Satellite view of Hainan Island, China Photograph by USGS   Southeastern Asia: Hainan Island, China, in the South China Sea Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests   6,000 square miles (15,500 square kilometers) -- about the size of Connecticut and Rhode Island combined Critical/Endangered

· Wet and Dry
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
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Wet and Dry

Hainan is the second-largest island off the coast of mainland China (after Taiwan), and it supports many endemic species. A moist, monsoon climate during the summer gives way to cool, dry air in the winter. Hainan is home to 4,200 species of plants, almost 100 species of mammals, and 300 species of birds. Many thrive in the monsoon forests.

Special Features

Hainan is about one million years old, and during that time many endemic species have evolved. It rains on Hainan's coastal plains all year long, but on the high, round, forest-covered mountains in the middle of the island, the climate is relatively dry. Plants and animals there have to wait months for the monsoon season to bring heavy, nourishing rains.

	The endemic Hainan leaf warbler was first "discovered" as a preserved specimen in a cabinet in Kunming, China. The bird was mislabeled, and closer inspection found it to be a "new" species from Hainan. Fieldwork showed that the species still survives in the wild, notably in Jian Fengling Reserve.

Wild Side

A surprisingly high diversity of conifer species occurs in the interior uplands of Hainan Island. Two mammal species, the Hainan moonrat and Hainan flying squirrel, are endemic to the island. The Hainan moonrat is a member of the hedgehog family, and it frequently searches for prey in water, feeding on a range of crustaceans, mollusks, and even fish. They will also feed on fruit and berries. Other notable mammal species include the thamin (an endemic subspecies of Eld’s deer), the black gibbon, and the Hainan mole. Hainan Island supports two endemic bird species: the Hainan leaf warbler and Hainan partridge. The ratchet-tailed treepie, white-eared night heron, and pale-capped pigeon also make this ecoregion home. Unfortunately, the white-eared night heron has not been sighted for more than 30 years and may be extinct.

Cause for Concern

Rubber, oil, palm, coffee, and other types of plantations occupy much of the island area. Agriculture is practiced intensively in some areas, and in others, slash and burn cultivation is used. Slash and burn is generally an inefficient way to grow food because a large area of forest is converted to scrub land and only a small proportion is used in any given year. Population pressures, combined with these agricultural practices, have resulted in the degradation of large areas of upland habitat. Deforestation on Hainan increases the risk of species extinction. Forty-five of Hainan’s 4,200 plant species are listed as endangered.

For more information on this ecoregion, go to the World Wildlife Fund Scientific Report.