From 2000 to 2019, 11,895 new names or new additions to the Chinese vascular flora were proposed by 4226 individuals (4086 articles and 140 books), as documented in the Chinese Plant Names Index (CPNI). During those 20 years, 4407 new taxa of vascular plants were described from China, including 7 new families, 132 new genera, 3543 new species, 68 new subspecies, 497 new varieties and 160 new forms. Additionally, 3562 new combinations and names at new rank and 306 new replacement names were also proposed. Among these various new names were 150 invalid names and 108 illegitimate names, including some that have not been resolved. Six hundred and forty three vascular plants were reported as new to China, while 2349 names were reduced to synonyms of 1406 taxa. The data show that the Chinese flora increased in size at the rate of about 200 taxa annually during those years. Despite the increased attention given to biodiversity in recent years, the evidence indicates that a large number of species in China have yet to be discovered. Further basic investigation of the Chinese flora is needed. Additionally, in the past two decades only 8.5% of the newly published species have been based on molecular evidence, but in the past five years such data have increased significantly, reaching about 20%. Molecular data will undoubtedly become increasingly significant in the discovery of new species in the coming years. Yunnan, Guangxi, Sichuan, Xizang and Taiwan were important sources of new discoveries, with more than 3300 new taxa and records from these five provinces. By area, Taiwan and Hainan, two islands in southern China, have the highest density of newly discovered species. Regional plant surveys are still needed, especially in areas in the southwest and on the southern islands.

本文报道了6个中国被子植物新记录种及1个新记录亚种, 分别是采自西藏的灰滨藜(Atriplex pallida)、类球花藜(Blitum litwinowii)、滨藜状藜(Chenopodium atripliciforme)、土耳其针茅(Stipa turkestanica)、扁果岩蓼(Polygonum cognatum subsp. chitralicum)及新疆的宝格达黄芪(Astragalus baitagensis)和神香草叶千屈菜(Lythrum hyssopifolia), 观察了部分类群的微形态特征并提供了生境或形态图。凭证标本均存放于内蒙古大学植物标本馆(HIMC)。

It is an important task in biodiversity conservation to assess species endangerment status and determine protection priorities. Although IUCN Redlist Criteria are improving through periodical revision, people are still developing different criteria because information about population census, habitat status and life history of a given species are often lacking. We reviewed the progress of assessing species endangerment status, both internationally and domestically, and propose that future designations combine distribution area, life history, ecological function, anthropogenic interference and special use data to more accurately assess endangerment status. As an example, we assessed the status of terrestrial vertebrates in China using this method. Our results showed that five species were listed in the category of extinct, 30 species were extinct, 343 species were endangered, 459 species were threatened, 439 species were concerned, and 1,032 species were least concerned.

评估物种濒危等级, 确定物种保护优先序, 是生物多样性保护的一项重要工作。通过不断的修订, IUCN红色名录濒危等级标准已经趋于完善。但是, 目前人们还在探索在无法获得物种的种群数量、生境、生活史数据时, 如何寻找替代指标评估物种濒危等级。我们综述了国内外物种濒危状况研究的进展, 提出了结合物种分布区、生活史、生态功能、人为干扰和特殊利用价值的评估物种受威胁状况的方法, 并以此方法评估了中国陆生脊椎动物的生存状况。结果表明, 列入灭绝级的物种有5个, 功能性灭绝级的物种有30个, 濒危级的物种有343个, 受胁级的物种有459个, 关注级的物种有439个, 无危级的物种有1,032个。

