Bogeda Biosphere Reserve
( 2005-09-13 )

The Bogeda Biosphere Reserve is located in the east part of the Tianshan Mountains on the southern brim of the Kurbantungut desert of the Zhunger Basin. Covering an area of 217,000 hectares, it was established in Fukang County of Northwest China'sXinjiangUygur Autonomous Region in 1990, and mainly protects the altitudinal landscape and rare wild animals and plants.

Ranging from its highest elevation at 5,440 meters to the lowest at 440 meters above sea level, this biosphere reserve encompasses glaciers, (sub-) alpine meadows, forests, steppes, deserts, sand dunes, and alluvial plains. One habitat of special interest is the mid-mountain forest, which prevents floods and erosion and represents an important water reservoir for the area. The well-preserved Haloxylon vegetation along the southern edge of the Kurbantungut desert is an important barrier preventing the spread of the desert.

Tianchi, or theHeavenly Lake, is situated close to Bogeda Peak, a prominent peak of the Tianshan Mountain Range.

In the biosphere reserve grows more than 300 species of wild medicinal plants, such as caladiums, angelicas, roots of Co donopsis Pilosula, and snow lotus, and so on, and inhabits over 100 rare animal species like brown bears,snow leopards, ferret-polecats and snow cocks, of which eight species are listed as important animals protected by the state.