BEIJING -- Results of a recent assessment showed marked improvements in ecological protection across national nature reserves in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and the Yellow River Basin, China's Ministry of Ecology and Environment said Monday.

All 18 national nature reserves in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region were rated either "excellent" or "good" in the assessment, ministry spokesperson Pei Xiaofei said at a press conference. Pei highlighted the recovery of wildlife populations, including an increase in the brown eared pheasant population in Beijing, as evidence of continued progress.

The assessment also covered 137 national nature reserves across nine provincial-level regions in the Yellow River Basin, where 99.27 percent were rated "excellent" or "good," Pei said.

Specifically, efforts to curb soil erosion and desertification have delivered remarkable results, while population of key endangered species, such as giant pandas and snow leopards, have risen steadily, the spokesperson said.

The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region is among China's most densely populated areas and a major industrial hub, while the Yellow River Basin is widely regarded as a cradle of Chinese civilization. Given the ecological fragility of both regions, restoration efforts have been stepped up in recent years.