Safeguarding threatened Rhododendrons in China

  • Status of project

    Completed

  • Region

    Asia

  • Country

    China

  • Programme

    BGCI's Tree Conservation Programme

  • Workstream

    Saving Plants

  • Topic

    Tree Conservation
Project completed

Conservation problem 

The border region of southeast Xizang and northwest Yunnan, a hotspot of rhododendron diversity with over 300 known species, is being degraded by overexploitation for firewood and conversion to grasslands for livestock grazing. 

Project goal 

Establish living rhododendron conservation collections which will be an important source material for future recovery initiatives. To increase knowledge of regional rhododendron distribution. 

Why this species? 

The border region of southeast Xizang and northwest Yunnan – part of the Three Parallel Rivers World Heritage Site of UNESCO – is a hotspot of rhododendron diversity with an estimated number of at least 300 known species. Despite its official status as an area of outstanding universal value (since 2003), degradation of natural ecosystems continues in the region, in particular because of overexploitation for firewood and conversion of rhododendron habitats to grassland for livestock grazing. 

Sampling a rhododendron community in southeast Xizang

What did we do? 

The main activities of this project included: 

  • Field surveys to increase knowledge of the distribution of target rhododendron species in the project area. 
  • Collection of plant material from 30 different rhododendron species across 70 communities and initiation of propagation trials for target rhododendron species. 
  • Establishment of ex situ collections at Shangri-La Alpine Botanical Garden. 

Key achievements 

This project has gathered essential information in a previously understudied region of rhododendron diversity. A list of rhododendron and associated species found within the project area has been established, while propagation techniques have been refined for at least ten rhododendron species. In parallel, ex situ conservation collections have been been established at Shangri-La Alpine Botanical Garden. Collections are critical for particularly rare species, as they can act as an important source of plants in future programmes to reinforce wild populations. 

Contact details 

For more information on this project, please contact globaltrees@bgci.org 

Rhododendron yunnanense