From our point of view, the large-scale planting of Hainan Dalbergia odorifera, an endangered plant, as well as the whole project of health and ecological research and breeding and endangered protection, are totally against the idea of ecological civilization. Let me analyze from the macro and micro perspectives:

Macroscopically speaking, large-scale tissue culture planting and breeding of endangered species is not the protection of endangered species, but the destruction. The protection of endangered species is not simply an increase in the number of indices.

Biodiversity is an important part of the ecological environment. There are three levels of biodiversity: one is the gene level. For example, bananas, the bananas we eat all over the world were “Big Macs” 50 years ago. As a result, a fungus called Fusarium oxysporum swept over and almost wiped them out, because “Big Macs” are the single genetic banana species. Now the bananas on the market have become Chinese bananas, because fortunately, at that time, humans had a “spare wheel” that was resistant to that kind of fungus as a substitute. However, now there is another disease virus (banana wilt tropical four, referred to as TR4), which may make the banana we all eat extinct today.

In general, no matter how many varieties are cultivated, the threat of extinction may be instantaneous. The risk of being attacked by the pathogen is relatively high because its gene is very single. Therefore, the large-scale planting of our tissue culture production is not really the protection of endangered species. We need to make this clear.

The real species protection is to protect gene diversity, species diversity and habitat diversity.

Gene diversity requires it in natural gene diversity. Therefore, how does a diverse life form? It is to produce different species in a different geographical environment. The same species, under different conditions, will produce different genes. This is because the natural environment results in gene variation and genetic differences, and this creates genetic diversity. In the same way, the protection of today’s rare species also requires the protection of their genetic diversity, that is, the protection of genes in different regions, under different conditions and under different conditions, so as to form the protection of genes and species.

Therefore, this project is not really a conservation project. We think that Hainan Dalbergia odorifera is an endangered species, and planting in large quantities is to protect it? That's not true. This is a macro point.

We know that Hainan, like many other places in the world, is facing the threat of the rapid extinction of biodiversity. However, up to now, there is not a place in Hainan that really aims at the protection of biological diversity and is based on the major issues concerned by the people of the world. If we can make great efforts to discuss it on the basis of the original, it is of great value.

Hainan is the only province on the Chinese mainland that is entirely tropical. It is a very special part of our country with unique natural resources. Hainan has its unique geographical and climatic conditions and extremely rich special species. Such an important and precious genetic resource can be called the natural gene pool of the whole country and even the world. So, how to do a better job in protecting rare and endangered wild animals and plants and build a green ecological barrier?

This reservoir, this gene pool, must be preserved.

(Photo credit: Liu Huajie)

Original Chinese article:

http://www.cbcgdf.org/NewsShow/4854/10737.html

By / Xue Tongtong