Aims: Making an inventory of the diversity of Chinese higher plants is an important component of the “Catalogue of Life China” project, which aims to annually update the national checklist of all species found within the country. Methods: Using recent studies, we adopted the latest understanding of taxonomic classifications of all major plant groups based upon molecular evidence. We then calculated the total numbers of known and new (i.e., those added in the previous five years) taxa across multiple hierarchical classifications, from species up to family. We report the status of the national inventory of plant species as it stands after accounting for recent taxonomic revisions. Results: Since the 2017 International Botanical Congress (IBC) in Shenzhen, the national checklist has been updated in five instances. The current checklist of Chinese higher plants includes: of the hornworts, four families, nine genera, and 27 species; 62 families, 170 genera, 1,081 species and 94 infraspecific taxa of liverworts; 94 families, 453 genera, 2,006 species and 154 infraspecific taxa of mosses; three families, 12 genera, 165 species and four infraspecific taxa of lycophytes; 38 families, 177 genera, 2,215 species and 228 infraspecific taxa of ferns; 10 families, 45 genera, 291 species and 118 infraspecific taxa of gymnosperms; and 272 families, 3,409 genera, 32,708 species, and 6,909 infraspecific taxa of angiosperms. Higher plants found within the country include a total of 483 families, 4,275 genera, 38,493 species and 7,507 infraspecific taxa. Of these, 19 families, 270 genera and 2,334 species have been added since the 2017 IBC. Conclusion: The inventory includes the total number of known plant species found within China. Updating of the national checklist in the past five years reflects the most recent studies of plant taxonomy within the country, promotes the progress of a global effort to inventory biodiversity, and provides detailed baseline data for flora collections, biodiversity research, and conservation practices.

Aims: Recently, the List of National Key Protected Wild Plants has been updated after a long intermission since its first version issued 22 years ago. In this paper, we illustrated the necessity, urgency, principle, and process of updating the List of National Key Protected Wild Plants (LNKPWP). Methods: We reviewed the situation of plant conservation in China in last two decades and the process of updating the List of National Key Protected Wild Plants. Results: During the last two decades, the increase of human population and economy has had a deep effect on the conservation of plant diversity in China. Thirty species of higher plants in China were assessed as Extinct or Extinct in the Wild, and more than 3,800 species were assessed in threatened status in 2017 due to habitat loss or fragmentation, over-collection, and other factors. Because of this, it was crucial to update the List of National Key Protected Wild Plants (LNKPWP). The project to update LNKPWP began in 2018. Five basic and four supplementary principles of inclusion and exclusion of species in LNKPWP, were discussed and adopted during the process, especially the inclusion of endangered species, and species of important economic, cultural, ecological, and scientific interest. The updated LNKPWP received the approval from the State Council and became a legitimate appendix of the Regulation of Wild Plant Protection of China on 7th September, 2021. In total, there are 455 species and 40 taxa (families, genera or sections) in LNKPWP.

我国是世界上植物多样性最丰富的国家之一, 1999年发布的《国家重点保护野生植物名录》(下称《名录》(第一批))明确了国家重点保护野生植物的范围, 为依法强化保护、规范无序开发利用、提高公众保护意识奠定了基础。20多年来, 我国野生植物多样性保护形势发生了很大变化, 需要对《名录》进行调整。2018年, 国家林业和草原局、农业农村部启动《名录》调整工作, 物种的遴选遵循了5条基本原则和4条补充性原则, 这些原则主要涉及中国珍稀濒危物种, 具有重要经济、文化、科研、生态等价值物种的入选以及部分物种的排除。经国务院批准, 2021年9月7日, 国家林业和草原局、农业农村部发布了调整后的《名录》, 包括真菌类、藻类、苔藓、石松类和蕨类植物、裸子植物和被子植物, 共计约1,101种(455种和40类)野生植物列入其中。本文简要介绍了《名录》调整的必要性、原则和程序及调整后的情况。

Endangered species conservation is an important part of biodiversity conservation, heavily helped by threatened species assessment guides. The assessment of threatened level has gradually evolved from being qualitative to quantitative with qualitative supplement. This paper reviews the research progress of the domestic threatened plant species quantitative assessment system, and introduces the mature IUCN Red List Assessment System, CITES Assessment System, and the National Natural Conservation Association Assessment System. Through this, we propose future development requirements of quantitative assessment criteria for threatened species should have the following characteristics: (1) a clear, unified, and reasonable definition of category setting, (2) quantitative, objective, and non-redundant criteria for endangered categories, (3) adaptation to different geographical range while simultaneously expressing threatened category over different ranges, (4) evaluation indicators contain the dynamic information of the species which can quantitatively analyze the change of the species through time. In addition, the domestic quantitative assessment system for threatened species should form a standardized outline with increased publicity to combine theoretical research with specific conservation actions. Lastly, China should adopt the widely-used endangered rating systems to assess species threatened level and integrate domestic biodiversity conservation work into the global scale.

