Forestry expert Hou Xueyu said that the 70,000-hectare (172,970 acres) forest would be the largest and most intact natural gene bank for sacsaoul in China.

"If the reserve is established, experts can start in depth research of the plant's botanical characteristics so it can play a bigger role in the country's fight against desertification," he said.

To date, a seed cultivation base covering a land area of 3,614.5 hectares (8,931.4 acres) has been established in the Zongbatan area of Dulan County. About 1.64 million saplings have been planted elsewhere.

Local environment protection official Zhou Xiaowei said that the drought-resistant plant grows well in arid and semi-arid areas because of its highly absorbent root structure.

With an average height of 96 centimeters, the sacsaoul trees in Dulan have been instrumental in holding back the sprawling desert and reducing wind erosion.

(Xinhua News Agency July 4, 2002)