■ CHINA RAMSAR CONVENTION CAME INTO FORCE 1992 (mainland China); 1979 (Hong Kong) RAMSAR DESIGNATION IS: NUMBER OF RAMSAR SITES DESIGNATED (at 31 August 2005) 30 (mainland China & Hong Kong) Complete in 11 IBAs AREA OF RAMSAR SITES DESIGNATED (at 31 August 2005) 2,937,454 ha (mainland China & Hong Kong) Partial in 9 IBAs ADMINISTRATIVE AUTHORITY FOR RAMSAR CONVENTION Implementing Office, Wildlife and Plant Lacking in 239 IBAs Conservation Department, State Forestry Administration (mainland China); Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (Hong Kong) MAINLAND CHINA China is the second largest and the most biologically diverse inventory in China (Lu Jianjian 1990) was an updated edition of country in the Asia region, and contains almost all types of wetland the relevant section of the IUCN regional inventory (Scott 1989). (except Arctic tundra and tropical peat swamp forest). However, This inventory described in full 217 wetlands that cover a total of many of its wetlands, particularly those in the eastern half of the 23,220,011 ha (including one site in Hong Kong and five in country, are under serious pressure from human usage and Taiwan). In recent years China has been very active in the disturbance. The remaining wetlands on the riverine floodplains conservation of wetlands, including through the listing of 23 new in north-east China, notably the Sanjiang plain and the Nen Jiang– Ramsar Sites between 2002 and 2005. A national wetland Sungari basin, are important breeding grounds for many conservation action plan was published by the State Forestry waterbirds, including threatened species such as Oriental Stork Administration in 2000, which included a long-term strategy (to Ciconia boyciana and Red-crowned Crane Grus japonensis. 2020) for wetland conservation. Local legislation for wetland Wetlands in the steppes and deserts of northern China are also conservation has also been enacted at the provincial level (e.g. in important breeding and passage areas for many waterbirds, Gansu and Heilongjiang Provinces). including the threatened Relict Gull Larus relictus. The coastal Twenty-nine Ramsar Sites have been designated in mainland wetlands of eastern and southern China are vital for the migratory China, of which 23 overlap with IBAs. An additional 205 waterbirds of the East Asian-Australasian flyway, with high potential Ramsar Sites have been identified throughout China, proportions of the global populations of many shorebirds and other with at least one in every province, autonomous region and wetland-dependent species moving through this part of China in municipality. However, designated and potential Ramsar Sites spring and autumn, and the main breeding grounds of the are particularly concentrated in the following major wetland threatened Saunders’s Gull Larus saundersi and Chinese Crested- regions: on the riverine floodplains in north-east China, five tern Sterna bernsteini are also on the east coast of China. The designated Ramsar Sites overlap with IBAs and there are almost remaining large lakes and marshlands in the lower Yangtze basin 40 potential Ramsar Sites; in the steppes and deserts of northern support very large numbers