Authorities yesterday unveiled a reforestation plan to plant 2.5 billion trees covering more than 5.3 million hectares this year, the top forest management official said yesterday.
Last year, the country increased its forest coverage by 5.2 million hectares, equivalent to 2.27 billion trees. It produced forest goods valued at about 1.2 trillion yuan, 9.85 percent higher than in 2006.
Jia Zhibang is director of the State Forestry Administration.Jia said a recent United Nations survey on global forest resources showed that China's annual forest plantation growth accounts for 53 percent of human-generated global forest growth. China's man-made forest coverage accounts for a third of the world's total.
About 666 million hectares of trees in the world are cut down annually, but China contributes more than 400 million hectares of forest growth to stem that, the SFA's figures show.
"China is one of the countries that embraces fast growth of forest coverage," Jia said. "It has made contributions to counter the negative effects of logging."
Jia said forest administrations of all levels will give priority to protecting and planting trees.
"China's target of increasing green coverage from the current 18.21 percent to 20 percent in 2010 must be met," he said.
Aside from reforestation, protecting wetlands, controlling desertification and protecting wildlife are also on the SFA's agenda for maintaining a healthy ecosystem. The wetlands of the Yangtze, Yellow and Lancang rivers will be put under protection, Jia said.
So far, 47 percent of the country's wetlands have been effectively put under conservation, he said.
This year also marks the 30th anniversary of the country's Three-North Forest Shelterbelt Program, a greenbelt established in the northwest, north central and northeast regions to buffer desertification.
Jia said Minqin county and the Shiyang River basin in Gansu and the Loess Plateau will be key areas for planters fighting encroaching sands.
Questions:
1.How many hectares will be covered by the 2.5 billion new trees planted in China this year?
2.According to SFA figures mentioned, how many hectares of new forest growth does China experience every year?
3.What percentage of the country’s wetlands have been put under protection so far?
4. In what year did the country’s Three-North Forest Shelterbelt Program begin?
Answers:
1.More than 5.3 million.
2.More than 400 million.
3.47 percent.
4.1978.
（英语点津 Celene 编辑）
About the broadcaster:
Jonathan Stewart is a media and journalism expert from the United States with four years of experience as a writer and instructor. He accepted a foreign expert position with chinadaily.com.cn in June 2007 following the completion of his Master of Arts degree in International Relations and Comparative Politics.