濒危物种保护是生物多样性保护工作的重要组成部分, 而物种受威胁等级评估则是濒危物种保护的方向指引。经过多年的发展, 物种受威胁等级的评估由定性评估逐渐向定量评估为主、定性评估为辅的方向发展。本文综述了国内植物受威胁等级定量评估系统的研究进展, 同时介绍了国外较为成熟的IUCN红色名录评估系统、CITES评估系统、美国自然保育协会评估系统, 提出未来制定受威胁物种定量评估标准时要兼顾以下方面: (1)等级设置定义要明确、统一且合理; (2)评估标准应该定量化、客观且不冗余; (3)评估系统应该适应不同地理范围, 最好能同时表达出各范围的受威胁等级; (4)评估指标要包含物种动态信息, 能定量分析物种在过去或者未来的变化。此外, 本文认为国内的物种受威胁等级定量评估系统应该形成规范化的大纲, 加大宣传力度, 尽量将理论研究与具体的保护行动结合起来; 同时, 我国还应该采用全球广泛应用的受威胁等级评估系统获取物种受威胁等级, 将国内生物多样性保护工作纳入到全球范围中去。

According to an overview of higher plant diversity in China, China has 35,112 native species of higher plants belonging to 3,818 genera and 454 families. Among them, there are 3,045 bryophyte species in 602 genera and 151 families, 2,124 pteridophyte species in 176 genera and 38 families, 227 gymnosperm species in 37 genera and 8 families, and 29,716 angiosperm species in 3,003 genera and 257 families. Comparisons with recent estimates of global species diversity suggests that the species diversity of Chinese bryophytes, pteridophytes, gymnosperms and angiosperms account for 18.8%, 17.7%, 22.2% and 11.1%, respectively of the global totals. A total of 212 genera are endemic to China with 7 bryophytes, 2 pteridophytes, 7 gymnosperms, and 196 angiosperms. A total of 17,439 species are endemic to China including 524 bryophytes, 840 pteridophytes, 115 gymnosperms, and 15,960 angiosperms. The percentages of endemic species (POES) for each group in the country are 17.2%, 39.6%, 50.7%, and 53.7%, respectively. This translates to a POES of 49.7% for higher plants (including bryophytes, pteridophytes and seed plants), a POES of 52.8% for vascular plants (including pteridophytes and seed plants), and a POES of 53.7% for seeds plants (including gymnosperms and angiosperms). The top 10 families with highest species diversity are Asteraceae (227 genera/2,315 species), Poaceae (215/1,787), Fabaceae (141/1,631), Orchidaceae (205/1,556), Lamiaceae (103/975), Ranunculaceae (38/957), Rosaceae (53/954), Cyperaceae (32/871), Ericaceae (22/841), and Rubiaceae (94/696). The top 12 families with highest endemic genera are Gesneriaceae (26 genera), Asteraceae (18), Orchidaceae (14), Lamiaceae (11), Apiaceae (9), Brassicaceae (9), Apocynaceae (6), Poaceae (6), Melastomataceae (5), Boraginaceae (4), Rubiaceae (4), and Ranunculaceae (4). The top 10 genera with highest species diversity are Rhododendron (588 species), Carex (537), Astragalus (420), Pedicularis (363), Corydalis (357), Primula (310), Saussurea (293), Salix (279), Impatiens (274), and Gentiana (255). The top 10 genera with highest endemic species are: Rhododendron (433 species), Pedicularis (283), Carex (273), Corydalis (258), Astragalus (237), Impatiens (234), Primula (222), Berberis (209), Elatostema (207), and Saussurea (196). Diversity bearing with more than 5,000 species among the seven Chinese provinces is as follows: Yunnan (15,900 species), Sichuan (10,374), Tibet (7,629), Guangxi (7,399), Guizhou (6,405), Guangdong (5,498) and Taiwan (5,290). Among the 17 mega-diversity countries China is ranked the fourth when ordered by total species diversity and, seventh when ordered by POES.

