Natural reserves to protect animals, rare plants

China faces a serious threat of deteriorating land and the extinction of rare animals and plants, though it has formed a basic network of protection zones, the national environmental protection authority said.

Ninety percent of the grassland in China has seen varying degrees of degradation or desertification, and 40 percent of the major wetlands are facing the threat of degradation, the Ministry of Environmental Protection said on Thursday.

In addition, 10.9 percent of higher plants and 21.2 percent of vertebrates face serious challenges in fighting off extinction, and some rare animals have failed to get effective protection, according to research from the ministry and the Chinese Academy of Sciences.