Here are some developments in China's forestry sector, according to statistics released by the State Forestry Administration on Thursday.

Artificial forest preservation area: China has the world's largest artificial forest preservation of more than 53 million ha, accounting for 40 percent of the world's total. Artificial forest areas expand by about 2.8 million ha per year worldwide, with China accounting for 53.2 percent.

Forestry resources: China's forest coverage rate rose from 8.6 percent in the early 1950s to 18.21 percent in 2008. Forested area increased from 115.28 million ha in the early 1950s to 174.91 million ha in 2008. In the five years ended in 2005, China's forests grew 4.06 million ha annually.

Desertification control: Forestry ecological projects rehabilitate more than 1.9 million ha of desertified land in China each year.

Nature reserves: China has 2,006 forestry nature reserves with a total area of 120 million ha, or 12.8 percent of the national territory. More than 550 wetland nature reserve have been established, which brought 49 percent of the wetland, or 17.9 million ha of wetland, under protection.

Forestry output: In 2008, the total forestry output rose 6.08 percent to 1.33 trillion yuan (US$194 billion). The trade value (import and export) of forestry products exceeded 70 billion U.S. dollars.

Forestry ecological projects: The "Three-North" Shelterbelts (western area of northeast China, the northern parts of north and northwest China) started in 1979 have helped build and protect 24.47 million ha of forests and rehabilitated a deforested area of more than 300,000 sq km.

Tree planting: Since the government first encouraged nationwide participation in tree-planting in 1981, volunteers have planted 43.85 billion trees.

Urban vegetation: Vegetation coverage in urban areas increased to 35.29 percent in 2008 from 10.1 percent in 1981. The average vegetation for each urban resident has increased from 3.45 sq m in 1981 to 8.98 sq m in 2008.

Forestation targets: China plans to raise its forest coverage rate from 18.21 percent in 2008 to 26 percent by 2050. A minimum of 4.65 billion mu(310 million ha) of forests will be retained and maintained.

Deforestation severity: 1.74 million sq km of land, or 18.12 percent of the national territory, are desertified. Of that, 530,000 sq km could be rehabilitated. One third of China's land is influenced by desertification, with 400 million people, or more than 30 percent of the total population, living in places affected by desertification.

(Xinhua News Agency March 20, 2009)