
China Animals and Plants
Which animals live in China?
China is one of the countries with the most animal species. 10 percent of the world’s total species population lives in China. Of these, more than 2,400 animal species can be found on land and almost 4,000 in water. In China there are also some rare animal species that are almost extinct. This includes the cute panda bearthat can weigh up to 135 kilograms. His diet is only available in sufficient form in China, because he lives only on bamboo and bamboo shoots and he eats a large amount of them. Bamboo grows abundantly in China, less in other regions of the world. So the panda bear is very difficult to keep in zoos. There are around 1,700 pandas in China. The number can change quickly, however, up or down. However, they are now trying to do a lot to protect the stocks. The panda bears make their home in the bamboo forests on the eastern edge of the Tibetan plateau.
The black and white panda bears are also called “giant panda” or you can find the name “giant panda”. The “little panda”, also known as the “red panda”, is also very cute. It is at home in the eastern Himalayan mountains and you will find it mainly in the southwest of China. Its main food is bamboo. He is also one of the endangered animals.
Because pandas are just so cute, we have created a little video for you in which there are lots of pandas to discover.
Both the red panda and the giant panda are critically endangered and some now live in zoos outside of China.
Rare animals in China
The blue sheep can survive in Tibet because it adapts to the living conditions there accordingly. Snow leopards also have a home in the Tibetan plateau. They are also protected, but are still hunted by fur hunters. The snub- nosed monkey, which can be recognized immediately by its nose, is also threatened. The South China tiger and the China alligator are also threatened, as are the Yangtze dolphins and many other animals.
And also?
One of the most beautiful birds in China is the silver pheasant, which can also be discovered in the forests and bamboo forests to the south or east. Only well-adapted animals survive in the deserts in the north and north-west. Deserts, mostly in the northwest, cover 20 percent of the country. Big animals like camels live here as well as the small gerbils. But reptiles also find favorable living conditions here.
What is growing in China?
As a country located in Asia according to indexdotcom, China is also a leader in plant species. There are almost 32,000 species of higher plants here. In China, for example, you can still find largely untouched natural areas. Above all, the areas in the northeast, which are difficult to access, have been able to retain their originality. In other regions it looks different, because this diverse flora and fauna is threatened in China. Rivers and lakes have been poisoned by sewage, the exhaust gases can no longer breathe people in the big cities and the growth of the population destroyed whole areas due to the construction of apartments and houses. And more and more areas are being used for agriculture. Major projects such as the Three Gorges Dam (compare also: What is the Three Gorges Dam?) endanger animals and plants.
In the east of China there are large steppe landscapes, which are especially important for the shepherds. Coniferous forests predominate in northeast China. Here you will find spruce, pine and larch. In southern China mainly grow tropical forests. Unfortunately, these are also being pushed back further because the forests are being cleared to create plantations, for example for the cultivation of rubber. The floodplains in the lowlands are mostly used for agriculture because of their fertility. Much of this lowland and hilly landscape in the south and in central China is covered by rice terraces.
Bamboo
The bamboo forest takes up about 3 percent of the total forest area in China. 500 types of bamboo grow, which on the one hand serve as food for the animals, but are also an important economic asset. The hard bamboo wood serves as an important building material. There are bamboo forests in 18 of the 22 Chinese provinces.
And also?
Most of the plants in China grow in the south, especially in Yunnan Province. Half of all plant species in China are found here. The magnolias and rhododendrons that are so popular with us also grow here. In the higher mountain areas, poppies thrive and many different types of orchids can be discovered in the mountain meadows. The dragon tree, whose red resin is used to improve blood circulation, plays an important role in traditional Chinese medicine.
Rice cultivation
Rice has probably been grown in China for 10,000 years. The cultivation is still done by hand and, especially in the hilly areas, only traditional and simple tools can be used. But there is a rice harvest up to three times a year if nature doesn’t thwart people.