据最新资料统计, 中国有野生高等植物454科3,818属35,112种。其中, 苔藓植物151科602属3,045种; 蕨类植物38科176属2,124种; 裸子植物8科37属227种; 被子植物257科3,003属29,716种。根据世界高等植物多样性相关研究数据, 中国的苔藓、蕨类、裸子植物和被子植物物种多样性分别占世界的18.8%、17.7%、22.2%和11.1%。中国高等植物特有属共212属, 其中苔藓7属、蕨类2属、裸子植物7属、被子植物196属; 特有种共17,439种, 其中苔藓524种、蕨类840种、裸子植物115种、被子植物15,960种; 特有种比例分别为17.2%、39.6%、50.7%和53.7%。因此, 中国高等植物中国特有种的比例为49.7%, 维管植物为52.8%, 种子植物为53.7%。物种多样性最高的前10个科依次为: 菊科(227属/2,315种)、禾本科(215/1,787)、豆科(141/1,631)、兰科(205/1,556)、唇形科(103/975)、毛茛科(38/957)、蔷薇科(53/954)、莎草科(32/871)、杜鹃花科(22/841)和茜草科(94/696)。特有属最多的前12个科依次为: 苦苣苔科(26属)、菊科(18)、兰科(14)、唇形科(11)、伞形科(9)、十字花科(9)、夹竹桃科(6)、禾本科(6)、野牡丹科(5)、紫草科(4)、茜草科(4)和毛茛科(4)。物种多样性最高的前10个属依次为: 杜鹃花属(Rhododendron) (588种)、薹草属(Carex) (537)、黄芪属(Astragalus) (420)、马先蒿属(Pedicularis) (363)、紫堇属(Corydalis) (357)、报春花属(Primula) (310)、风毛菊属(Saussurea) (293)、柳属(Salix) (279)、凤仙花属(Impatiens) (274)和龙胆属(Gentiana) (255)。特有种最多的前10个属依次为: 杜鹃花属(433种)、马先蒿属(283)、薹草属(273)、紫堇属(258)、黄芪属(237)、凤仙花属(234)、报春花属(222)、小檗属(Berberis) (209)、楼梯草属(Elatostema) (207)和风毛菊属(196)。物种数目超过5,000种的省区依次为: 云南(15,900种)、四川(10,374)、西藏(7,629)、广西(7,399)、贵州(6,405)、广东(5,498)和台湾(5,290)。在17个世界生物多样性大国中, 按物种多样性排序, 中国略低于巴西, 位列第四; 按照物种特有比例排序, 中国略高于菲律宾, 位列第七。

