Xi'an, November 18 (China News Network) -- Alina, correspondent Li Yun, learned from the Shaanxi Provincial Forestry Bureau on the 18th that the artificial breeding technology of the Qinling stone butterfly, a wild plant with a very small population, has made a breakthrough in Hanzhong City, Shaanxi Province.
Wild Qinling stone butterflies flowering period. Photo by Li Yun
According to reports, the Qinling stone butterfly, a species of stone butterfly in the family Bittersweed, and a national level II key protected wild plant, are 120 species of wild plants with extremely small populations announced by the state in 2010. Wild resources are scarce in number and have a narrow distribution range.
Outdoor domestication scene of artificial breeding of Qinling stone butterfly seedlings. Photo by Li Yun
Hanzhong is the only wild distribution of Qinling stone butterflies in the country. In recent years, while strengthening the in-situ protection of Qinling stone butterflies, the forestry authorities in Shaanxi have solidly carried out research on the artificial breeding technology of Qinling stone butterflies, and conducted preliminary research on the field habitat investigation, indoor rapid artificial breeding, field domestication, wintering management, observation of pests and diseases and endangered causes of Qinling stone butterflies.
Seed germination collected under full manual control. Photo by Li Yun
Since 2017, the Hanzhong Wildlife Conservation and Management Station, together with Shaanxi University of Technology and Luoyang County Nursery, has carried out research on the artificial breeding technology of Qinling stone butterflies. Up to now, the research group has successfully broken through and mastered the artificial breeding technology of Qinling stone butterflies, declared a national patent, and the seeds of Qinling stone butterflies formed under full artificial control have also germinated, and formed an artificial cultivation population of Qinling stone butterflies with a scale of more than 10,000 plants.
In the next step, Hanzhong will rely on the resource advantages of the existing Qinling stone butterfly artificial cultivation population, actively carry out the re-introduction of artificial seedlings at different altitudes in the Qinling area, and strive to explore a set of effective field return technologies as soon as possible. (End)