of wintering waterbirds, including high China, two designated Ramsar Sites (both in Inner Mongolia) proportions of the global populations of several threatened species, overlap with IBAs and there are almost 50 potential Ramsar Sites; including Swan Goose Anser cygnoides, Lesser White-fronted along the coasts of eastern and southern China, six designated Goose A. erythropus, Siberian Crane Grus leucogeranus, White- Ramsar Sites overlap with IBAs and there are almost 50 potential naped Crane G. vipio and Swinhoe’s Rail Coturnicops exquisitus. Ramsar Sites; in the lower Yangtze basin, two designated Ramsar Other threatened waterbird species with most or all of their Sites overlap with IBAs and there are six potential Ramsar Sites; breeding ranges in China are White-eared Night Heron Gorsachius along the Yellow River, no designated Ramsar Sites overlap with magnificus (not strictly a wetland-dependent species), Crested Ibis IBAs and there are about 11 potential Ramsar Sites; and on the Nipponia nippon, Black-necked Crane Grus nigricollis and Streaked Qinghai-Tibetan plateau, five designated Ramsar Sites overlap Reed-warbler Acrocephalus sorghophilus. The first wetland with IBAs and there are almost 30 potential Ramsar Sites. Wetlands on the riverine floodplains in north-east China, including those in Zhalong Nature Reserve (IBA 10), are important breeding grounds for many waterbirds. (PHOTO: SIMBA CHAN) 21 China.p65 21 06/10/2005, 17:15 Important Bird Areas and potential Ramsar Sites in Asia – Mainland China Location of Important Bird Areas in mainland China that contain areas that qualify as Ramsar Sites. 22 China.p65 22 06/10/2005, 17:15 Important Bird Areas and potential Ramsar Sites in Asia – Mainland China Ramsar designation of IBA complete (11) Ramsar designation of IBA partial (8) Ramsar designation of IBA lacking (205) 23 China.p65 23 06/10/2005, 17:15 Important Bird Areas and potential Ramsar Sites in Asia – Mainland China Summary of Important Bird Areas that contain areas that qualify as Ramsar Sites in mainland China. Ramsar designation of IBA complete (11 IBAs) Ramsar Site Ramsar criteria IBA IBA name IBA area (ha) Ramsar Site name area (ha) 2 4 5 6 HEILONGJIANG PROVINCE 10 Zhalong Nature Reserve 210,000 Zhalong 210,000 ✔✔✔✔ 23 Xingkai Hu Nature Reserve 222,488 Xingkai Lake National Nature Reserve 222,488 ✔✔✔✔ 26 Honghe Nature Reserve 21,836 Honghe National Nature Reserve 21,836 ✔✔ ✔ JILIN PROVINCE 33 Xianghai Nature Reserve 105,467 Xianghai 105,467 ✔✔✔✔ LIAONING PROVINCE 48 Shuangtai (Shuangtaizi) Estuary and Inner Gulf of Liaodong 130,000 Shuangtai Estuary 128,000 ✔✔✔✔ INNER MONGOLIA AUTONOMOUS REGION 65 Dalai Nur 740,000 Dalai Lake National Nature Reserve, Inner Mongolia 740,000 ✔✔ ✔ 82 Ordos Taolimiao-Alashanwan Haizi 8,800 Eerduosi National Nature Reserve 7,680 ✔✔ ✔ YUNNAN PROVINCE 223 Lashi Hai 933 Lashihai Wetland 3,560 ✔✔✔ JIANGSU PROVINCE 318 Yancheng Nature Reserve 453,000 Yancheng National Nature Reserve 453,000 ✔✔✔✔ Dafeng Milu National Nature Reserve 78,000 ✔✔✔✔ SHANGHAI CITY 321 Coastal wetlands of eastern Chongming Dao Island 32,600 Chongming Dongtan Nature Reserve, Shanghai 32,600 ✔✔✔✔ HAINAN PROVINCE 434 Dongzhaigang