Before the spread of human activities, we still have the opportunity to study, protect and manage hundreds of thousands of square kilometers of wilderness here. For this precious and magical land, WCS has established the Western China Protection Project. WCS selected some rare and endangered wild animals as key species, studied and evaluated their populations and habitats, analyzed their risk factors and conflicts with local community development, and explored ways to eliminate these conflicts, so as to make local wildlife protection and economic development develop harmoniously.
The WCS western project faces the following challenges: the protection work should be changed from simple one-way comprehensive management; We must find a balance between local residents, livestock, grasslands and wildlife, and strive to make this balance a reality.
Qiangtang landscape ecosystem
Qiangtang, located in the west of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, is one of the few unspoiled landscapes in the world. The total area of this area can reach 700,000 square kilometers (the sum of the areas of Germany, Poland and Lithuania), and the north is still no man's land. Qiangtang has an average elevation of about 4,500 meters, low oxygen content and a cold climate. The unique environment breeds unique animal and plant communities, such as Tibetan antelope, wild yak, Tibetan wild donkey, Tibetan argali, Tibetan brown bear, Tibetan fox and black-necked crane. The biodiversity in this region is very important to China and even the world.
From 65438 to 0985, Dr. george beals schaller cooperated with local research institutions on behalf of WCS and began to explore the wildlife in Qiangtang. With the deepening of research, the representativeness and importance of Tibetan antelope as a key species in this ecosystem have gradually emerged. 1993 Qiangtang nature reserve was established by the state, and it was promoted to a national nature reserve in 2000. With an area of 300,000 square kilometers, it is the second largest land nature reserve in the world. In the past 20 years, a lot of anti-poaching and protection education have been carried out in the local area, with remarkable results, and the number of large mammals in some areas has begun to recover.
However, with the increase of human activities in this area, the contradiction between development and protection has gradually emerged. At present, there is a lack of systematic biodiversity monitoring and corresponding capacity building to support effective management of new problems in conservation. On the basis of previous research, WCS was funded by the EU Biodiversity Project in China in July 2007, and started to implement the "Xizang Autonomous Region Qiangtang Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Utilization of Natural Resources Project" together with Xizang Autonomous Region Forestry Bureau, Xizang Autonomous Region Academy of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Institute of Zoology of Chinese Academy of Sciences and WWF.
The strategy of this project is to help establish Qiangtang biodiversity information system, design macro-level biodiversity management plan, and actively promote capacity building and exchange between multi-departments and local communities, hoping to establish demonstration biodiversity protection and management plans and measures in Qiangtang area, and promote the harmonious and sustainable development of grassland, livestock and wildlife.
Xinjiang
Cross-border Protection of Pamirs Plateau
In the center of the Asian continent, several rolling mountains meet here, forming a huge mountain knot-Pamirs. It is located in the southeast of Central Asia, at the western end of China, and spans parts of Tajikistan, China, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Pamirs has extremely precious animal and plant resources on the earth, such as snow leopard, Kelpolo argali, Siberian goat and so on. Kelpolo argali is an invaluable symbol on the Pamirs. They have a pair of beautiful big horns, but they are also what hunters dream of.
WCS's work in Pamirs can be traced back to 1970s. In the past two decades, WCS scientists have cooperated with relevant departments of the four countries to carry out a series of wildlife surveys in this area, including the largest biodiversity restoration project in Afghanistan after the war. In 2005 and 2006, Dr. george beals schaller and Dr. Kang Aili of WCS China West Project conducted an investigation on Kelpolo argali in China part of Pamirs.
For wild animals like Kelpolo argali, only through the cooperation of Pamirs can we effectively protect them. In September 2006, the Wildlife Protection Department of China State Forestry Administration and WCS co-sponsored the "2006 Pamirs Wildlife and Habitat Protection International Symposium" in Urumqi, Xinjiang, China. Representatives from relevant governments of the four countries and experts from international protection agencies attended the meeting. This meeting opened a new era of cooperation between the four countries to protect Pamirs, and more cross-border protection actions will be carried out in Pamirs in the future.
Xinjiang Hotan West Kunlun Patrol Project
Kunlun Mountain spans between Xinjiang and Tibet and is connected with Qiangtang in Tibet, with an average elevation of more than 4,000 meters. In Hotan and West Kunlun, Xinjiang, a joint investigation by WCS scientists and local forestry departments identified an important breeding ground for Tibetan antelope migration population. In 2005-2006, WCS China Project funded local anti-poaching patrols and provided technical support for the establishment of the West Kunlun Tibetan antelope breeding ground reserve in Hotan area. Local protection personnel are the most important force in protection work, and their ability is the key to the sustainable development of protection work. Therefore, since 2006, WCS has mainly cooperated with the local forestry department in Pamirs, and it has been opened every year.
China Species Information Service (CSIS)
On-site inspection and recording ability of nursing staff.