This Site is an inland wetland ecosystem characterized by flat and open valleys, oxbow lakes and thaw lakes with large areas of herb, shrub and tree-dominated marshes. Stretched over the north- and south-facing slopes of the Lesser Khingan mountains in north-east China, it is typical of the forested wetland ecosystems of the northern mountainous region. The boundary of the Ramsar Site is the same as that of the Heilongjiang Youhao National Nature Reserve; over 70% is covered by marshes, which are preserved in a natural state. It has a large area of original red pine forests and a variety of wild plants such as Pinus koraiensis, Phellodendron amurense and Chosenia arbutifolia. With 836 plant species, 221 birds, 47 mammals, 19 amphibians and reptiles and 43 fish, the Site plays an important role in protecting rare wild plants and animals. The wetland is an important breeding place for waterbirds, including the critically endangered yellow-breasted bunting (Emberiza aureola), the endangered Blakiston’s fish owl (Bubo blakistoni) and the vulnerable Siberian musk deer (Moschus moschiferus). The forest and wetland ecosystems in the area provide important services at the catchment scale in conserving water, maintaining soil and water quality, and regulating climate and surface runoff.