Scientists work together to protect transnational species
updated: 2024-07-30 15:12:51

Chinese and Tajik experts discuss wildlife survey routes on the Pamir Plateau in Khorog, Tajikistan, in July last year. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY


The survival of wild animals transcends national boundaries, making the research and protection of transnational species a paramount concern for international scientists. Organized by Chinese scientists, scientists from Central Asian countries such as Tajikistan have embarked on a two-year joint research effort, venturing into the wilderness to search for the transboundary Marco Polo sheep in the Pamir Plateau.


"Through joint surveys, we have found that the core habitat of the Marco Polo sheep in the Pamirs is already fragmented. We need to establish ecological corridors to link these habitats together, ensuring their genetic exchange, to protect this species, because if genetic exchange is impeded, this species will decline," said Yang Weikang, a researcher at the Sino-Tajikistan Joint Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Biological Resources.


Yang, deputy director of the Conservation and Research Center for Biodiversity of Arid Land at the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, supported by his team brought validated research methods for wild animals from China to Tajikistan. Through methods such as geotagging, based on a decade of observational data, they have determined the global survival status, distribution, and migration routes of the endangered species, the Marco Polo sheep.


"The Marco Polo sheep will move according to seasonal changes in search of water and grass, and will migrate to certain locations for reproduction, mainly traversing between China, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan," said Yang.


The Sino-Tajikistan Joint Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Biological Resources is a platform for biodiversity research and talent development jointly established by the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and relative research institutions of Tajikistan.


The laboratory also collaborates with research institutions in Central Asian countries such as Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan, conducting surveys of wild animals and plants as one of its important tasks.


"In the past, scientists studying the Marco Polo sheep from various countries rarely participate in academic exchanges. However, transboundary species require cooperation among various countries for effective protection," Yang said.


The Sino-Tajikistan Joint Laboratory, since its establishment in March 2022, has organized a slew of academic exchanges and field research that brought together scientists from multiple sides to jointly apply for international cooperation projects, organize international conferences, and collaborate in training master's and doctoral students.


"Understanding which national borders they cross during migration, when they cross, their population distribution, habitat fragmentation, and the survival crises they face all require international exchange and cooperation," Yang said.


The Marco Polo sheep is an endemic species of the Pamir Plateau, also known as the Pamir argali sheep, and is classified as near threatened on the IUCN Red List. Currently, there are only around 30,000 Marco Polo sheep, with over 20,000 in Tajikistan, and several thousands in countries such as China and Kyrgyzstan.


In May, the laboratory submitted a consulting report to the Tajikistan government, hoping that Central Asian countries could work together to protect the Marco Polo sheep, especially by renovating border fences to facilitate the migration and genetic exchange of populations.


National security considerations have led some Central Asian countries to install wire fences along their borders, totaling over 20,000 kilometers, which has a significant impact on migrating species. Some populations have been fragmented into small groups, with around 400 individuals in Afghanistan and around 100 in Pakistan.


"Based on the migratory corridors of wild animals, we suggest that relevant border management departments of each country enhance the scientific management of border fences, and even consider modifying them, to ensure smooth migration between countries during the migration season," he said.


Yang mentioned that during the years of research in the Pamir Plateau, they received a lot of help from local residents, leading to a deeper mutual cultural understanding.


"During our research in the plateau, we often stay in nearby villages, where villagers provide us with rooms and food, and scientists from various countries sleep together on a large kang (a big, hard bed)," Yang said.


The Marco Polo sheep is not only a flagship and umbrella species on the plateau but also a sacred animal in the minds of local people.


"Through the exchange of protection for the Marco Polo sheep in the Pamir Plateau, local governments and people trust us more, and have become more supportive and actively involved in the Belt and Road Initiative," Yang said.


He emphasized that China's Belt and Road Initiative involves not only economic development and infrastructure construction in countries along the route but also cultural exchanges and people-to-people bonds, with biodiversity conservation being a crucial component.


Source: China Daily