Natural forest conservation schemes have helped the number of wild pandas in Xi'an, capital city of northwest China's Shaanxi province, rise from 18 to 41 over the past decade, according to the latest research.

The increase is attributed to the pandas' improved reproduction and migration in surrounding areas, said the city's bureau of forestry.

According to a statement released by the bureau on Friday, forest coverage in the city has increased from 384,100 hectares in 2000 to the current 454,760 hectares, representing a significant improvement to local ecology and protection of biological variety.

Wild pandas in Xi'an belong to the Qinling subspecies which lives in Shaanxi province's Qinling Mountains.

Among the 1,600 pandas believed to exist in the wild in China, mostly in Sichuan province, only 200 to 300 are Qinling pandas.

In order to protect biological resources, the Chinese government started a natural forest conservation project, restricting or banning the logging of natural forests, in 2000.

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