Recently, Dr. Zhou Jinfeng, the Secretary-General of China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF), attended the Beijing Forum on Cultural Landscape and Urban Biodiversity Conservation, and interviewed by BTV on the issues of biodiversity conservation, existing threats and environmental importance of Swift.
Beijing Swift is slightly larger than the common swallow. Its feathers are black and brown, and its chest and abdomen are white with longitudinal lines. They are streamlined in appearance, flying very fast, and are famous insect-eating birds. In addition, Beijing Swift, as the only migratory bird in the world named after Beijing, is also the typical species of Beijing and one of the ecological signs of Beijing.
So, what role does Swift play in Beijing's biodiversity? In response to questions from reporters, Dr. Zhou said that Beijing, like other parts of the world, is facing a sharp loss of biodiversity. Since the reform and opening up, the number of swifts has dropped significantly. According to the survey data provided by the Bird Watching Association of CBCGDF in 2014, there are only about 3,000 swifts in Beijing at present. This disappearance is mostly due to the reduction of traditional buildings and the demolition of buildings such as towers, temples and ancient pagodas. It is difficult for Beijing Swifts to find homes where they can nest.
What is the impact of Swift on Beijing's ecological environment? Will the decrease of Swift affect the living environment of Beijing?
Dr. Zhou said that Beijing Swift is not only flying fast and far, but also a famous insect-eating bird. A Swift can catch more than 7,000 insects a day. A Swift can catch no less than 250,000 insects during the whole brooding period. It's no exaggeration to say that the Swift is the "patron saint" of Beijing's forests.
However, in the process of Beijing's modernization, pesticides are usually sprayed to solve tree diseases and insect pests. However, chemical pesticides will not only selectively eliminate pests, but wipe out all kinds of organisms, including the food needed by swifts. In this case, the number of swifts will decrease again. Therefore, CBCGDF also advocates that we should not use chemical pesticides but use nature's own repair ability to achieve ecological balance.
In addition, Dr. Zhou stressed that Swift is also a migratory species, and the protection of Swift in countries along the migratory route is also crucial. Surprisingly, the migratory route of swift is basically coincided with "the belt and road initiative" advocated by our country. It is an excellent opportunity for China to carry out ecological civilization and the community of common destiny with the help of Swift's protection to promote cooperation in ecological environment protection". At the same time, the protection of Swift is not only for Beijing, but also for the Middle East and South Africa. Therefore, the protection of Swift also requires the participation of the global people, and to make national efforts and contributions to meet the requirement of ecological civilization and the construction of the community of common destiny.
(Photo source: Internet)
(Photo credit: CBCGDF)
Original Chinese article:
http://www.cbcgdf.org/NewsShow/4854/8977.html
By / Li Xue