Nature Reserve 3,337 Dongzhaigang 5,400 ✔✔✔✔ Ramsar designation of IBA partial (8 IBAs) Ramsar Site Ramsar criteria IBA IBA name IBA area (ha) Ramsar Site name area (ha) 2 4 5 6 HEILONGJIANG PROVINCE 27 Sanjiang Nature Reserve 198,100 San Jiang National Nature Reserve 164,400 ✔✔ ✔ QINGHAI PROVINCE 154 Sanjiangyuan Nature Reserve 1,523,000 Eling Lake 65907 ✔✔✔ Zhaling Lake 64920 ✔✔✔ 157 Qinghai Hu (Koko Nor) 495,200 Niaodao (Bird Island) 53,600 ✔✔✔✔ YUNNAN PROVINCE 220 Nagpag Co (Napa Hai) Nature Reserve 2,400 Napahai Wetland 2,083 ✔✔✔✔ 236 Dashanbao Nature Reserve 19,200 Dashanbao 5,958 ✔✔ ✔ JIANGXI PROVINCE 357 Poyang Hu wetlands 464,664 Poyanghu 22,400 ✔✔✔✔ HUNAN PROVINCE 369 Dongting Hu wetlands 500,000 Xi Dongting Lake (Mupinghu) Nature Reserve 35,000 ✔✔✔✔ Dongdongtinghu 190,000 ✔✔✔✔ Nan Dongting Wetland & Waterfowl Reserve 168,000 ✔✔✔✔ GUANGXI AUTONOMOUS REGION 418 Shankou Mangroves Nature Reserve 8,000 Shankou Mangrove Nature Reserve 4,000 ✔ Ramsar designation of IBA lacking (205 IBAs) Ramsar criteria IBA IBA name IBA area (ha) 2456 HEILONGJIANG PROVINCE 1 Huzhong Nature Reserve 167,213 ✔ 2 Huma He Nature Reserve 60,000 ✔ 3 Nanweng He Nature Reserve 229,523 ✔ 4 Keluo He Nature Reserve 3,577 ✔✔ ✔ 5 Maoshan Linchang Nature Reserve 26,641 ✔ 6 Wudalianchi Nature Reserve 100,800 ✔ 7 Xunbiela He Nature Reserve 45,000 ✔ 8 Hala Hai 64,600 ✔✔✔✔ 9 Lianhuanhu Waterbird Nature Reserve 43,000 ✔✔✔ 11 Tailai Dongfanghong 32,000 ✔✔ ✔ 12 Heiyupao Nature Reserve 14,400 ✔✔ ✔ 15 Fenglin Nature Reserve 18,400 ✔ 16 Liangshui Nature Reserve 12,133 ✔ 24 China.p65 24 06/10/2005, 17:16 Important Bird Areas and potential Ramsar Sites in Asia – Mainland China Ramsar designation of IBA lacking (205 IBAs) ... continued Ramsar criteria IBA IBA name IBA area (ha) 2456 17 Yangdali Nature Reserve 3,534 ✔ 18 Jingpo Hu Nature Reserve 126,000 ✔✔ ✔ 19 Mudanfeng Nature Reserve 19,648 ✔ 20 Laodengshan Nature Reserve 5,745 ✔✔ ✔ 21 Qixing Lazi Siberian Tiger Nature Reserve 23,000 ✔ 22 Qixing He Wetland Nature Reserve 20,000 ✔ 24 Qindeli Sturgeon Reserve 36,663 ✔ 25 Bacha Dao Nature Reserve 32,014 ✔✔ ✔ 28 Naoli He Nature Reserve 90,000 ✔✔✔✔ 29 Qihulinhe Nature Reserve 60,000 ✔ 30 Yueya Hu Nature Reserve 5,130 ✔ 31 Hukou Wetland Nature Reserve 15,000 ✔ JILIN PROVINCE 35 Melmeg (Momege) Nature Reserve 144,000 ✔✔✔✔ 36 Niuxintaobao 43,200 ✔✔✔✔ 37 Chagan Hu Nature Reserve 48,040 ✔✔✔ 38 Dabusu Hu 8,000 ✔✔✔✔ 39 Yaojingzi Nature Reserve 23,800 ✔ 40 Songhua Hu, Baishan Hu and Hongshi Hu 80,000 ✔✔✔ 41 Dashanzuizi 120,000 ✔✔✔✔ 42 Baihe-Wanbao 120,000 ✔✔✔✔ 43 Tumen River at Jingxin-Fangchuan 8,000 ✔✔✔✔ 44 Changbai Shan National Nature Reserve 196,465 ✔✔ ✔ 45 Yunfeng Reservoir 10,000 ✔✔✔ LIAONING PROVINCE 46 Longtan Reservoir 28,000 ✔ 49 Wolong Hu (Xi Paozi) 14,400 ✔✔✔ 50 Wafangdian Fuzhou Wan 30,000 ✔✔ ✔ 51 She Dao Island 73 ✔✔ ✔ 52 Haimao Dao Island 30 ✔✔ ✔ 53 Laotieshan Nature Reserve 17,000 ✔✔ ✔ 54 Zhuanghe Coast 22,070 ✔ 55 Shicheng Dao Island 4,000 ✔✔ ✔ 56 Xingren Tuo Island 100 ✔✔ ✔ 57 Yalu Jiang Estuary 108,057 ✔✔✔✔ 58 Shuifeng Reservoir and middle reaches of Yalu Jiang 30,000 ✔✔✔ INNER MONGOLIA AUTONOMOUS REGION 59 Mangui 385,000 ✔ 60 Hanma 107,348 ✔ 61 Genhe 40,900 ✔ 62 Huret 273,500