Beijing home to over 7,000 species

Beijing has a rich ecological landscape with 7,121 species across 151 natural and semi-natural ecosystems, according to the city's first-ever biodiversity white paper.

These figures, based on field surveys conducted between 2020 and 2024, demonstrate that Beijing is one of the world's most biodiverse megacities and highlight the city's significant achievements in biodiversity conservation.

The white paper, released on Thursday, was jointly released by the Beijing Municipal Ecology and Environment Bureau, the Beijing Municipal Commission of Planning and Natural Resources, the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, and the Beijing Municipal Forestry and Parks Bureau.

The field surveys documented 151 types of natural and semi-natural ecosystems, including forests, shrublands, grasslands, marshes, and aquatic vegetation, according to Liu Xianshu, deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Ecology and Environment Bureau.

The 7,121 recorded species include diverse groups such as algae, higher plants, vertebrates, insects, macro fungi, and benthic macro invertebrates, Liu added.