1101 species of wild plants under China's key protection
China is one of the countries with the richest species of wild plants. There are more than 36,000 species of higher plants alone, of which 15,000 to 18,000 are endemic, accounting for nearly 50% of the total number of higher plants in China.
Silver fir, Davidia involucrata, Baishanzu fir, and Huagao are all rare and endangered wild plants unique to China.
Recently, with the approval of the State Council, the newly adjusted "List of National Key Protected Wild Plants" (hereinafter referred to as the "List") was updated and released again after a lapse of 22 years.
The key protected wild plants selected by the new "List" include 455 species and 40 categories of whole families, whole genera or whole groups, and the total number of species has reached 1101.
These selected wild plant species (categories) are classified into national first-level and second-level protected wild plants according to their endangered and rare degree and their value.
The new "List" includes 54 species and 4 categories of national first-level protected wild plants, a total of about 125 species; and 401 species and 36 categories of national second-level protected wild plants, a total of about 976 species.
Kiwifruit resources are under key protection for the first time
Bryophytes are the second largest family in the plant kingdom, spread all over the world.
There is moss in the moss that people see on the stone steps of the roadside.
But moss is extremely sensitive to environmental changes.
Due to environmental pollution, deforestation and habitat destruction, the populations of many bryophytes have drastically decreased in recent years and are even close to extinction.
Among the national key protected wild plants selected this time, bryophytes appeared for the first time.
Zhang Li, director of the Moss Professional Committee of the Chinese Botany Society, once introduced that through the joint efforts of scientific researchers, a total of 5 species of bryophytes have been included in the revised "List".
These include the scarce and critically endangered Ceratophyllum moss.
At the same time, Guangxi firewood, Guangxi green plum, Dabieshan five-needle pine, hairy branch five-needle pine, and honey locust have also been promoted to national first-level protected plants; fan fern, cylindrica sylvestris, tentooth flower, etc. are due to the large or lack of species. Direct threats and other factors were removed.
China is known as the original center of kiwifruit.
At the beginning of the 20th century, a New Zealand female teacher brought back kiwifruit seeds from Yichang, Hubei Province, China, and tried to plant them successfully.
Then the kiwifruit produced in New Zealand gradually occupied the world market.
Based on the protection of germplasm resources, the "List" included five wild kiwis, including Chinese kiwi, Chinese kiwi, golden kiwi, striped kiwi, and large-seed kiwi, into the scope of protection.
Preventive protection against overdevelopment
Compared with the "List" released in 1999, the protection levels of 18 wild plants have been adjusted this time, 268 species and 32 categories have been added, and 35 wild plants have been deleted.
The updated "List" also follows the "precautionary principle": some species have important economic value or potential economic value, have been artificially used or may be artificially used, although they have not yet reached endangered status, if they are not used Restriction, it is very likely to become an endangered species.
Under this standard, plants affected by man-made excavation have also entered the scope of attention of the "List".
Sphagnum moss in bryophytes is the main vegetation for water conservation in swamps, and can absorb water several times higher than its own weight. Therefore, it is also widely used as a flower cultivation material by the horticulture industry and has a great market demand.
Excavation of wild peat moss is very common in the northeast forest area and the southwest mountainous area.
Jin Xiaohua, a researcher from the Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, participated in the revision and coordination of the "List".
He introduced that in response to possible threats caused by over-exploitation and utilization, the "List" includes three types of bryophytes, including Cypress moss, sphagnum multi-sphagnum, and sphagnum sphagnum; at the same time, orchids and wild tulips are added. , Xing'an Rhododendron and Snow Rabbit and other species.
Private collection and uncontrolled mining are both illegal (further reading)
Wild plants included in the "List of National Key Protected Wild Plants" are protected by law.
The "Regulations of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of Wild Plants" stipulate that the collection, sale and purchase of wild plants under national first-level protection are prohibited.
The collection, sale, and purchase of wild plants under national secondary protection must be approved by relevant departments.
Since March 1, 2021, the Supreme People’s Court and the Supreme People’s Procuratorate have added the "Crimes of Endangering National Key Protected Plants."
Yiling