Biodiversity conservation in China: A review of recent studies and practices

Wei Wang; Chunting Feng; Fangzheng Liu; Junsheng Li

doi:10.1016/j.ese.2020.100025

Biodiversity conservation in China: A review of recent studies and practices

Environ Sci Ecotechnol. 2020 Mar 25:2:100025. doi: 10.1016/j.ese.2020.100025. eCollection 2020 Apr.

Authors

Wei Wang^{1

2}, Chunting Feng^{1

2}, Fangzheng Liu^{1

2}, Junsheng Li^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Regional Eco-process and Function Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100012, China.
² Biodiversity Research Center, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100012, China.

Abstract

Biodiversity conservation plays an important role in the sustainable development of human society. China had made significant progress in biodiversity conservation studies and practices. This paper reviews major achievements in China in the past decades, especially those since 2010. In terms of the science behind biodiversity conservation, Chinese scholars have made significant contributions to priority research subjects, including mechanisms for maintaining biological communities and the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Simultaneously, biodiversity conservation and management systems specific to China have been basically established. The Chinese Government and researchers have undertaken a number of investigations, scientific studies, and monitoring, and have established relevant databases. With efforts taken to protect and restore biodiversity and ecosystems, the concept of biodiversity has gradually become popular in China. This review is an attempt to share with the world the learning from China's progress towards becoming an ecological civilization and highlights that the efforts towards biodiversity conservation need to be organically integrated with sustainable development goals.

Keywords: Ecological civilization; Mainstreaming; Mobile supervising system; Protected areas; Sustainable development.

Publication types

Review