Aim: The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN Red List) has become the world’s most comprehensive information source on the global extinction risk status of animal, fungus and plant species, a critical indicator of the health of biodiversity and a powerful tool to catalyse action for biodiversity conservation and policy decision. The purpose of this paper is to comprehensively introduce the development and application of the IUCN Red List, to promote Chinese species assessment and wide application in China. Review Results: (1) The history of the IUCN Red List. During the phase of Red Data Book of Endangered Species, it was largely dependent on individual experts’ personal judgement to make decisions on threatened categories. From 1991, the criteria gradually became quantified and unified for all taxon groups. Since IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria: Version 3.1 published in 2001, the categories and criteria has been kept stable and become widely applied around the world. Until now, more than 140,000 species (among them, 10,846 species are distributed in China) have been evaluated at the global level, over 55,000 species evaluated at China country level, and over 100 countries/regions have developed their regional/national Red List. (2) Global criteria and assessment. The category system covers all species in the world, among which, three categories regarded as “threatened”, i.e., Critical Endangered (CR), Endangered (EN) or Vulnerable (VU), must be evaluated by the five set of criteria. The current global level assessment work is mainly completed by the IUCN Species Survival Committee (SSC) and its partners, and there are strict requirements for the assessment. (3) National and regional criteria and applications. Compared with the global application, the category and criteria are applicable to regional applications, only the assessment results should be adjusted if the species population communicates with neighboring regions (or countries). (4) Assessment status of China Red List. The first comprehensive assessment began in 2000 for 10,211 species, and the China Red List of Species was published in 2004. The second comprehensive assessment began in 2008, and the official release began in 2013. By the end of 2021, over 55,000 species assessments were completed, including all terrestrial vertebrates and higher plants, some marine fishes, invertebrates, and large fungi. Yunnan Province has issued the first provincial red list. (5) Application of the Red List. The application of Red List continues to grow rapidly, both globally and in China. The Red List Index is used to measure biodiversity changes over time. The Red List is also applied for decision-making on species conservation priorities and key priority conservation areas, implementation of international conventions, formulating (revising) key protected species list of countries (regions) and protected area management and effective allocation of resources and public awareness raising.(6) Major discussions on Red List application. Since the publication of the Categories and Criteria, major discussions are on the methodology of obtaining data. While a few experts believe that some criteria are flawed and need to be improved, and some others calls for maintaining a long-term relative stable of criteria for comparisons over time.(7) Recommendations on sustainable mechanism and application in China. We recommend to establish China Red List Committee, develop a professional website for China Red List, build capacity of Red List assessors, establish mechanism for receiving and reviewing assessment reports, and strengthen international cooperation to promote application and development of global and China Red List.

IUCN受威胁物种红色名录已经成为世界上最全面的关于全球动物、真菌和植物物种灭绝风险状况的信息来源, 是生物多样性健康的关键指标, 是促进生物多样性保护和决策的有力工具。本文全面介绍IUCN受威胁物种红色名录(简称IUCN红色名录)的发展以及应用状况, 积极推动其在中国的物种评估和广泛应用。总结了IUCN红色名录从依赖于评估专家的主观意志决定物种濒危等级的濒危物种红皮书(Red Data Book)到IUCN受威胁物种等级和标准(3.1版)的客观量化和所有门类使用统一标准的过程。该等级体系可囊括全球所有物种, 其中“受威胁”的3个等级——极危(CR)、濒危(EN)或易危(VU)需使用5个标准进行量化评估, 对评估规范有非常严格的要求。该等级和标准体系不仅适用于全球层面, 同样也适用于地区层面物种评估, 只是在具体物种种群如果和周边其他地区(国家)存在种群交流情况时, 评估结果要进行调整。迄今为止, 全球层面使用该等级体系和标准评估了14万多种(其中在中国有分布的物种10,846种), 100多个国家和地方制定了地区/国家层面的红色名录, 中国红色名录评估了5.5万多种。IUCN红色名录已广泛应用于评估生物多样性变化速度; 为保护规划提供决策信息; 支持履行国际公约、修订国家/地区重点保护物种名录和自然保护地管理等; 指导资源有效合理分配和宣传教育等。广泛应用过程中, 讨论主要集中在获取数据的方法改进上; 另外, 一方面有专家认为标准存在缺陷需要完善, 另一方面有呼吁维持标准的长期相对稳定, 以便进行跨时间、跨区域、跨物种门类的比较。本文提出来了中国红色名录的持续机制和应用建议, 包括建立中国红色名录委员会、建立中国红色名录专业网站、发展评估专家队伍、建立中国红色名录评估更新机制, 以及加强国际协作、促进全球和中国红色名录的应用和发展。