Tianyuhe National Wetland Park contributes to protection of flora and fauna

Members of the media have visited the Qinling National Botanical Garden in Shaanxi province to explore the rich and diverse flora and fauna resources of the Tianyuhe National Wetland Park in Xi'an. The reporters highlighted the park’s significant contributions and ongoing efforts in animal and plant conservation.

Xi'an has increased its wetland areas in recent times, including the Heihe Rare Aquatic Wildlife National Nature Reserve, Zhouzhi Heihe Wetland Provincial Nature Reserve, Xi'an Jingwei Wetland Provincial Nature Reserve, Xi'an Chanba National Wetland Park, and Xi'an Tianyuhe National Wetland Natural Park.

Significant wetlands such as Laoyuhe Wetland, Shaanxi Heihe Wetland, Shaanxi Jinghe Wetland (Xi'an section), Shaanxi Weihe Wetland (Xi'an section), Chang'an Bahe Wetland, Chang'an Chanhe Wetland, and Chang'an Fenghe Wetland contribute to a vital ecological barrier, nurturing the city’s environment.

The Tianyuhe National Wetland Nature Park spans a total area of 865.63 hectares, of which 357.42 hectares are wetland, resulting in a wetland coverage rate of 41.29 percent. Since its establishment, the park has been dedicated to preserving wetland ecosystems, sustaining ecological functions and promoting the sustainable use of wetland resources.

“Tianyuhe National Wetland Park is essential for protecting the unique and rare plant and animal species in the area, as well as maintaining the biodiversity of the important ecological zones in the Qinling Mountains,” said Liu Yaohua, director of the Design Office of Qinling National Botanical Garden, at a press conference.

The Tianyu River Basin nurtures thousands of rare animals and plants, including three national first-class protected species: golden monkeys, takins and forest musk deer. It is home to 17 national second-class protected animals, three national first-class protected plants and two national second-class protected plants. The diverse wildlife and flora in the wetland parks play a vital ecological role in preserving, screening and enhancing protected species.

“The Qinling Mountains, with its rich and diverse geography and climate, are home to more than 1,000 species of woody plants, including 177 species of evergreen broad-leaved trees and 1,119 species used in traditional Chinese medicine,” said Yan Yana, a guide at the Qinling National Botanical Garden.

“Among these, 286 species have been documented in the national survey of traditional Chinese medicine resources. As such, the Qinling Mountains truly deserve the reputation as a vital collection of northern and southern plant species and a significant biological resource bank.”

Protecting these rare animal and plant resources is not only about preserving biodiversity, but also about maintaining ecosystem balance.

In recent years, effective protection and control measures have significantly improved the Tianyuhe wetland's water system integrity and ecosystem balance, ensuring the security of water resources in the Tianyuhe basin.

It has become a model for biodiversity protection in the Qinba Ecological Function Zone, an important ecological protection education base in China, a demonstration area for protecting the 72 ravines’ wetland resources at the northern foot of the Qinling Mountains, and a benchmark project for ecological civilization in Xi'an.