青藏高原是全球生物多样性最丰富的地区之一，羌塘－三江源、岷山－横断山北段、喜马拉雅东南部和横断山南段等区域是我国生物多样性保护优先区域。高原特有种子植物3760余种，特有脊椎动物280余种，珍稀濒危高等植物300余种，珍稀濒危动物120余种。已建立的自然保护区，有效保护了青藏高原特有与珍稀濒危的动植物及其生存环境。

　　珍稀濒危物种种群的恢复与扩大是生物多样性保护成效的明显标志。研究表明，青藏高原黑颈鹤、藏羚羊、普氏原羚、野牦牛、马鹿、滇金丝猴等的个体数量正在稳步增加。雅鲁藏布江中游河谷黑颈鹤国家级自然保护区建立以来，到此越冬的黑颈鹤逐年增加，约占全球黑颈鹤数量的80%，已成为全球最大的黑颈鹤越冬地。羌塘高原藏羚羊个体数量从2000年的6万多只恢复到2016年的20万只以上，野牦牛个体数量由保护前的6000多头恢复到2016年的10000多头。白马雪山国家级自然保护区滇金丝猴个体数量由保护区建立前的约2000只恢复到2014年的约2500只。此外，在一些地方还发现新的珍稀濒危物种。国际上认为早已灭绝的西藏马鹿，1995年在西藏自治区桑日县被重新发现，且个体数量不断扩大。高黎贡山国家级自然保护区发现极度濒危物种怒江金丝猴。尕海－则岔国家级自然保护区监测到黑头噪鸦等。

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is one of the regions with the richest biodiversity in the world. The Qiangtang-Sanjiangyuan area, the area extending from the Minshan Mountain to the northern range of Hengduan Mountains, the area southeast of the Himalayas, and the southern range of Hengduan Mountains are key biodiversity conservation zones in China. The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has about 3,760 distinctive spermatophyte species, 280 distinctive vertebrate species, 300 rare and endangered species of higher plants, and 120 species of rare and endangered animals. The nature reserves established have effectively protected the rare and endangered wildlife unique to the Plateau as well as their habitats. 

The restoration and expansion of rare and endangered species is obvious evidence of success in biodiversity conservation. According to research, the numbers of black-necked crane (Grus nigricollis), Tibetan antelope (Pantholopshodgsonii), Przewalski’s gazelle (Procapraprze walskii), wild yak (Bosmutus), red deer (Cervuselaphus), and Yunnan snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopi thecusbieti), have increased steadily. Since the establishment of the Black-necked Crane National Nature Reserve on the Middle Reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo River in Tibet Autonomous Region in 1993, the number of overwintering black-necked crane has increased year by year, accounting for 80 percent of the world’s total, and the nature reserve has become the world’s largest wintering ground for black-necked cranes. The number of Tibetan antelope on the Qiangtang Plateau in Tibet Autonomous Region increased from about 60,000 in 2000 to over 200,000 in 2016. And the number of wild yak in this area increased from 6,000 before it was included for protection to 10,000 in 2016. At the Baima Snow Mountain National Nature Reserve in Yunnan Province, the number of Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys increased from about 2,000 in 1988, when the nature reserve was established, to about 2,500 in 2014. Additionally, new populations of rare and endangered species have been found at several localities. The Tibet red deer, which had been considered extinct, was rediscovered in Sangri County, Tibetan Autonomous Region in 1995, and its number is increasing. The Burmese snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopith ecusstrykeri), one of the most endangered species, was found at the Gaoligong Mountain National Nature Reserve in Yunnan Province. The Sichuan Jay (Perisoreus internigrans) was found at the Gahai-Zecha National Nature Reserve in Gansu Province.