HAIKOU, August 14. /TASS/. In less than two years, Chinese researchers have discovered 19 new biological species in the pilot zone of Hainan's Rainforest National Park, reported the Hainan Daily.
This pilot zone was set up in January 2019 to protect and restore the Hainan ecosystem. During this time, biologists have discovered nine new varieties of plants, as well as five species of animals and fungi. "This territory, which occupies one-seventh of the island, still hides many unknown secrets," the newspaper writes.
In particular, last year, the Chinese researchers discovered a new species of gecko on the island. A small lizard with four black and yellow stripes along its body was named Goniurosaurus sinensis. In addition, this year, scientists on Hainan discovered Thismia jianfenglingensis, a new species of tropical plant that resembles a tiny red Chinese lantern.Moreover, Hainan is making efforts to protect the unique living organisms inhabiting the island's rainforests, in particular, the Hainan black crested gibbon and the Hainan newt.
The pilot zone of the Hainan Rainforest National Park covers an area of over 4,400 square kilometers in the highlands in the central part of the island. It includes five state-level nature reserves and four provincial ones. Regional authorities plan to complete the creation of the Tropical Forest National Park on the island by the end of 2020, which will attract even more tourists from China and other countries to Hainan.
According to statistics, the total area of tropical forests in the Hainan Province in 2018 exceeded 659,000 hectares. Since the nineties of the last century, the authorities completely banned deforestation on the island, which paved the way for vast state-protected zones in the province.