Environmental Conservation
¡@Situated in a subtropical zone, Taiwan possesses a warm and moist climate and a large variety of plants and wild life. From lowland areas covered with subtropical broad-leafed trees to high mountains abounding with conifers and grasslands, Taiwan's complex geography has a diversity of plant ecologies. According to statistics, the world has over 300,000 vascular plants, among which Taiwan produces over 4,000. Moreover, one quarter of Taiwan's vascular plants are considered to be species unique to Taiwan. Of the world's 4,500 stocks of mammals, Taiwan has 61, and of the world's 8,000 families of birds, Taiwan has 450. ¡@In order to protect these precious natural resources in the face of growing economic development, the ROC government has in recent years actively promoted concepts of and measures for environmental conservation, which have become widely accepted by the general public. The protection of endangered animals has also been quite effective, thanks to conservation and restoration measures taken by various agricultural agencies. In the international arena, the ROC actively participates in important international treaties and organizations such as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The ROC also maintains close ties and exchanges with various conservation groups in order to better understand current international standards and development trends. Consequently, Taiwan has been able to meet the goals of global conservation. ¡@
