On Aug. 11, Xi’an released the results of its first special survey on wild plant resources, identifying 12 new recorded species in the city. Experts said the constant discovery of new recorded species is strong evidence of ongoing improvements in local ecological environment and continuous strengthening of protection efforts.
Wang Yong, Director of the Resource Management Section at the Xi’an Qinling Ecological Environment Protection Administration (Xi’an Forestry Bureau), introduced that this survey covered routine field investigations across all 11 districts, 2 counties, and the Xi’an-administered area of the Xixian New Area. The results show that there are 3,040 species (including subspecies) of higher plants belonging to 1,054 genera and 260 families in Xi’an, among which 46 are national key protected wild plant species and 66 are provincial key protected ones of Shaanxi. This represents an increase of 816 species compared to the existing record of 2,224 species (documented in the Geography of Xi’an City published in 1988).
The survey also collected 8,215 photographs of 2,229 wild plant species and 42 video recordings, providing visual data for species identification, distribution mapping, and ecological habit analysis. Additionally, 2,900 plant specimens and 100 seed samples were collected and preserved for a long term, offering physical support for germplasm conservation and ecological restoration.
Wang Yong noted that this survey fills the gap in systematic survey of wild plant resources in Xi’an, providing solid data support for biodiversity protection, ecological restoration, and scientific natural resource management. Going forward, Xi’an will precisely identify rare and endangered plant species, strengthen dynamic monitoring and scientific research on their habitats, and shift protection efforts from “reactive rescue” to “dynamic monitoring and population expansion”.
It is reported that Xi’an will also advance technological breakthroughs in artificial propagation and wild reintroduction of endangered plants, improve mechanisms for joint law enforcement, ecological restoration, and germplasm propagation of wild plants, and continuously consolidate and expand achievements in the protection of wild plants and biodiversity.