Oil-Yielding Peony Industry in China: A Major Move in Building …
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protecting the environment we are protecting productive forces, and by improving
the environment we are developing productive forces.
China is one of the countries that suffer the most from soil erosion. According to
the results of the first water conservancy census, 2,949,100 km
2 of land was blighted
by soil erosion, accounting for 30.72% of the whole territory. Worsening soil erosion
has led to sedimentation in rivers, lake, and reservoirs and aggravated flooding and
water shortage, causing huge damage to the economy and people’s lives. Therefore,
piles of materials and funds, together with manpower, have to be invested in the
prevention and control of floods and droughts as well as relief and reconstruction
every year. oil-yielding peony is a perennial shrub whose planting density (colonization) is about 2000 per mu, and there is no need for rotation within thirty to fifty
years, effectively preventing soil erosion that is caused by plough if traditional food
crops were planted. Moreover, peony has a well-developed root system. Monitoring
data shows that growing oil-yielding peony can reduce soil erosion by about 0.8 m
3
per mu of land a year compared with barren hills or wasteland, testifying to its role
in soil and water conservation.
China is one of the countries most affected by desertification. Decertified areas
accounts for about one third of the whole territory. Desertification causes direct
economic losses of nearly RMB 100 billion every area. The area of wind eroded
decertified land makes up over 60% of total decertified areas, where the climate
is harsh, arid, and cold and the land is barren. Oil-yielding peony is resistant to
drought, barrenness, low temperature, and salt-alkali and is one of the plants that
can effectively help prevent desertification. The peony variety “Ziban” in Lanzhou
of Gansu grows in cold, dry, and barren hills at an altitude of above 2000 m and can
bear flowers and seeds even with rainfall of only 300 mm. According to research,
growing oil-yielding peony in sandy areas (with a coverage of over 60%) can reduce
wind speeds by 22.7% and wind erosion by 50%, making it a favoured shrub for
future wind prevention and sand fixation projects.
Carbon emissions are a focus of debate in the world and an important bargaining
chip in diplomatic negotiations. China is the world’s largest emitter of carbon dioxide,
accounting for over one fifth of global carbon emissions. Therefore, it is under enormous international pressure. As a responsible major country, China has pledged to
reduce its carbon intensity by 40–45% by 2020, compared with 2005 levels. As trees
grow, they absorb carbon dioxide in the air, binding and storing the carbon while
releasing fresh oxygen. Research shows that to grow by just a cubic meter of stem
wood, trees can absorb 1.83 tons of carbon dioxide and release 1.62 tons of oxygen. In
recent years, with the opening of the carbon trading market, carbon sink trading has
picked up and gained wide attention. According to estimates, one mu of oil-yielding
peony can bind and store an average 1.7 tons of carbon dioxide during its lifetime,
equivalent to carbon sink trading of about USD 6.32. Therefore, oil-yielding peony
has great potential in carbon fixation and oxygen production as well as carbon sink
trading.
287
protecting the environment we are protecting productive forces, and by improving
the environment we are developing productive forces.
China is one of the countries that suffer the most from soil erosion. According to
the results of the first water conservancy census, 2,949,100 km
2 of land was blighted
by soil erosion, accounting for 30.72% of the whole territory. Worsening soil erosion
has led to sedimentation in rivers, lake, and reservoirs and aggravated flooding and
water shortage, causing huge damage to the economy and people’s lives. Therefore,
piles of materials and funds, together with manpower, have to be invested in the
prevention and control of floods and droughts as well as relief and reconstruction
every year. oil-yielding peony is a perennial shrub whose planting density (colonization) is about 2000 per mu, and there is no need for rotation within thirty to fifty
years, effectively preventing soil erosion that is caused by plough if traditional food
crops were planted. Moreover, peony has a well-developed root system. Monitoring
data shows that growing oil-yielding peony can reduce soil erosion by about 0.8 m
3
per mu of land a year compared with barren hills or wasteland, testifying to its role
in soil and water conservation.
China is one of the countries most affected by desertification. Decertified areas
accounts for about one third of the whole territory. Desertification causes direct
economic losses of nearly RMB 100 billion every area. The area of wind eroded
decertified land makes up over 60% of total decertified areas, where the climate
is harsh, arid, and cold and the land is barren. Oil-yielding peony is resistant to
drought, barrenness, low temperature, and salt-alkali and is one of the plants that
can effectively help prevent desertification. The peony variety “Ziban” in Lanzhou
of Gansu grows in cold, dry, and barren hills at an altitude of above 2000 m and can
bear flowers and seeds even with rainfall of only 300 mm. According to research,
growing oil-yielding peony in sandy areas (with a coverage of over 60%) can reduce
wind speeds by 22.7% and wind erosion by 50%, making it a favoured shrub for
future wind prevention and sand fixation projects.
Carbon emissions are a focus of debate in the world and an important bargaining
chip in diplomatic negotiations. China is the world’s largest emitter of carbon dioxide,
accounting for over one fifth of global carbon emissions. Therefore, it is under enormous international pressure. As a responsible major country, China has pledged to
reduce its carbon intensity by 40–45% by 2020, compared with 2005 levels. As trees
grow, they absorb carbon dioxide in the air, binding and storing the carbon while
releasing fresh oxygen. Research shows that to grow by just a cubic meter of stem
wood, trees can absorb 1.83 tons of carbon dioxide and release 1.62 tons of oxygen. In
recent years, with the opening of the carbon trading market, carbon sink trading has
picked up and gained wide attention. According to estimates, one mu of oil-yielding
peony can bind and store an average 1.7 tons of carbon dioxide during its lifetime,
equivalent to carbon sink trading of about USD 6.32. Therefore, oil-yielding peony
has great potential in carbon fixation and oxygen production as well as carbon sink
trading.