The amount of newly planted forest in the municipal
area of Beijing has reached 45 square meters per person, with trees
covering 13 million mu (867,000 hectares), nearly half its
total area, according to a communiqué issued jointly by the Capital
Greenery Committee Office and Beijing Municipal Forestry Bureau on
Monday.
Song Xiyou, head of the Beijing Municipal Forestry
Bureau, said that, with increasing demand for wood, untapped areas
suitable for planting trees stand at only 776,000 mu (51,760
hectares). From this year, their greening strategy will move on
from afforestation to improving forest quality.
About 3,000 mu (200 hectares) of land will
be afforested in Beijing this year, increasing coverage to 50
percent of the city's total area; additionally, the city will
construct 20 avenues dotted by eco-landscape, 20 green communities
and 400 garden-like units, said Song.
Since 2000, tree coverage in Beijing has increased
400,000 mu (26,680 hectares) annually. Last year, the city
afforested 404,800 mu (27,000 hectares) with 42.3 million
trees. This brought coverage to 41.5 percent of the capital. Forest
quality and landscaping were also improved.
(China.org.cn by Zhang Tingting, January 12, 2005)
