China plans to conserve 8,000 more native plants over next 15 years:expert

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 ◆ China plans to conserve 8,000 more native plants over next 15 years:expert

Chinese scientists plan to transplant about 8,000 species of native plants for conservation in the coming 15 years, bringing the country's total number of conserved native plants to 21,000.

Huang Hongwen, director of the Wuhan-based Institute of Plants, which operates under the supervision of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), revealed the plan in an article published by "Science" magazine.

Wyse Jackson, President of Botanic Gardens Conservation International, said the plan is important for the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation.

According to the article, CAS's 12 botanical gardens in China will be home to 21,000 species of plants, two-thirds of which will be native to China, and approximately 500 of which will be rare and endangered ones.

Five plant habitats representing five typical regional plants will be set up during the period, involving plants from northern China, water plants from the Yangtze River valley, evergreen broad-leaved plants from tropical, monsoon southern Asia, plants from tropical limestone monsoon areas, and plants from Hengduan Mountain.

Biodiversity is of great significance for the future development of mankind, which is currently facing severe losses and the degradation of biodiversity, Huang wrote.

That makes it important for China to transplant plants for conservation.