The Wuhan University Luojia Mountain Conservation Area was honored as one of the 40 potential cases of Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs) at the second OECMs China Potential Case Symposium, recently held in Beijing.

This initiative aims to advance the localization, standard exploration, and pilot construction of OECMs, thereby supporting global biodiversity conservation goals. OECMs, an innovative conservation strategy under the Convention on Biological Diversity, refer to areas outside traditional protected zones that achieve long-term in-situ conservation of biodiversity through effective governance and management.

The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework has set an ambitious "30 by 30" target, aiming to protect at least 30 percent of the world's terrestrial and marine ecological spaces by 2030. OECMs are considered a crucial approach to achieving this goal.

The WHU conservation area includes Luojia Mountain, Shizi Mountain, Yuehu Lake, and cultural relics on the campus. It boasts a typical subtropical deciduous broadleaf and evergreen needleleaf mixed forest ecosystem, serving as a vital habitat for rare plants like Taxus chinensis and Metasequoia glyptostroboides, as well as over 200 bird species.

The campus has conducted biodiversity baseline surveys and monitoring for over a decade, resulting in publications such as the "Luojia Mountain Plant Color Atlas" and the "Luojia Mountain Bird Handbook".

A native plant demonstration garden has also been established, and biodiversity awareness has been promoted through events like the "Nature Observation Festival".

The conservation area has enhanced urban biodiversity through the integration of ecological protection, scientific research, education, and cultural heritage, serving as an important platform for teaching and public education.