Fire-destroyed Wild Almond Forest BurgeonsThe almond forest destroyed by a fire at the border between Kazakhstan and China last year began to burgeon recently.A forest expert said it will take five to 10 years for the forest to fully revitalize. The fire only destroyed parts of trees above the ground and did not damage their roots. The 400-hectare almond forest, believed to be the largest of its kind in the world, is located in Yumin County of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It was completely destroyed when a fire broke out last August in Kazakhstan and quickly swept across the border to Xinjiang by strong winds. The fire lasted more than 10 hours. Only a few almond trees were saved despite the efforts of local residents and soldiers. The almond tree is an ancient rare species. The almond preserve in Xinjiang is the leading world research center in the study of the evolution of the almond. |
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