1300 Rare plants find refuge in Three Gorges Dam area

The Three Gorges dam area is now home to over 1,300 species of endemic, rare and endangered plants with around 29,000 plants in total, according to the Yangtze River Rare Plant Research Institute of CTG. Among which, over 100 species have been successfully artificially propagated.

Since its inception in 2007, Yangtze River Rare Plant Research Institute has been committed to the protection of rare and endangered plants and turning the Three Gorges dam area into a major botanic garden of rare and endangered plants rich in biodiversity in the basin of the Yangtze River, said Huang Guiyun, deputy director of the institute. To ensure the survival rate of transplanting, the researchers base their work on the biological characters of plants and adhere to the principle of matching the types of vegetation to the environment most akin to their natural habitat. The plants are transplanted at the institute’s botanic garden, the greenhouse or various special gardens, where they are taken care of by the dedicated staff.
Thanks to relentless efforts over the years, eight special gardens have been built by the institute, for rare plants and Rosaceae, Aceraceae, etc. The artificially propagated rare plants by the institute include National Grade 1 Protected Plant Species Adiantum reniforme var. sinense and Chinese yew, National Grade 2 Protected Plant Species Myricaria laxiflora and Plantago fengdouensis, etc. All of them have been employed in restoring the ecology of Three Gorges dam area and building the special gardens.