Pingtan county in Fujian province has planted more than 10 million casuarinas this year, meeting the forestation target for the year in advance, according to the local forestry bureau.

Pingtan county in Fujian province has planted tens of thousands of saplings and trees in the Xinfu Bay area, which is reclaimed land created through sand blowing. [Photo/pingtan.gov.cn]

The saplings of casuarinas are grown on 8,000 mu (533 hectares) of land in Xingfu Bay, where the soil was reclaimed through sand blowing, in addition to those planted on 5,500 mu in the area in the past two years.

“To raise the survival rate, we used large seedlings and increased planting density,” said Lin Luanyong, deputy director of the bureau, adding that nearly 95 percent of newly-planted casuarinas are expected to survive.

Pingtan has been making strides in forestation and greening in the past five years.

Starting in 2010, the county has planted at least 10 million trees and seedlings every year on more than 120,000 mu of land, about 465,000 mu of which are in forests.

Huandao (Island Ring) Road is now flanked by a variety of seasonal flowers, trees and shrubs, including China roses, bougainvilleas, Ficus altissimas, Phoenix sylvestris and kapok trees, according to Lin.

In the meantime, Pingtan also made efforts in forest restoration and has returned about 12,000 mu of arable land to forests.

The local forestry bureau started trying new types of trees in addition to casuarinas and Acacia richiis last year in a bid to enhance the water conservation ability of the vegetation and create a prettier ecological landscape.

The methods have turned forests near Sanshiliujiao Lake, which remained water conservation forests in the past, to a resort for tree appreciation and a future home for a botanical garden, said Lin.

The forestation project also benefits urban parks, which appeal to more residents and tourists after taking on a much cooler form.

According to an ecological construction plan, Pingtan will grow about 15 million trees and seedlings every year until 2018, reaching 45 percent forest coverage rate, with higher water conservation and beautiful views.