On September 2 and 3, 2023, two experts (ZHANG Yuanming, director of the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and SONG Xiaodong, a professor from the Liaoning Provincial Academy of Agricultural Sciences) visited Qingyuan County, Liaoning Province, to supervise and inspect the demonstration areas of a National Key Research and Development Project on improving the ecological products supply capacity of forests in Northeast China. The project is led by Professor HE Xingyuan, who also participated in the inspection along with other key members.

The national botanical garden system is a network of ex-situ plant conservation sites at the national level. According to the State Council’s approval document, Shenyang National Botanical Garden (SNBG) has been included in the national botanical garden system’s layout plan, representing the typical botanical garden in the region of Northeast China. On September 1, 2023, a meeting for setting up the SNBG was held in Shenyang City. It was co-organized by the Forestry and Grassland Bureau of Liaoning Province, the People’s Government of Shenyang Municipality, and the Institute of Applied Ecology (IAE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

Scientists from China and many other countries and regions have gathered in Shenyang to exchange insights in shelterbelt science, a field that studies forest ecosystems that protect the environment from degradation and disasters. The International Symposium on Shelterbelt Science 2023 ended on August 15, 2023, which also coincided with the first “National Ecological Day” in China.

More than 300 scientists from across China have attended a training session on flux observation theory and technology in Shenyang from August 16 to 19, 2023.

The book, titled “Ecology of Protective Forests”, is authored by ZHU Jiajun, a researcher at the Institute of Applied Ecology (IAE), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). It passed the evaluation of the 2022 textbook project of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS) and was selected as part of its graduate textbook series.

The news report coincides with the tenth anniversary of President XI’s visit to CAS and his call for “Four Firsts” in scientific innovation. In the past decade, IAE focused on the national major needs for the construction of the “Three-North” Shelterbelt Program and building a northern ecological security barrier. The “Three-North” Shelterbelt Program, also known as the Green Great Wall, is a massive tree-planting project that aims to prevent the expansion of deserts and protect farmlands from sandstorms. IAE has completed several comprehensive evaluation and research reports on the construction and impact of the “Three-North” Shelterbelt Program, providing scientific support for the national planning and implementation of the project.

The symposium focused on the theme of “Wind and Sand Control, Quality Improvement and Efficiency Enhancement”. It attracted 55 experts and scholars from various institutes, universities, and administration bureaus, who shared their insights and experiences on wind and sand control.

ZHANG Yuhong first toured the Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Protection and Utilization of Liaoning Province, where she learned about the experimental facilities and research progress. She then visited the Arboretum of IAE and its branch campus at Shenbei New District.

Canada is currently experiencing its worst fire season on record. According to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC), as of July 26 local time, a total of 4,774 fires had occurred across the country so far this year, with a cumulative burned area of over 121,000 square kilometers. This figure has surpassed the land area of South Korea (about 103,000 square kilometers) and is 7.5 times the cumulative area affected by forest fires in China from 2000 to 2021.

On June 8-9, 2023, a team of experts from various institutions visited the Qingyuan Forest Ecosystem National Field Observation and Research Station (Qingyuan Forest Station) to review the progress and achievements of a program that aims to develop a comprehensive assessment system for regional ecological protection using data from ecosystem observation stations across China.