China: BGCI's plant conservation brochure published

06.07.10

(text and image from BGCI news pages) One in every five people on the planet is a resident of China. But China is not only the world’s most populous country – it is also a nation of superlatives when it comes to floral diversity: with more than 33,000 native, higher plant species, China is thought to be home to about 10% of our planet’s known vascular flora.

This botanical treasure trove is under growing pressure from a complex chain of cause and effect of unprecedented magnitude: demographic, socio-economic and climatic changes, habitat conversion and loss, unsustainable use of native species and introduction of exotic ones, together with environmental contamination are rapidly transforming China’s ecosystems.

There is a steady rise in the number of plant species that are on the verge of extinction. BGCI therefore seeks to assist China in its endeavours to maintain and conserve the country’s extraordinary botanical heritage and the benefits that this biological diversity provides for human well-being. It is a challenging venture and represents one of BGCI’s core practical conservation programmes.

This brochure aims to give evidence of this commitment and to document and illustrate BGCI’s work in China with concrete examples.

Download the brochure (6MB pdf)

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