Bitahai Wetland. 07/12/04; Yunnan; 1,985 ha; 27°5033N 099°5910E. Provincial Nature Reserve. An alpine wetland between 3,000 and 4,260 meters above sea level, with swamps, lake, peat lands, and adjacent forest cover. The site has very high hydrological values such as flood prevention and control in the key catchment zones of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau; as part of the Jinsha River watershed in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, it supplies water to the aquifers and stabilizes the flow in the lower reaches of the Yangtze. The lake is the home of the endemic fish Ptychobarbus chungtienensis chungtienensis and the vulnerable Black-necked crane Grus nigricollis and, situated within the Central Asia and East Asian-Australasia Flyways, it is an important wintering and stopover site for many migratory birds. The Reserve attracts a large number of tourists every year, and partnerships with academic institutes have been established to study and monitor its ecology. Human uses are largely husbandry and agriculture, with a majority of cash income generated from collecting and selling Tricholoma matsutake mushroom, raising cows, and selling dairy products. Since Ramsar designation in 2004, management efforts have been scaled up: frequent patrols were put in place to prevent illegal hunting and fishing, and training on management and biodiversity conservation has been provided to staff. Ramsar site No. 1434. Most recent RIS information: 2012.

Yunnan