A wildlife field survey is under way in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, local forestry authorities said on May 20.

The four-year survey will focus on the distribution, habitats and populations of wildlife in Tibet, as well as habitat protection and wildlife breeding. It will create a database and enable a comprehensive evaluation of the region's wildlife resources.

Survey experts have divided the region into 19 geographical units consisting of all wildlife and their habitats, which include forests, grasslands, meadows, wetlands and deserts.

The survey is the second of its kind conducted in Tibet. The first one was conducted from 1998 to 2001.

Tibet has 795 species of vertebrates, of which 141 are under national- or regional-level protection.