Several new plant species discovered in SW China nature reserve over past decade

CHONGQING, May 15 (Xinhua) -- Five new plant species have been discovered in the Yintiaoling national nature reserve in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality over the past decade, the reserve's administration center said.

The center has jointly cooperated with the Chongqing Natural History Museum, and some other local universities and scientific institutions, to conduct a comprehensive and special survey of biological resources in the reserve over the past ten years.

Relevant research results have been published in plant taxonomy journals such as Phytotaxa and Acta Botanica Boreali-Occidentalia Sinica.

During this survey, researchers found that the reserve boasted a variety of rare and endangered species. Among the 3,595 species of vascular plants found in the reserve, there are 74 species of key protected wild plants, including 51 species at the national protection level.

The survey not only revealed more about the family background of protected plants in the Yintiaoling national nature reserve, but also enriched knowledge concerning the flora of Chongqing, providing a reference for biodiversity conservation in the municipality.

The Yintiaoling national nature reserve in Chongqing has a complex geological structure, including an altitude difference of nearly 2,400 meters between its highest and lowest locations. It preserves a large number of rare and endangered species in the northern mountains of this subtropical region, which is of significant scientific research and protection value.