For four decades, the true scale of life atop Cangshan Mountain in Southwest China's Yunnan province remained a mystery. Now, the results of a massive three-year scientific census have revealed that the mountain range, representing a tiny fraction — 0.25 percent — of Yunnan's land, is home to nearly a quarter of the province's plant species.

The survey, released on Friday, is the most systematic study of the 1,000-square-kilometer range in the Dali Bai autonomous prefecture since joint international expeditions in the 1980s. It confirms Cangshan as a hot spot for biodiversity, according to Zhong Mingchuan, a member of the research team.

Researchers documented over 4,600 plant species, 578 vertebrates and several species entirely new to science. "This is the first time we have truly understood what exists in Cangshan," said Zhong, who is also head of the Yunnan Academy of Forestry and Grassland. "It answers the most fundamental questions about the region's biological resources."

Scientists established a comprehensive vegetation classification system for the mountain and identified previously unrecorded vegetation types, including monsoon evergreen broadleaf forests. According to Xiang Chunlei, a researcher of Kunming Institute of Botany at Chinese Academy of Sciences, each species plays a unique role in maintaining ecological balance.

"It is difficult to say that any single species is more important than another," Xiang said. "But within the ecosystem, each one is irreplaceable."

Beyond biodiversity, the study highlights the mountain's crucial role in sustaining the nearby Erhai Lake, a major freshwater body in the region, Zhong said.

Using advanced isotope analysis, researchers found that more than 65 percent of the lake's water originates from surface and groundwater systems nourished by the mountain.

The survey also documented improving ecological conditions over recent decades. Vegetation coverage has generally increased since the late 1980s, while about two-thirds of the area is now classified as being in "good" or "excellent" ecological health, she said.

For local communities, the scientific findings confirm what they've already experienced.

In Guangming village on the western slope of Cangshan Mountain, resident Chen Jiaru has seen growing interest from visitors eager to learn about the mountain's ecology.

"Some tourists come specifically to understand its natural environment," he said. "Our village is becoming a window for people to learn about its biodiversity."

Villagers have begun hosting study groups and offering guided walks, often working with visiting educators, while local elders share traditional knowledge about the mountain's vegetation.

Meanwhile, conservation efforts are also becoming more targeted.

At a management station within the Cangshan Erhai national nature reserve, head ranger Zhao Tichao said the survey provided a clearer direction for their work. "We now have a better understanding of what species are here. It helps us focus our conservation efforts more effectively," he said.