Chongqing - Chongqing has released its first forestry biodiversity report, presenting a citywide assessment of wildlife, plant resources, conservation systems, and ecological management, local officials said at a press conference on May 19.

Wang Shuxiang, deputy director of the Chongqing Forestry Bureau, said the Chongqing Forestry Biodiversity Bulletin 2025 is the city's first comprehensive forestry biodiversity review and China's sixth provincial-level report of its kind.

View of the Chongqing Yintiaoling National Nature Reserve. (Photo/Chongqing Forestry Bureau)

The bulletin covers biodiversity status, conservation systems, management practices, and future priorities, providing a record of Chongqing's natural resources and protection work.

Since the start of China's 14th Five-Year Plan period, which runs from 2021 to 2025, Chongqing has pursued ecological protection alongside green industrial development. By the end of the period, forest coverage remained above 55%, while total forestry output reached 182.2 billion yuan (about 26.8 billion U.S. dollars), according to the bulletin.

The municipality also completed ecological restoration across 4.68 million mu (312,000 hectares) of key areas and treated 1.55 million mu of rocky desertification land. Officials said Chongqing recorded zero summer forest fires in 2025 for the first time.

By the end of 2025, Chongqing had more than 4.5 million hectares of forest, 29,000 hectares of grassland, and over 270,000 hectares of wetlands. Authorities had identified more than 800 species of terrestrial wild vertebrates and over 6,000 species of wild vascular plants.

Birds fly over wetlands in Liangping District, Chongqing. (Photo/Chongqing Forestry Bureau)

The bulletin said the number of key protected animal species rose from 112 in 2022 to 124. It cited species such as the black leaf monkey and forest musk deer, which depend on intact forest ecosystems, as examples of wildlife whose populations have remained stable or increased.

Black leaf monkeys in a forest habitat in Chongqing. (Photo/Chongqing Forestry Bureau)

Chongqing has built a two-layer conservation network. The first is in situ conservation. After optimization, the city is expected to have 116 protected areas, eight important terrestrial wildlife habitats, and nine migratory bird corridors. Officials said more than 90% of Chongqing's key protected wild animals and plants are concentrated in these zones.

A forest musk deer, a nationally protected species in China. (Photo/Chongqing Forestry Bureau)

The second layer is ex-situ conservation, which protects endangered species outside their original habitats through zoos, rescue centers, breeding institutions, and germplasm resource banks. Chongqing has bred more than 1,800 nationally protected animals, rescued about 7,000 wild animals, and preserved 5,229 valuable plant germplasm samples. The protection of the endangered Chinese thuja was cited as a leading local example.

The bulletin also highlights stronger governance measures. Chongqing has adopted wildlife protection regulations and implemented the forest chief system, a Chinese ecological governance mechanism that assigns forestry protection responsibilities to officials at different administrative levels.

Under the system, Chongqing established a "one chief, three officers" structure involving forest chiefs, supervisors, technical advisers, and forest rangers. Over the past five years, officials have conducted more than 3 million forest inspections. The city has also deployed more than 30,000 ecological forest rangers and nearly 5,000 supervisors and advisers.

Authorities said conservation efforts are also being linked with rural development. Chongqing has promoted under-forest industries and eco-tourism, cultivated 45 prosperity villages, and supported 79 major forestry operators. 

In Datianchi Village in Chongqing Liangjiang New Area, local forestry programs combine woodland-based farming with cold-water fish breeding across about 800 mu. The projects have also supported small wetland restoration, created more than 200 jobs, and raised average household income by over 3,000 yuan.

Public engagement has also expanded. Chongqing has developed more than 30 nature education sites, including protected areas such as Jinyun Mountain, Fairy Mountain, Shuanggui Lake, and Jinfo Mountain. These venues offer public programs such as plant identification and birdwatching, helping expand environmental awareness among residents.

View of the Jinfo Mountain National Nature Reserve in Chongqing. (Photo/Chongqing Forestry Bureau)

Looking ahead, Wang said Chongqing aims to raise the effective protection rate for key wild animals and plants from the current above 90% to more than 95% by 2030.