Key Biodiversity Areas

Zayü (15492)
China (mainland), Asia

Site overview


KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2009
National site name: Zayü
Central coordinates: Latitude: 28.4667, Longitude: 97.1000
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 700 to 6764
Area of KBA (km2): 2323.29557
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes

Site details


Site description: Zayü is located at the south-eastern tip of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, where the Himalayas meet the Hengduan Shan mountains. The IBA includes the largest glacier in Tibet. The habitats include tropical evergreen rain forest below 900 m, montane broadleaf evergreen forest at 900-2,400 m, montane coniferous-broadleaf mixed forest at 2,400-3,200 m, coniferous forest at 3,200-4,200 m, and alpine scrub and grassland at 4,200-4,800 m.
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: Nationally protected animals include Selenarctos thibetanus, Ursus arctos, Ailurus fulgens, Capricornis sumatraensis and Panthera tigris.
Delineation rationale: Polygon provided by Wendall – source unknown. Accuracy difficult to determine. Boundary overlaps with disputed region of Arunachal Pradesh.

Habitats


IUCN HabitatCoverage %Habitat detail
Forest50
Grassland50