【Xinhua News】Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) unveiled the 2025 catalogue of biological species in China on 22 May, documenting a total of 162,717 species and infraspecies, including dragonflies and earthworms for the first time.
"Biodiversity is the foundation of sustainable development, and a species catalogue reflects the richness of a country or region's biological resources," said Ma Keping, Professor of Institute of Botany of the CAS, Deputy Director and Secretary-General of the Biodiversity Committee of the CAS.
Ma emphasized that the catalogue aims to clarify China's biodiversity "inventory" and advance related studies and protection measures.
The 2025 edition adds 7,353 species and infraspecies compared to the 2024 version. Notably, the animal kingdom saw the inclusion of 4,994 new species and 470 infraspecies, while the plant kingdom added 458 species but removed five infraspecies. The fungi kingdom expanded by 1,405 species and 31 infraspecies.
A significant milestone this year was the inclusion of dragonflies and earthworms, filling previous gaps in these groups of the catalogue. The catalogue now lists 895 dragonfly species and infraspecies, along with 405 earthworm species and infraspecies.
Since 2008, the committee has been compiling and updating the catalogue annually.
Ma said that future efforts will focus on digital advancements to enhance the integration and sharing of species data, offering more precise support for worldwide biodiversity protection.
Source: China releases updated biodiversity catalogue
【Xinhua News】Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) unveiled the 2025 catalogue of biological species in China on 22 May, documenting a total of 162,717 species and infraspecies, including dragonflies and earthworms for the first time.
"Biodiversity is the foundation of sustainable development, and a species catalogue reflects the richness of a country or region's biological resources," said Ma Keping, Professor of Institute of Botany of the CAS, Deputy Director and Secretary-General of the Biodiversity Committee of the CAS.
Ma emphasized that the catalogue aims to clarify China's biodiversity "inventory" and advance related studies and protection measures.
The 2025 edition adds 7,353 species and infraspecies compared to the 2024 version. Notably, the animal kingdom saw the inclusion of 4,994 new species and 470 infraspecies, while the plant kingdom added 458 species but removed five infraspecies. The fungi kingdom expanded by 1,405 species and 31 infraspecies.
A significant milestone this year was the inclusion of dragonflies and earthworms, filling previous gaps in these groups of the catalogue. The catalogue now lists 895 dragonfly species and infraspecies, along with 405 earthworm species and infraspecies.
Since 2008, the committee has been compiling and updating the catalogue annually.
Ma said that future efforts will focus on digital advancements to enhance the integration and sharing of species data, offering more precise support for worldwide biodiversity protection.
Source: China releases updated biodiversity catalogue