Huang He Plain mixed forests


The Huang He Plain mixed forests ecoregion covers the flat lower ranges of the Yellow River. This area is generally known as the North China Plain. While there is some forest habitat, the region has mostly been converted to agriculture, being one of the most populous areas in the world.

Location and description

The Huang He Mixed Forests ecoregion covers the North China plain, a large alluvial plain which collects the deposits of the lower reaches of the Yellow River, the Huai River, and the Hai River. The plain is very flat, and averages only 50 meters above sea level. Almost 3% of the land area is urbanized.

Climate

The climate of the ecoregion is Humid continental climate, warm summer, with a dry winter. This climate is characterized by large seasonal temperature differentials and a warm summer (at least four months averaging over, but no month averaging over, and cold winters having monthly precipitation less than one-tenth of the wettest summer month.

Flora and fauna

As of 2012, only 15% of the surface area of the ecoregion was in its natural state; the majority of the land is devoted to agriculture. A 2005 conservation study reported that the Huang He ecoregion was only 3.29% covered by protected areas, and that the area is "now so populated and degraded that options for PA development are very limited".