%A Yiming Hu, Weiqi Li, Zhigang Jiang, Wulin Liu, Jianchao Liang, Yizhou Lin, Zhiwen Huang, Haihua Qin, Kun Jin, Huijian Hu %T A wild yak survey in Chang Tang of Tibet Autonomous Region and Hoh Xil of Qinghai Province %0 Journal Article %D 2018 %J Biodiv Sci %R 10.17520/biods.2017340 %P 185-190 %V 26 %N 2 %U {https://www.biodiversity-science.net/CN/abstract/article_27819.shtml} %8 2018-02-20 %X

The wild yak (Bos grunniens), which is endemic to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, mainly distributed in Chang Tang region of Tibet, Hoh Xil and Sanjiangyuan regions of Qinghai and Altun Mountain of Xinjiang. In this study, we used field data and data from the published literatures to estimate the population of wild yaks as well as their distribution in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the adjacent areas in China. Field surveys were conducted in Chang Tang of Tibet, Hoh Xil of Qinghai between 2012 and 2014. According to our field survey, there were 11,222-21,072 wild yaks in Chang Tang of Tibet, and 659-1,793 in Hoh Xil of Qinghai. Although our results indicate that the population of wild yak has increased since 1990s, the distribution area of wild yak is shrinking. With the changing of the global climate and the intensifying of human activities on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, stronger actions to protect the endemic species in this area are still needed.