Scientists identify central China as new global biodiversity

Photo taken on Oct. 27, 2019 shows the autumn scenery of Shennongjia National Park, central China's Hubei Province. (Xinhua/Du Huaju)

BEIJING, March 31 (Xinhua) -- A team of researchers has proposed that a large area in central China be recognized as a new global biodiversity hotspot. This designation would serve to highlight its extraordinary plant life and urgent conservation needs.

The study, led by researchers from the Institute of Botany under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IBCAS), in collaboration with scientists from Australia and Britain, was published in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution on Tuesday.

Global biodiversity hotspots are traditionally defined by two strict criteria: they must contain at least 1,500 species of vascular plants that are found nowhere else, and they must have lost at least 70 percent of their original natural vegetation. Currently, 36 regions around the world meet these conditions.

The researchers identified central China as a region of exceptional importance. Covering about 1.54 million square kilometers, this area is home to more than 14,000 species of vascular plants and also supports a wide variety of insects and vertebrates. Despite retaining only about 7 percent of its original vegetation, it hosts at least 2,024 endemic plant species -- well above the threshold required for hotspot status.

The researchers explained that central China's subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests are a unique mix of ancient relict plants, which were once widespread but can now survive in only a few places, and newer groups of species that have evolved rapidly in recent geological time. This combination makes the region irreplaceable in terms of evolutionary history.

Based on these findings, the research team formally proposed that central China be designated as the world's 37th global biodiversity hotspot. If recognized, it would become China's fifth such hotspot, joining regions such as the mountains of southwest China and the Himalayas.

"We hope that this designation will help strengthen conservation efforts, guide future protected area planning, and draw more international support to protect the region's unique and threatened natural heritage," said Lu Limin, a professor from the IBCAS.