China is one of the richest countries in plant biodiversity in the world and also has a high level of endemism. It boasts about 30,000 species of plants. However, plant diversity in China is increasingly threatened due to rapid industrialization, extensive urbanization, and explosive economic growth. Twenty percent of China's total higher plants are threatened with extinction.  As a result, effective protection of plant diversity is a major problem and challenge that has to be faced. 

 To seek measures for plant conservation issues in China, the International Association of Botanic Gardens (IABG) hosted an international symposium at the Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden from Nov 8 to 11.

   International botanists, horticulturists, professors and researchers gathered together at the IABG International Symposium on Plant Conservation in China. The participants included Prof. Vernon Hilton Heywood, chairman of the IABG, Dr. Paul Smith from Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI), Prof. Chen Jin, chairman of Chinese Union of Botanical Gardens (CUBG) and director of Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG), Prof. Huang Hongwen of south China Botanical Garden, etc.

  The botanists and researchers shared their views on China’s strategy for plant cultivation and conservation.

   Academician Chen Xiaoya delivered a welcome speech. Afterwards, Prof. Chen Jin, Prof. Vernon Hilton Heywood, and Prof.Gu Xiaojun addressed the opening the international conference.

  The conference focused on assessment of China’s existing plant conservation policy and the state of implementation. It also discussed current problems, how to develop a plant conservation program that takes into account the special characteristics of the Chinese situation and context, and ways of promoting cooperation between plant conservation research institutions and nature reserves, with a view to ensuring the conservation of Chinese plant resources through the adoption of efficient and effective procedures and protocols.

  A total of 18 lectures were delivered on three major topics: analysis and assessment of the state of plant conservation in China, developing a plant conservation network that integrates protected areas with botanical gardens, and proposing a conservation strategy suited to the Chinese situation and context and the formulation of the key elements of a revised national strategy for plant conservation and an implementation plan.

Lecturer interacts with audience

Prof. Vernon Hilton Heywood, chairman of the IABG, speaks

Acadmician Chen Xiaoya speaks

Prof.Chen Jin of XTBG speaks

Participants at the international symposium