CHINA’S efforts to protect habitats and biodiversity have contributed to the increase in the population of many endangered species, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration said Monday, the 23rd International Day for Biological Diversity. The administration said that since the beginning of the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), more than 300 rare and endangered wildlife and plant species, including Siberian tigers and orchids, have seen their numbers rise. Over the years, the distribution area of the Siberian tiger has expanded from the Changbai Mountains to the Greater and Lesser Hinggan Mountains, and there is a wild population of around 60. Meanwhile, the distribution area of the crested ibis has expanded from three to seven provinces, with a wild population of more than 7,000, the administration said. The administration added that the number of Qiaojia pine trees has also grown from 34 in the 1990s to more than 3,000. To further protect these endangered species, China aims to establish an extensive system of national parks across the country that will cover more than 110 million hectares, about 10.3% of the country’s land area, the administration said. By 2025, the country aims to protect 75% of national key terrestrial endangered wildlife species and 80% of national key terrestrial endangered plant species, the administration said. Meanwhile, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) released an updated national species database, the Catalogue of Life China 2023 Annual Checklist, on Monday. The list recorded a total of 148,674 species and sub-species, 10,381 more than the 2022 figure. Such checklists are basic data reflecting the richness of biodiversity resources in a country or region, said Ma Keping, deputy director of the CAS Biodiversity Committee. China’s list aims to show the conditions of biodiversity in the country and promote biodiversity research and protection. The compilation began in 2008. China is the only country that publishes a list of its biological species every year. (China Daily, Xinhua) | 