A group of some 100 Chinese scientists have found nine species of animals and plants and 69 species of fungus in Yunnan Province, southwest China, after two years of investigation.

Yang Yuming, a well known Chinese bamboo expert, said the new plants, found in the Dawei Mountain Nature Reserve, include five varieties of crabapple, three varieties of bamboo, and one amphibian.

The nature reserve, which covers 2,000 hectares of virgin forest, is one of China's most well-preserved tropical rain forests. And this is the first systematic scientific investigation ever carried out there.

According to Yang, there are 3,619 seeded plant varieties in the reserve, about 40 percent of China's total. He attributed the reserve's rich bio-diversity to its low latitude, thick forests and high elevation.

To better protect the nature reserve, the provincial government has applied for State government's approval to have the reserve listed under national protection.