Conservation of wild plants takes root

China has established seven national forest and grass germplasm resource banks that have collected and preserved more than 28,000 species of wild plants, an official said on Tuesday.

Yan Zhen, deputy director of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, disclosed the information at an event in Beijing marking the 13th World Wildlife Day. This year's theme is "Medicinal and Aromatic Plants: Conserving Health, Heritage and Livelihoods".

As part of efforts to advance an ex-situ conservation network for wild plants, the administration has also set up two national botanical gardens and three key laboratories, Yan said. More than 300 species have been successfully reintroduced into the wild.

Yan said the administration is spearheading development of an in situ conservation system centered on national parks, alongside a systematic effort to integrate and optimize protected areas.

More than 500 in situ conservation sites for rare and endangered wild plants have been established, bringing 65 percent of higher plant communities and 80 percent of key state-protected wild plant species under effective protection, he said.

The country's first group of five national parks, established in 2021, now cover nearly 30 percent of key terrestrial wildlife species under state protection, according to a media release issued by the administration on Tuesday.

In a video address, Ivonne Higuero, secretary-general of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, underscored the global importance of China's medicinal plants. "In China, from the mountains of Yunnan to the grasslands of Inner Mongolia, medicinal and aromatic plants have shaped daily life for thousands of years," she said.

Species such as licorice root and juniper are woven into China's cultural memory, scientific tradition and deep connection to wildlife, she said. As one of the world's major traders of wild-harvested medicinal plants, China sits at the heart of global supply chains that support health, livelihoods and cultural practices worldwide.

"Billions of people rely on these plants every day. They enrich our diet, support traditional and modern medicine and sustain rural and indigenous communities," she said.

More than 1,500 medicinal and aromatic plant species are now regulated under CITES, she said.

"Our mission to conserve them remains urgent. Climate change, pollution and illegal or unsustainable harvesting place escalating pressure on wild species," she said.

This year's World Wildlife Day theme "reminds us that as demand for wild-source products grows, so does our responsibility to manage these resources with care, science and long-term vision," she added.

"Conserving medicinal and aromatic plants is an investment in our shared future," she said. "Let us honor the knowledge and practices passed down through generations and ensure that our shared natural and cultural heritage endures far into the future."

houliqiang@chinadaily.com.cn