Rare, endangered plants reintroduced into China's Three Gorges Reservoir area

This photo taken on March 12, 2024 shows Plantago fengdouensis in Guojiaba Township of Zigui County, central China's Hubei Province. (Xinhua/Hu Jingwen)

WUHAN, March 12 (Xinhua) -- A total of 3,000 artificially bred rare and endangered plants were reintroduced into the wild in the Three Gorges Reservoir area in central China's Hubei Province on Tuesday.

The plants, including 1,000 Myricaria laxiflora and 2,000 Plantago fengdouensis, are endemic to the Yangtze River and have been reintroduced into their historical distribution areas through artificial breeding efforts.

Planting the two species, which feature strong resistance to water flow and waterlogging, not only plays a role in soil reinforcement and bank protection in the water-level fluctuation zone of the Three Gorges Reservoir area, but also helps with restoring biodiversity in the Yangtze River Basin, said researchers.

Among the 2,000 Plantago fengdouensis, 500 were descendants of space-mutation breeding plants, marking the first time that the space-breeding species has been reintroduced into the wild.

Huang Guiyun, senior engineer at the Yangtze River biodiversity research center of the China Three Gorges Corporation, said the researchers will monitor the survival rate and growth of these space-mutation breeding species, and select those with excellent traits for better restoration of the ecological environment in the water-level fluctuation zone.

Students water Myricaria laxiflora in Guojiaba Township of Zigui County, central China's Hubei Province, March 12, 2024. (Xinhua/Hu Jingwen)

Students plant Myricaria laxiflora in Guojiaba Township of Zigui County, central China's Hubei Province, March 12, 2024.(Xinhua/Hu Jingwen)

Volunteers plant Myricaria laxiflora in Guojiaba Township of Zigui County, central China's Hubei Province, March 12, 2024.(Xinhua/Hu Jingwen)

Students keep records of Myricaria laxiflora in Guojiaba Township of Zigui County, central China's Hubei Province, March 12, 2024.(Xinhua/Hu Jingwen)

Students plant Plantago fengdouensis in Guojiaba Township of Zigui County, central China's Hubei Province, March 12, 2024.(Xinhua/Hu Jingwen)

Volunteers water Myricaria laxiflora in Guojiaba Township of Zigui County, central China's Hubei Province, March 12, 2024.(Xinhua/Hu Jingwen)