The establishment of nature reserves has benefited 70 percent of China's land eco-system species, 80 percent of wild animal species and 60 percent of higher plants, and put most of the rare and endangered species of wildlife under effective protection. China is an early signatory state to the Convention on Biological Diversity, which went into effect in 1993. With the theme "protecting biodiversity is protecting humanity itself," the convention is now an important program for global protection of biodiversity and sustainable development. China has always been active in international affairs related to the convention, and has exerted a positive influence on the implementation of the convention. In 1994, China's Action Plan for the Conservation of Biodiversity was drawn up, which provided guidance for various eco-environmental protection activities. In fact, China was one of the first few countries to draw up such a plan. So far, 250 wild animal breeding centers have been built around the country, specialized in rescuing seven major species, including the giant panda and crested ibis. Some modernized genetic resources preservation facilities have been built and put into use. For instance, the China Microorganism Culture Preservation Bank has collected and protected over 90,000 living bacteria, and the China Long-Term Crop Germ Plasm Resource Preservation Bank keeps over 300,000 germ plasm materials. Such facilities have effectively protected the biological resources across China. Thanks to the active measures, the accelerated extinction of species has been initially controlled, and wildlife resources are increasing. For instance, the number of Cathay silver firs, which are known as "living plant fossils," was initially less than 3,000. Four nature reserves were set up to protect them. Now there are 30,000 of them in Hunan Province alone. There was only one metasequoia when it was discovered in the 1940s. After breeding and wide introduction, metasequoias have now been planted along streets of cities in China.

Due to the over-exploitation and unreasonable utilization to the plant resources in China for a long time the plant habitats have been destroyed seriously and the survivals of many plants are threatened even some are extinct. It is reported that dozens of plant species have almost been extinct for the present decades and 4000-5000 plant species are in danger of extinct or threatened state even just one or several stems survived for some species. Therefore it is emergent for conservation of the rare and endangered plant species in China.

Though the activities for preserving plant resources can be traced back to the ancient days in China, the real conservation actions were implemented just after 1949, the founding of the People's Republic of China. For example, "The Law of Forest Protection" was issued in 1963; "The List of Rare Trees for National Protection" was issued in 1975. The revised "Forest Law" was issued in 1984, "The Grassland Law" in 1985, "The Regulation of Protection and Management for the Wild Medicinal Material Resources" in 1987; revised "The Law of Environmental Protection" in 1989. Besides many local legislations concerned plant protection were formulated by the local governments at various levels.

In 1984, "The First List of Rare and Endangered plant Species" was issued by the Committee of Envir-onmental Protection under the State Council. It includes 354 species of which 8 species are at the first grade, 143 species are at the second grade and 203 species at the third grade. Actually since the beginning of compiling "The List" in the early of 1980's, the conservation practice and research work for the rare and endan-gered plant species have been conducted gradually in the whole country and they have been deepened after 1984 and resulted in great success as follows.

1. Field Surveys and Compilation of "Red Data Book" for the Rare and Endangered Plant Species
During the 1980s the field surveys for the distributions of the rare and endangered plant species resources were widely conducted in China, these surveys provided a scientific base for the compilation of "The China Pl-ant Red Data Book". There were some significant surveys, for example
The survery of the rare and endangered plant species in Guizhou Province (1984-1987). It had made clear for the biological and ecological characteristics, geographical distributions, threatened status. Preserving values and protecting measures of 98 national and local protected plant species located in Guizhou Province. Then the book of "The Rare and Endangered Plant Species in Guizhou Province" was published.

The investigation of the rare and endangered plant species in Henan Province (1984-1988). It had covered 40 counties and 14 nature reserves and made clear for the distributions of 36 national protected plant species located in Henan Province and selected the other 45 plant species for protection at the provincial level. Then "The Rare and Endangered Plants for Protection in Henan Province" was published.

The investigation of the rare and endangered plant species in Shaanxi Province (1985-1987). It had investigated the distributions and the habitats for the 44 national Protected plants located in Shaanxi Province and studied their flora components and reproduction technologies. Subsequently, "The First Group of National Proteced Rare and Endangered Plant Species in Shaanxi Province" was compiled and published.

