Unspoiled valley above Bita Lake, near Lijiang © Ron Geatz/TNC

Why the Conservancy Selected This Site
Extending more than 300 miles along Yunnan's border with Myanmar, the narrow, jagged Gaoligong mountain range meets with the Salween River in a dramatic 500-mile-long gorge. The mountains form a divide between two major rivers in Asia, with the Salween, known to the Chinese as the Nu River to the east and the Irrawaddy to the west. Two more great rivers, the Yangtze and the upper Mekong, converge where the mountains meet the Nujiang River gorge. Remote and rugged, the Gaoligong Mountains are recognized as a global biodiversity hotspot and the epicenter of plant endemism in northwest Yunnan.

Plants
Because of its abundant precipitation, appropriate microclimate, and huge elevation span, the Northern Gaoligong Mountain Range project area has been identified as an unusual miniature museum of biodiversity. It is roughly estimated that some 3,500 species of plant, including spermatophyte, fern and macro-fungi occur in the resort of intact old-growth forest. Specifically, the Gongshan project area is home to about 55 endangered or rare seed plants and a total of 318 plant species found nowhere else on Earth. Various ornamental plants ranging from fern to orchid make the project area a natural garden.

Animals
Situated at the transition zone of animals from north to south and from west to east, more than 400 vertebrate species and 1,700 invertebrate species have been recorded in the Gongshan Nature Reserve. Scientists believe the number will rise as the Conservancy conducts further surveys of the area.

Threats
Unfortunately, the Northern Gaoligong Mountain Range project area is under increasing pressure from incompatible development and human use. The number one threat to China's aquatic resources is neither over-fishing nor industrial pollution, but rather dams and reservoirs. Currently, the central government is developing plans to build a series of 13 dams along the Nu River with power generation combining to become China's second largest hydroelectric project—undoubtedly posing a major threat to the Nu River ecosystem.

Our Conservation Strategy
The Nu River is one of the last two remaining river systems in China with its ecological integrity still intact. For this reason, there is still great urgency to protect this healthy and incredibly valuable ecosystem before it is too late. Elements of our strategy include:

• Coordinating with key partners—government bureaus, international organizations and projects, and local communities—to conserve these precious and valuable resources and ecosystems.
• Aligning conservation strategies with targets and threats to the rich biodiversity and wealth of cultural heritage.
• Meeting with community members to understand their needs and relationship with their environment.
• Providing technical assistance to Nature Reserve managers in implementing conservation area management plans.
• Helping to develop policy and legislation to support protected areas at the local, provincial, and national levels.

What the Conservancy Is Doing
The Conservancy's work at Gongshan includes:

• Merged the Conservancy's Northern Gaoligong Mountain Range project area is an already established national-level reserve through an official partnership with the Yunnan Provincial Forestry Department.
• Held community workshops to understand local communities' needs and relationships with their environment and to help nature reserve staff develop focused conservation strategies.
• Assessed the legal framework, staffing, training needs, community support, and long-term financial planning of the Gongshan Management Bureau as the first step toward helping strengthen reserve management.

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