A provincial-level nature reserve for bamboo in southwest China's Sichuan Province was upgraded last week to state-level nature reserve by the State Council, China's cabinet.
The Changning Nature Reserve for Bamboo, located in central andsouthern Changning County in the province, is China's first state-level reserve to protect the bamboo ecosystem's diversity.
The newly upgraded reserve possesses the largest concentrated natural bamboo forest in China with an area of 290 square kilometers, vertically spreading from 260 to 1,400 meters above sea level.
Inhabiting the nature reserve are 1,345 kinds of plants and hundreds of animals, including leopards and golden eagles, which are listed on state protection lists.
Experts said the reserve is helpful to protect, develop and make use of bamboo resources.
(Xinhua News Agency July 5, 2003)
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