Biodiv Sci ›› 2009, Vol. 17 ›› Issue (3): 280-287.  DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1003.2009.08293

• Editorial • Previous Articles     Next Articles

The in situconservation of state key protected wild plants in national nature reserves in China

Hu Yuan1,2, Yinbo Zhang3, Haining Qin4, Yan Liu1, Mei Yu2,*()   

  1. 1 College of Landscape Architecture, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083
    2 State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093
    3 College of Environmental Science and Resources, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006
    4 Center for Documentation and Information, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093
  • Received:2008-11-17 Accepted:2009-05-04 Online:2009-05-20 Published:2009-05-20
  • Contact: Mei Yu

Abstract:

In situ conservation, that is, the establishment of nature reserves, is the best means to protect rare and endangered wild plants. By collecting and analyzing the distribution information on state key protected wild plants, we investigated the protected conditions of these species within the national natural reserves as of 2008 based on the data available in China. The results indicated that totally 237 state key protected wild plant species (including varieties) have been protected in the national natural reserve system, accounting for 80.07% of the total amount and including 56 species listed in Class I. At the provincial level, national nature reserves in Yunnan, Guangxi, Sichuan, Guizhou and Hunan provinces contributed the most to the protection of state key protected wild plants. We also determined the major distribution areas of these protected wild plants and pointed out the hot spots for in situ conservation by analyzing distribution conditions of protected plants unprotected by national nature reserves in provinces.

Key words: nature reserve, wild plants, in situ conservation, hot spots