Current view: Text account
Site description (2009 baseline):
Site location and context
Gaoligong Shan is located on the western boundary of Yunnan Province, and extends 135 km from north to south, and 9 km from east to west. There is no human habitation within the nature reserve, but there are 10 townships in the surrounding areas. The natural vegetation cover is 74.4%. The central and southern parts of Gaoligong Shan are the watershed of the Lungchuan Jiang and Nu Jiang rivers.
Non-bird biodiversity: Nationally protected plants include Taiwania cryptomerioides and Alsophila spinulosa. Animals include Presbytis phayrei, Hylobates hoolock, Nycticebus coucang, Budorcas taxicolor and Muntiacus gongshanensis.
Conservation responses/actions for key biodiversity
Established as a nature reserve in 1983, and upgraded to Gaoligong Shan National Nature Reserve (124,459 ha) in 1986. In 2000 Gaoligong Shan was merged with Nu Jiang Nature Reserve to become an enlarged Gaoligong Shan National Nature Reserve (404,600 ha). The original Gaoligong Shan Nature Reserve is now the southern section of this large reserve. This IBA was designated under the World Heritage Convention in 2003 as part of the ‘Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas World Heritage Site’. It is also part of the ‘Gaoligong Mountain Biosphere Reserve’, which was designated in 2000 under UNESCO’s Man and Biosphere (MAB) Programme.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Gaoligong Shan Nature Reserve (southern section) (China (mainland)). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/gaoligong-shan-nature-reserve-(southern-section)-iba-china-(mainland) on 22/11/2024.
