The FUY ecoregion is one of 25 global priority ecoregions chosen by WWF and is an important center for giant pandas as well as rare species such as the golden monkey, red panda, and clouded leopard. It constitues an area of approximately 1 million square kilometers, covering all of Sichuan, Chongqing, and Shaanxi, and parts of Yunnan, Gansu, Qinghai, Hubei, and Tibet.

The logging ban on natural forests in 1998 has provided a good opportunity for promoting conservation of China’s forest ecosystems. However, the government is primarily focused on the immediate issue of implementing the ban. There is no clear future plan for the protection or utilization these natural forests which are temporarily being restricted, and there is a lack of comprehensive data on the current status and distribution of key forest ecosystems and their associated social and economic conditions.

This project is designed to identify gaps and gather the necessary information in order to help ensure the future protection of China’s natural forests. It aims to address questions such as: How much of each distinctive forest type remains, and what are the main threats? Where are the high quality natural forests distributed and what is the current status of their protection and utilization? Where are the natural forests that could be managed for sustainable use? How well are key ecosystems represented in the current protected area system? Outside the protected area system, what are the opportunities for sustainable forest management to maintain both commercial and ecological values of these forests? And what supporting policies are needed to ensure the long-term viability of protected areas and sustainably managed commercial forests? Answers to these questions and more currently remain unclear.

Working on an ecoregional scale is important for long-term conservation success. The areas between protected areas should be linked not only because species don’t necessarily live within these lines, but because a more integrated approach takes into account agriculture, dams, and development in general. By using this approach, conservationists have greater flexibility and the ability to accept ‘trade-offs’ (ie, a project wouldn’t be a complete failure if, for example, the government decided to mine in a certain protected area) when necessary while still being able to ensure the protection of species on a larger scale.

Objective

To protect, restore, and sustainably manage the FUY ecoregion by:

• Identifying broad goals for biodiversity conservation in the FUY ecoregion.
• Formulating conservation targets for systematic conservation planning in the FUY ecoregion.
• Working out a systematic conservation plan in the FUY ecoregion.
• Testing and developing WWF Manual for Conservation Planning and WWF Rapid Assessment and Prioritization Methodology in FUY ecoregion.

The Chinese Academy of Forestry has established a GIS database which includes data on the biodiversity, socio-economic, and physical geography of the FUY. Twenty-five species, i.e., 10 mammals, five birds and 10 plants, have been selected as focal species for this area.

On March 21-26, 2002, a workshop was held in Chengdu. The workshop brought together top experts in China in the fields of mammals, birds, herps, insects, fungi and vegetation/plants in the FUY. Representatives from WWF, Conservation International, and the Nature Conservancy, who are conducting projects in the area, discussed and shared data on the FUY. The aim of the workshop was to identify key priority areas in the FUY ecoregion and to develop an agreed upon single map that highlights the significance of the FUY ecoregion’s biodiversity. The workshop not only gave participants a platform to share data, but to lay a foundation for agreeing on future targets and developing cooperative initiatives.

Partner

Chinese Academy of Forestry

Donor

WWF International Forest for Life Campaign