Dramatic improvement

However, her work situation has improved dramatically in recent years as China bolsters its efforts to enhance biodiversity conservation.

Peng and her team still have to patrol the reserve for observation and survey work, but she no longer needs to do so as frequently thanks to access to high-tech equipment.

In addition to three unmanned aerial vehicles for monitoring, the protected area of the reserve now has 46 infrared cameras, according to the reserve's managing authority.

Manually spraying pesticides is also unnecessary, as unmanned aerial vehicles take care of the task.

Peng has seen the number of employees working in species protection at the reserve grow from five in 2006 to 18 today.

However, Mengda is not alone in improving its facilities, equipment and technology as ecosystem monitoring capabilities are boosted in other areas of Qinghai and across the country.

Ren Yong, head of ecosystem protection at Qinghai's Department of Ecology and Environment, said the province has set up a monitoring system that covers all areas under its jurisdiction.

While the province resorts to remote sensing to monitor different types of ecosystems, such as high-altitude marshland and prairies, authorities responsible for protected areas also carry out separate monitoring of specific species, he said. "Generally speaking, the province has established a system that consists of both micro and niche monitoring," he said. Ren said field monitoring is often used in the province to verify problems detected by remote sensing.

Eighteen percent of China's land territory is protected, according to the Ministry of Ecology and Environment.

These protected areas have brought 90 percent of ecosystems and 85 percent of key wild animal populations under effective protection, said the ministry, which has been promoting the construction of a national monitoring network for biodiversity conservation.