The 16th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the Convention on Biological Diversity was held in Cali, Colombia. At the 8th Summit for Subnational Governments and Cities, a parallel event of the COP16, Beijing earned the prestigious title of "Biodiversity Charming City". 

In recent years, Beijing has achieved remarkable progress in protecting biodiversity. Beijing ranks second among G20 capitals with 612 terrestrial wild vertebrate species found so far, including 519 species of birds. Additionally, 2,088 vascular plant species have been documented. The city is steadily growing into a "capital of biodiversity" as its biodiversity keeps expanding.

Ancient trees in Zhongshan Park

[Photo by Wu Yibin]

Beijing carries out list-based protection and management for key species of flora and fauna. For those that are particularly unique, the city has implemented several protection measures. Especially in the protection of genetic germplasm resources, Beijing pioneered the comprehensive physical examination of all ancient trees and notable trees in the region, setting up a "physical examination" file for each tree.

Beijing has also included a variety of natural forest germplasm resources in its key protection efforts, and established a national key laboratory for efficient breeding and utilization of resource insects, fostering a robust framework for the protection and utilization of genetic germplasm resources.

(Source: Beijing Daily App)