Natural disasters - Ecologists report huge storm losses in China's forests

Winter storms in China have damaged 20.86 million hectares-one-tenth of China's forests and plantations roughly equivalent the number of hectares that were reforested earlier. Nanling Reserve, one of the fragile ecosystems was affected badly. It is estimated that more than 700,000 hectares of forest and plantations were damaged severely and the exotic species were harmed more than native species. The storm damage lead to development of a new national strategy for plant conservation released SFA, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the State Environmental Protection Agency.