Abstract: How to identify areas worth assigning as priority biodiversity nature reserves is a key task that needs researching.A review was presented of advancements in the study of the world on evaluation of areas of priority for biodiversity protection.On such a basis,attempts were made to establish a complete set of criteria including general standards and identifying standards for evaluation of priority biodiversity nature reserves in China,and expatiate concrete connotation of its index system and evaluation criteria.The general standards must be accorded as basic qualification of a priority protected area.The identifying standards are judged by relevant indexes.If a site accords with one or more index of identifying standards,it can be identified as priority protected area.The general standards consist of three aspects:(1) area has great meaning to biodiversity conservation;(2) area at natural or near natural state;(3) area has enough size to support its major protected subject living.The identifying standards consist of eight aspects:(1) area has more than 2 000 kinds of high plants or 300 kinds of vertebrates;(2) area has more than 40% of high plants or vertebrates in its bio-region or province;(3) area has more than 40% of endangered species,national protected plants or national protected animals in its bio-region or province;(4) area has more than 40% of peculiar species in its bio-region or province;(5) area has more than 1% of one species which lived here in normal condition;(6) area has more than 10% of distributing areas of one species which lived here in normal condition;(7) area has an ecosystem which is typical representative or peculiar type;(8) area has wildlife population with outstanding scientific or cultural meaning.

Key words: biodiversity, protected area, evaluation criteria