# Biodiversity

By [jone1314168](https://paragraph.com/@jone1314168) · 2021-10-29

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China is one of 17 [megadiverse countries](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megadiverse_countries),[\[147\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China#cite_note-Ref_2009a-163) lying in two of the world's major [biogeographic realms](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biogeographic_realm): the [Palearctic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palearctic_realm) and the [Indomalayan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indomalayan_realm). By one measure, China has over 34,687 species of animals and vascular plants, making it the third-most biodiverse country in the world, after [Brazil](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazil) and [Colombia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colombia).[\[148\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China#cite_note-164) The country signed the [Rio de Janeiro](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rio_de_Janeiro) [Convention on Biological Diversity](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convention_on_Biological_Diversity) on 11 June 1992, and became a party to the convention on 5 January 1993.[\[149\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China#cite_note-165) It later produced a [National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodiversity_action_plan), with one revision that was received by the convention on 21 September 2010.[\[150\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China#cite_note-166)

China is home to at least 551 species of [mammals](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mammals_of_China) (the third-highest such number in the world),[\[151\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China#cite_note-167) 1,221 species of birds (eighth),[\[152\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China#cite_note-168) 424 species of reptiles (seventh)[\[153\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China#cite_note-169) and 333 species of amphibians (seventh).[\[154\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China#cite_note-170) Wildlife in China shares habitat with, and bears acute pressure, from the world's largest population of humans. At least 840 [animal species are threatened, vulnerable or in danger of local extinction](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_endangered_and_protected_species_of_China) in China, due mainly to human activity such as habitat destruction, pollution and poaching for food, fur and ingredients for [traditional Chinese medicine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_Chinese_medicine).[\[155\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China#cite_note-171) Endangered wildlife is protected by law, and as of 2005, the country has over 2,349 [nature reserves](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protected_areas_of_China), covering a total area of 149.95 million hectares, 15 percent of China's total land area.[\[156\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China#cite_note-172)\[[_better source needed_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:NOTRS)\] Most wild animals have been eliminated from the core agricultural regions of east and central China, but they have fared better in the mountainous south and west.[\[157\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China#cite_note-173)[\[158\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China#cite_note-174) The [Baiji](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baiji) was confirmed extinct on 12 December 2006.[\[159\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China#cite_note-175)

China has over 32,000 species of vascular plants,[\[160\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China#cite_note-176) and is home to a variety of forest types. Cold [coniferous](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coniferous) forests predominate in the north of the country, supporting animal species such as [moose](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moose) and [Asian black bear](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_black_bear), along with over 120 bird species.[\[161\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China#cite_note-rough_guide-177) The [understory](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Understory) of moist [conifer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conifer) forests may contain thickets of [bamboo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamboo). In higher [montane](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montane_ecosystems) stands of [juniper](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juniper) and [yew](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxus), the bamboo is replaced by [rhododendrons](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhododendron). [Subtropical](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subtropical) forests, which are predominate in central and southern China, support a high density of plant species including numerous rare endemics. Tropical and seasonal [rainforests](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainforest), though confined to [Yunnan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yunnan) and [Hainan Island](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hainan_Island), contain a quarter of all the animal and plant species found in China.[\[161\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China#cite_note-rough_guide-177) China has over 10,000 recorded species of [fungi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fungi),[\[162\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China#cite_note-178) and of them, nearly 6,000 are [higher fungi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Higher_fungi).

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*Originally published on [jone1314168](https://paragraph.com/@jone1314168/biodiversity)*