The Western Ordos Plateau as a Biodiversity Center of Relic Shrubs in Arid Areas of China

Abstract.

The western Ordos plateau in the central-north of China is abundant in relic shrub species. Totally 54 shrub species belonging to 31 genera in 16 families are found in 10 desert shrub communities,including 10 local endemic species, five relic shrub species, and seven threatened species defined by the China Red Data Book. The percentage of the threatened shrub species to the total is as high as 12.9%, much greater than the national average (3.5%). Although a National Natural Reserve has been established since 1998 in the western Ordos plateau, the exploitation of mining resources continues to expand at a significant biological cost. Given the circumstances, future conservation efforts should focus on (1) removing coking and cement facilities from the reserve; (2) defining the boundaries of the Western Ordos National Natural Reserve encompassing all habitats where these shrub species occur; (3) implementing comprehensive plans coupling conservation with economic development; (4) enforcing ecological restoration after mining; and (5)␣establishing comprehensive population monitoring systems and promoting ex situ conservation. In addition, two local endemic relic species (Tetraena mongolica and Helianthemum ordosicum), which were defined as rare species in the second conservation priority by the China Red Data Book, should be considered as endangered species in the first conservation priority rank due to the extremely restricted distribution ranges, extremely scarce populations and more prominently, the currently increasing human disturbances caused by mining and urbanization in the core conservation area of the western Ordos plateau.