Tarim Euphrates Poplar Forest Nature Reserve (15449)
China (mainland), Asia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2009
National site name: Tarim Euphrates Poplar Forest Nature Reserve
Central coordinates: Latitude: 41.1667, Longitude: 84.8333
System: freshwater, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 900 to 950
Area of KBA (km2): 5669.87101
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Located 120 km south-west of Korla and 325 km south south-west of Urumqi. The Tarim River is the largest inland river in China, and the Populus euphratica forests along its banks form a green corridor in the desert. However, the intensive cultivation and development of its upper course in the Aksu area has caused water shortages and pollution, and affected the breeding and migratory birds.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance because it meets one or more previously established criteria and thresholds for identifying sites of biodiversity importance (including Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, Alliance for Zero Extinction sites, and Key Biodiversity Areas)
Additional biodiversity: Non-bird biodiversity: Historical record of Panthera tigris, but it is now locally extinct. Other animals include Vulpes vulpes, Camelus bactrianus, Cervus elaphus and Gazella subgutturosa.
Delineation rationale: Polygon from World Database of Protected Areas (WDPA). Accuracy difficult to determine.
Habitats
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Wetlands(Inland) | 33 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 33 | |
| Shrubland | 33 |