of comprehensiveness of earlier surveys. Still, the change in degree of
endangerment is startling.
Species Endangerment in Taiwan
Taiwan has a smaller number of species than China, just about 1.5 percent of
the world’s known total. These include: 70 species of mammals; 550 species
of birds (40 percent of which reside in Taiwan all year round); 100 species of
reptiles; 34 species of amphibians; 2000 species of fish; 18000 species of
insects (including 400 butterfly species); 610 species of ferns; 28 species of
gymnosperms; and 3600 species of angiosperms.^19
Of these species, approximately 2000 have been identified as endangered,
threatened, or rare. Among the endangered species designated under the
Cultural Heritage Preservation Act of 1981 are the Formosan land-
locked salmon, Formosan black bear, Formosan clouded leopard, and
birdwing butterfly. Most attention, however, has focused on Taiwan’s bird
species.
The wetland areas in the west coast of Taiwan are important stop-over and
wintering areas for thousands of north-south migrant waterbirds, and the
numerous scattered uninhabited offshore islets attract pelagic species that
roost and nest. Also, the long isolation of Taiwan since the Ice Ages has
resulted in 15 endemic species and around 70 endemic subspecies within the
550 bird species so far recorded. In recent years, Birdlife International has
listed Taiwan as an ‘important bird area’.^20
According to an island-wide survey conducted by the Wild Bird Federation
of Taiwan (WBFT) in 2001, Taiwan has 53 global Important Bird Area (IBA)
habitats for migratory and non-migratory birds and 2 endemic bird areas
(EBA), with 19 threatened species on record.^21 The total areas of these IBA
habitats include approximately 652000 hectares, equivalent to 18 percent of
the territory of Taiwan.
Based on the IUCN Red List categories; Taiwan has one critical bird
species, the Chinese crested tern, and nine species are endangered – the black-
footed albatross, Japanese night-heron, oriental stork, crested ibis, black-faced
spoonbill, swan goose, scaly-sided merganser, spotted greenshank, and spoon-
billed sandpiper.
Examples of Endangered Species in China
Few in China or outside it are familiar with many of the species discovered to
be threatened or endangered. The most well-known endangered species are
those that appeal to humans, and are often called ‘mega-charismatic fauna (or
flora)’. For instance, a 50-year retrospective account of wildlife conservation
Current status of species and ecosystems 49