ෂන්ෂි දිවියන්ගේ සංගණනයක්

Leopard population survey conducted in Shanxi Province

China has recently launched a survey on the population of leopards and the biodiversity in their habitats in Qinyuan, a county in north China's Shanxi Province.

The scientific expedition, spearheaded by a research team from Beijing Normal University and joined by other higher education institutions and research units, aims to investigate the current population of the leopards and their habitats, as well as the biodiversity in the Yellow River Eco-Zone.

"The main goal of this research project is to investigate the leopard population and the biodiversity resources in Qinyuan County, Changzhi City, Shanxi Province. This includes the current status of leopard and its prey populations, as well as the wild mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds, fish, and aquatic organisms that are under the national protection. It also involves a full investigation on wildlife habitats, biodiversity, ecosystem integrity and authenticity," said Wang Hongxin, director of the Academy for Global Development of Beijing Normal University.

In the past, the leopards were widely distributed in mountain areas along the Yellow River basin. However, today, its habitats are fragmented to small portions in the Taihang Mountain and the Lyuliang Mountain in Shanxi Province and a few mountain areas in Shaanxi Province due to factors including human interference.

Despite decades of protection, the leopards in China are still facing a high risk of extinction, with its rarity comparable to that of the wild Siberian tigers.

Qinyuan, one of the few remaining habitats for leopards in China, is located in the central area of the leopard population distribution in the Yellow River Eco-Zone. It is the first stop for the investigation of leopard populations in the Yellow River Eco-Zone.

"In terms of the leopard distribution, leopards have been existing in Qinyuan from the past to the present. Conducting an investigation here is of significant importance for studying the status of leopards in north China and in the Loess Plateau, and for studying their population recovery. Geographically, Qinyuan County in Shanxi Province is located in the 'Three Zones and Four Belts' of China's national ecological security barrier and the central area of the Yellow River Eco-Zone. It is a strategically important region for Shanxi Province's 'Yellow River Strategy' and holds great ecological significance," said Feng Limin, a professor with Beijing Normal University and deputy director of the monitoring and research center for Siberian tigers and Amur leopards under the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.

As the apex predator of the local ecosystem, tigers and leopards live in woods with an authentic and full ecosystem.

In Qinyuan, numerous traces of small to medium-sized herbivores such as wild boars, hares, and roe deer indicate that leopards have abundant food sources there.

• Tags:
• featured