species whose population is at or below replacement levels; 2) rare and
valuable species, endemic to Taiwan; and 3) species requiring conservation
measures but not in immediate danger of extinction.^16
STATUS OF SPECIES
We take three different approaches in understanding the status of endangered
and threatened species in China and Taiwan. First, we review the distribution
of different species across Chinese provinces. Second, we consider the degree
in endangerment of taxa, based on the most recent comprehensive
investigations. Third, we present brief case studies of endangered species
which are of international significance, such as the Giant Panda.
Distribution of Species
China’s rare and threatened species are distributed unevenly. The economi-
cally developed and long-settled provinces of the East Coast have just a
handful of endemic species and few that are rare. China’s northern, western,
and southern peripheral regions, however, have higher degrees of richness and
endemism of species. Table 3.1 presents these contrasts.
Table 3.1 shows a high degree of variety across the provinces, with some
having low rates of endemism, others at the middle ranges, and still others
with quite high numbers of indigenous species. Table 3.1 displays a
relationship between the amount of forested land in the province and the
degree in endemism of its species, although this correlation is not extremely
high. Yunnan Province, with the third highest amount of land under forest
cover has the largest number of endemic species in mammalian, plant, and
avian taxa. Provinces or autonomous regions such as Ningxia and Shanxi, with
little forested land, also have lower levels of endemism.
The column on protected areas is one to which we shall return when
discussing nature reserves in Chapter 5. Data were drawn from the early
1990s; in 2005, however, there are more than 2000 protected areas, and thus
the column is out-of-date. Nevertheless, it indicates an association, as one
would expect, between the number of protected areas and the degree in
endemism of species.
The ‘priority’ of the province for biodiversity conservation is an important
consideration. Only four of China’s 27 provinces are designated as an ‘A’
or top priority status: Jilin, Sichuan, Xinjiang and Yunnan. All except Sichuan
are on China’s periphery, Jilin in the northeast, Xinjiang in the west, and
Yunnan in the southwest. On the other hand, of the 13 provinces classified as
‘C’, most are along China’s eastern coast. This observation will be repeated
46 Governance of biodiversity conservation in China and Taiwan