A study on the survey conserving plan and protecting policy for the rare and endangered plant species in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui Provinces (1987-1990). It had investigated and analysed thoroughly the distribution frequencies, densities of species populations, community characteristics, structures of species populations and dynamic growths and declines of 65 national protected plant species located in the three provinces it presented the quantitative indexes and grading criteria to identify the plant's threatened levels, it formulated the con-serving plans of in situ, ex situ, and naturalization for the rare and endangered plants and it also studied a series of conserving policies.

Besides the other survey projects also achieved a lot of important results, such as the survey of the rare and endangered plants in Sichuan Province the survey of Camellia chrysantha resource in Guangxi Autonomous Region, the survey and preservation for the rare and endangered plant germplasm resources in Yunnan Province and the survey of the rare and endangered plants in the southwest region of China.

Based on the surveys and studies above the National Environmental Protection Agency of China compiled and published "The List of Rare and Endangered Protected Plants in China" (Volume One) in 1987 and then published "China Plant Red Data Book" (Volume One) in 1991 cooperated with Chinese Academy of Sciences. Meanwhile the Volume Two of the "Red Data Book" is under compilation.

2. Conservation of Rare and Endangered Plants
2.1 In situ preservation
The most effective way to preserve rare and endangered plants is to establish nature reserves. To protect concentrately the natural ranges of wild plants and the habitats of some specially important plants, a lot of nature reserves have been gradually established in whole China since 1956 of which there are some reserves established to conserve the tropical plants such as Xishuangbanna Reserve and so on some reserves established to conserve the sub-tropical plants such as Shennongjia, Fanjingshan, Tianmushan, Wuyishan Reserves, etc. Some reserves established to conserve individual plant population and its habitat such as Lichuan Xiaohe Reserve in Hubei Province to conserve primeval metasequoia community, Huaping Reserve in Guangxi Autonomous Region to conserve Cathaaya argyrophylla. Leigongshan Reserve in Guizhou Province to conserve Taiwania flousiana, Haicheng Sanjiabo Reserve in Liaoning Province to conserve Ranax ginseng, Zhishui Reserve in Liaoning Privince to conserve Alsophila spinulosa, Shangyue Reserve in Guangxi Autonomous Region to conserve Camellia chrysantha, etc.

2.2 Ex situ protection
Ex situ protection is a supplementary way to in situ preservation and it is more effective to restore the populations of some Particularly endangered plants. Since 1979 the National Environmental Protection Agency(NEPA) has invested several million yuan to the ex situ conservation projects and supported the plant introduction projects of the botanical gardens nationwide. Meanwhile NEPA established some regional ex situ protction centers for the rare and endangered plants mainly located in Yunnan, Zhejiang, Henan, Jiangxi, Jiangsu, Liaoning and Qinghai provinces and constructed several plant introduction bases in Guangdong. Guangxi and Hubei provinces for Magnoliaceae, Camellia chrysantha and wild wintersweet (Chimonanthus praecox) separately. By the end of 1990 total 227 plant introduction nerses were established in the whole country, which conserved some 80% of all the first issued 354 national protected plant species. There are some outstanding organizations for their excellent ex situ works. They are Diannan Ex Situ Rare and Endangered Plant Reserve located in the south of Yunnan Province. The Jiujiang Germplasm Resource Garden of Rare and Endangered Plants located in Jiangxi Province. Nanjing Zhongshan Botanical Garden located in Jiangsu Province, Nanyueshan Rare and Endangered Arboretum located in Hunan Province, Huanan Breeding Center for Rare and Endangered Plants located in Guangdong Province, Beijing Botanical Garden Heilongjiang Forest Graden, etc.

3. Studies on Artificial Breedings of the Rare and Endangered Plants
While the ex situ conservation projects were operated, some research programs on artificial breeding and biological and ecological characteristics of rare and endangered plants were also conducted and mainly they are:
The study on introduction breedings of Magnoliaceae plants and its endangered species distributed in China (1981-1985).
The experimental study on introduction breedings of the rare and endangered plants distributed in Zhejiang Province (1981-1986).
The study on introduction beeding of the rare and endangered plants distributed in Henan Province (1984-1988).
The key task study on the conservation and breeding of 10 particular and important endangered trees (1986-1990), and
The study on breeding and reproduction of Camellia chrysatha (1981-1987).