The reporter learned from the Forestry Bureau of Anhui Province that recently, the Anhui provincial government approved the establishment of the Anhui Huangshan Provincial-Level Chinese Giant Salamander Nature Reserve. So far, Anhui has built eight national-level nature reserves and 33 provincial-level nature reserves, with a total area of 456,800 hectares of nature reserves above the provincial level. The Anhui Huangshan Provincial-Level Chinese Giant Salamander Nature Reserve is located in Xiuning and Qimen counties of Huangshan City, covering an area of 3277.63 hectares. The main protection objects of the reserve are Chinese giant salamanders, valleys and streams wetland ecosystems suitable for Chinese giant salamander growth, and intact forest ecosystems. The reserve has dense forests, gurgling streams, and rich species of animal and plant resources, and it is an ideal habitat for wild Chinese giant salamanders. There are eight rare and endangered species of national key protected plants, 23 national Class II key protected animals, and 33 provincial key protected animals in the reserve. Among them, there are 2 critically endangered species, 6 endangered species, 19 vulnerable species and 18 near threatened species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. The Chinese giant salamander, commonly known as "baby fish," originated in the Jurassic period, has a very high evolutionary uniqueness, and is truly a "living fossil in water." The wild Chinese giant salamander is a national Class II key protected wild animal. In 1995, it was listed in the Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora; In 1998, it was listed as a critically endangered (CR) species in the China Red Data Book of Endangered Animals; In 2016, it was listed as critically endangered by the Red List of China's Vertebrates. In Anhui, Chinese giant salamanders are mainly seen in the Southern Anhui mountainous area and Dabie mountain area. This nature reserve, together with the Anhui Jinzhai Xihe Provincial-Level Chinese giant salamander Nature Reserve just established last year, will better protect Chinese giant salamanders in Anhui.
Reported by Tang Chao Translated by Zheng Chen
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