Background
Lake Poyang is the largest freshwater lake in China. It is located in the province of Jiangxi, about 50 km north of the city of Nanchang. At Lake Poyang, the water level of areas subject to flooding varies in the course of the seasons considerably. During the dry season the lake area shrinks and forms a complex of wetlands and mud areas. These attract up to half a million of water fowl that use the lake as wintering area. Among these birds are found remarkable species such as the Siberian Crane (Grus leucogeranus) - more than 3,500 specimen (representing 95 % of world’s population) – and the White-naped Crane (Grus vipio) with more than 2,000 individuals. During the rainy season, in late summer, the lake surface shows a four-fold increase up to an area of 4,400 sq. km.
Project Implementation
In cooperation with the Chinese Living Lakes partners MRLSD and the International Crane Foundation (ICF), GNF is carrying out a project to protect the threatened Siberian Crane. Equipped with satellite transmitters the birds provide scientists insights into their ecology and behavioral patterns. These data are of great importance to effectively protect the Siberian Crane. Two young Cranes could be equipped with transmitters in their breeding area in Russia and were successfully tracked to Lake Poyang in China. The collected data will enter into an environmental impact study for the planned construction of a dam at Lake Poyang.
This project was financed by Lufthansa in the framework of the “Miles to Help“ Programme.