Abstract:

Background & Aims: Guangdong Province, located at the southern tip of China’s mainland, is one of the most representative areas of subtropical evergreen broadleaf forests in China. Its complex and diverse ecosystem harbors approximately 6,658 native wild higher plant species. However, rapid economic development and high population density pose significant challenges to plant diversity protection. In response, the Guangdong Forestry Bureau has formulated the Planning of Plant Ex situ Conservation System in Guangdong Province (2024-2035) to advance research in plant conservation, promote the exploration and application of plant resources, and support sustainable economic and social development.

Results: The plan confronts current existing challenges and deficiencies by enhancing coordination among ex situ conservation institutions in the Pearl River Delta city cluster and in the eastern, western, and northern regions of Guangdong. (1) It establishes a three-level conservation framework comprising national, regional, and native botanical gardens, with the national botanical garden as the central core, supported by regional and native sites. (2) The plan also introduces a structured system for promoting, withdrawing, and assessment to enable dynamic supervision of regional and native botanical gardens. (3) To optimized ex situ conservation outcomes, the plan recommends a comprehensive strategy involving “Homologous Lineage-Transplantation and Ex situ Conservation” and “Near situ Conservation” to preserve critically threatened plants in different regions of Guangdong. (4) The plan also emphasized the development of conservation institutions, advanced management platforms, research facilities, and skilled teams. Together, these initiatives aim to create a dynamic, effective ex situ conservation network, an innovation-driven research system, a diversified green industry, an interdisciplinary talent training system, and a region-specific natural education program. This comprehensive development will enhance the institutional capacity of ex situ conservation efforts in Guangdong.

Outlook: By 2035, the plan targets protecting over 80% of the key protected wild plants and over 70% of the rare and endangered wild plants distributed in Guangdong Province. This initiative aims to create a model of integrated plant protection and sustainable utilization, positioning Guangdong as a leading region in national biodiversity conservation. This plan offers both theoretical support and practical guidance for the high-quality development of regional biodiversity conservation across the region in the new era.

Key words: spatial arrangement, regional botanical garden, native botanical garden, task of construction, development goals