6 New Species Discovered in a Scientific Survey of the Helan Mountains in Inner Mongolia

The press conference for the results of the second comprehensive scientific expedition to Helan Mountain in Inner Mongolia was held in Hohhot on September 4. The conference introduced that this threeyear systematic scientific expedition discovered 6 new species, covering groups such as vascular plants, lichens, and insects. The newly discovered species include shortstalked onion, Helan Mountain milkvetch, powdery orange crustose lichen, ulcerous orange crustose lichen, Shanan smallpored lichen, and broadprotrusion Cari usnea. Through techniques such as molecular sequencing and infrared cameras, the expedition team further clarified the species inventory of the nature reserve. The total number of basic species in the region has now reached 4,598. The press conference also mentioned that Helan Mountain's wildlife populations have recovered significantly, with populations of blue sheep and sika deer remaining stable, and breakthroughs have also been made in snow leopard conservation. Relevant departments said that this scientific expedition has scientifically verified the effectiveness of years of grazing bans in the enclosed mountain area, mine remediation, and ecological restoration, and the overall condition of the Helan Mountain ecosystem continues to improve.