Ecological monitoring boosts conservation in Qinghai-Xizang Plateau

September 1 this year marks the first anniversary of the Law of Ecological Conservation on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau coming into force. Over the past year, significant progress has been made in establishing a monitoring system for ecological environments, natural resources and biodiversity.

A three-dimensional monitoring system has been put in place at the Sanjiangyuan National Park, overcoming the challenges of harsh conditions and low efficiency.

In late August, the migration and calving of Tibetan antelopes had just concluded, and the footage captured by the new monitoring equipment indicates an increase in their numbers.

"This footage from the Wubei Bridge monitoring point shows over 100 migrating Tibetan antelopes," said Wang Yue, a staff member at the Ecological Monitoring Information Center of the Sanjiangyuan National Park Administration.

The monitoring system now covers 190,700 square kilometers with over 1,000 monitoring sites, providing real-time data on ecological types, natural landscapes and wildlife in typical areas. Data is continuously sent to the computing center in Xining City, the capital of Qinghai Province, replacing the previous method where staff had to manually input data.

"It used to take us four to five weeks to complete tasks from park inspection to data validation and submission. Now, we can acquire data through macro-remote sensing, submit it, and analyze it at the big data center in one week," said Jin Daiying, director of the Ecological Monitoring Information Center.

"The pleasant climate only occurs for a few months on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau. The established remote monitoring system helps us overcome the arduous working environment, including high altitude and low oxygen, and provides real-time and accurate data," said Zhu Yanpeng, chief engineer at the Institute of Ecology, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences. "This plays a significant role in preserving regional ecology and supporting informed decision-making."

(Cover is a still.)