Qinhu Lake – located in the Jiangyan district of Taizhou city, in East China's Jiangsu province – has been listed as an important terrestrial wildlife habitat by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.
The administration released its "important habitat list of terrestrial wildlife" on Dec 20. It aims to offer guidance on effective protection measures for wildlife habitats, safeguarding endangered species and promoting population growth.
The first group of listed national habitats covers 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities – comprising 565 national key wildlife species, including 127 animals, 339 birds, 62 amphibious reptiles and 37 insects.
Qinhu Lake is regarded as being a vital habitat for protected species such as elk and mandarin ducks. These species are primarily conserved within the Qinhu Lake National Wetland Park.
The Qinhu Lake National Wetland Park is renowned for its scenic wetlands, cultural heritage and distinctive local traditions.
Elks roam the Qinhu Lake National Wetland Park. [Photo/zhjjwx.jsjjw.cn]
With rare freshwater wetlands – including large reed swamps and shallow paddy fields – the park supports 251 species of wetland wild plants and 392 species of wild animals.