The People's Republic of China is rich in cultural and natural diversity with over 50 ethnic groups and is listed by biologists as a 'megadiversity' country. In terms of biodiversity it comprises more than 30,000 species of higher plants and 2,100 terrestrial vertebrates. Several hundred species are endemic to China, the most famous being the giant panda, the lesser panda and the Yangtze crocodile.
Much of this variety is found in an area of southwest China, where in a few locations the untouched ecosystems are among the most diverse living assemblies in Asia. Since 1950 the forests have been indiscriminately felled reducing forest cover from 30 percent to 13 percent. This has threatened biodiversity, causing drastic declines of mammal and bird counts, recurrent flooding and erosion, and recurrent snow disasters. These not only threaten global climate, but also undermine the livelihood of the local people.
