Xishuangbanna garden: Daunting path to paradise

By Yang Cheng and Li Yingqing (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-07-09 07:43

Following his release, Cai again led efforts beginning in 1972 to develop the garden, with 1,000 plant species rescued and more than 2,000 new species planted.

By 1978 new offices, plantations and national, provincial-level research all took root, but the garden's development continued to be challenging. Cai died in 1981, floods hit in 1984 and 1985, and an earthquake shattered the area in 1988.

Yet administrators and experts continued to blaze new trails, with enterprises in tourism, pharmaceuticals and science established in the 1980s, when a total of 10 million yuan was spent on renovation.

In 1997, the garden's annual income hit 10 million yuan, which supported its further development, stabilized its staff and increased scientific research, Chen said.

Its number of plant species collected has gradually increased to more than 4,000 and it has sponsored a range of nationally recognized research. Its tropical plant germplasm bank was begun as scientific facilities were improved. In 1997, it was combined the Kunming Institute of Ecology.

On a fast track

In 1998, XTBG became a pilot project in the CAS Knowledge Innovation Program and has since made further advances in scientific research, species conservation, collections and education.

The garden now has 20 research groups. Among the 1,000 academic papers they have released, 248 have been published in international peer-reviewed journals and 30 books based on their research have been published.

Its herbarium now has more than 100,000 specimens, mainly vascular plants from tropical and subtropical areas, with photos of all identified plants on the XTBG website.

A 20-hectare tropical rainforest dynamics plot has been started in conjunction with the Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve Administration Bureau.

The garden's number of plant species has increased to 12,000, now one of the richest preserves of outdoor plants in the world.

"The garden's overall layout and scenery have also been improved to meet the province's goal of enhancing tourism," Chen said.

Some 600,000 people visit the garden every year. Its tropical botanical museum now hosts about 300,000 visitors annually.

The garden also creates 500 job opportunities for local youth and generates other income to the local economy.

Some 34 species have been identified for economic use, with 14 now in pilot experiments and 12 under development. Various species have been commercialized and produced across a total of 4,000 hectares.

Research into energy derived from the physic nut tree shows particular promise for China.

The garden also offers training and post-graduate studies for students from Southeast Asian nations.

It has been designated as a research and internship center for many of the nation's prestigious universities.

To Chen's delight, the garden's faculty continues to grow in depth and strength. In 1998, XTBG staff included only two PhDs and eight research groups. Today 46 members of its staff hold PhDs and the number of research groups has increased to 20.

XTBG is now itself accredited to award PhD degrees as well as serve as a workstation for postdoctoral research.

About 200 doctoral and master's degree candidates, 10 post-doctors and visiting scholars are now conducting research at the botanical garden.

Ten XTBG professors serve in international academic organizations or sit on the editorial boards of international peer-reviewed journals.

It also has six full-time foreign research fellows and 10 international students and postdoctoral researchers.

Chen said the garden "will become a world-class botanical garden and a thriving research center for plant biodiversity conservation and ecology".

To meet the goal, the garden has spent 70 million yuan to upgrade its research conditions and the plantation zones and opened a new 18,000 sq m research center.

(China Daily 07/09/2009 page7)

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