control the degradation of the local ecosystem and restoring the biodiversity, according to a white paper released Wednesday.

"The nature reserves established have effectively protected the rare and endangered wildlife unique to the Plateau as well as their habitats," said the white paper, titled Ecological Progress on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, issued by the State Council Information Office.

The restoration and expansion of rare and endangered species is obvious evidence of success in biodiversity conservation, it added.

According to research, the numbers of black-necked crane (Grus nigricollis), Tibetan antelope (Pantholopshodgsonii), Przewalski's gazelle (Procapraprze walskii), wild yak (Bosmutus), red deer (Cervuselaphus), and Yunnan snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopi thecusbieti) have increased steadily, the white paper said.

Since the establishment of the Black-necked Crane National Nature Reserve on the Middle Reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo River in Tibet Autonomous Region in 1993, the number of overwintering black-necked crane has increased year by year, accounting for 80 percent of the world's total, and the nature reserve has become the world's largest wintering ground for black-necked cranes.

The number of Tibetan antelope on the Qiangtang Plateau in Tibet Autonomous Region increased from about 60,000 in 2000 to over 200,000 in 2016. And the number of wild yak in this area increased from 6,000 before it was included for protection to 10,000 in 2016.