The International Day for Biological Diversity is celebrated each year on May 22 globally, as part of the efforts to raise biodiversity awareness. The theme in 2025 is “Harmony with Nature and Sustainable Development”. According to the Suzhou Municipal Ecological Environment Bureau, as of the end of 2024, the city recorded a total of 4,353 species, including 1,578 species of terrestrial vascular plants, 355 species of terrestrial vertebrates, 1,135 species of terrestrial insects, and 1,285 species of aquatic creatures. It is among the top in Jiangsu Province in terms of biodiversity.
Suzhou Industrial Park recently finished a survey on biodiversity of the Yangcheng Lake, the Jinji Lake and the Dushu Lake in spring. The surveyors from Nanjing University conducted observations of species such as zooplankton, benthic animals, aquatic plants, fish and birds to evaluate the status quo of biodiversity in the region.
As the spring migration season gradually comes to an end, the migratory bird habitats in Suzhou such as the wetlands around the Yangcheng Lake, the Jinji Lake and the Dushu Lake have become the breeding grounds for birds like whiskered terns, Chinese pond-herons and night herons, where the birds can find sufficient food and shelter.
In recent years, Suzhou has made stepped-up efforts to further promote biodiversity conservation. It has already built 18 biodiversity observation stations. Meanwhile, the construction of the Xishan “ecological island” experimental zone in Wuzhong District is in full swing.
