Yunnan Academy of Forestry and Grassland

Yunnan Academy of Forestry and Grassland (Hereinafter referred to as “YAFG”) is an important comprehensive application research institute in forestry and grassland in Yunnan, and it is committed to investigating and studying key scientific and technology problems of forestry and grassland fields, popularizing science and technology, providing trainings and promoting technological achievements, and developing academic exchanges and technological cooperation at home and abroad.  

YAFG was formally known as Yunnan Province Scientific Institute of Forestry, which was established in 1959 and changed into Yunnan Academy of Forestry with the approval of State Scientific and Technological Commission in 1985. It was approved to be a deputy department level unit with the approval of Yunnan Office of Public Sectors Reform, and its name was changed into YAFG (Yunnan Academy of Forestry and Grassland) in 2018. 

YAFG covers the land area 1,188.75 ha (17831.27 mu), and has scientific facilities of over 15,000 m2, including Comprehensive Scientific Research Building, Key Laboratories, Engineering Centers, etc. Over 2,200 species of forest germplasm resources are collected and more than 58,000 plant specimens are kept in the Specimen Room as well as over 20,000 Chinese and foreign books. There are  7 national and provincial engineering technology (research) centers, 7 testing centers, 2 provincial and ministerial key labs, 2 academician workstations, 1 postdoctoral scientific work station, 4 provincial innovation teams, 4 ecosystem positioning stations and 5 long-term scientific research bases. YAFG has branches in seven prefectures (cities), namely Pu’er, Honghe, Dehong, Lijiang, Diqing, Lincang and Wenshan. 

Organization 

YAFG has internal divisions like the Executive Office, CPC and the Masses Work Dvision, HR Dvision, Planning & Finance Division, Scientific Research Administration Division, Industrial Technology Division, Administration Office, Veteran Cadre Division, Security Division and the Labor Union. 

We have 10 subordinate scientific research institutions: 

(I) Key Laboratory. They are mainly responsible to protect and breed rare and special forest plants, conduct scientific research on forest plant cultivation, development and utilization, and apply new and high-tech means for innovation and upgrading of traditional forestry research with key forestry technologies. 

(II) Forestry Research Institute. They are mainly responsible for the conservation and monitoring of forest, grassland and wetland ecosystems, and the restoration of degraded ecosystems. They coordinate the construction of ecological positioning stations, standardize the management, collect and analyze the monitoring data, and carry out the selection and breeding of forest and grass varieties, forest cultivation, forest management, landscape plants, forest vegetables, and cultivation of undergrowth resources.

(III) Research Institute of Forest Protection. It is focused on studying the application basis and technology of pest control in forestry and grassland. 

(IV) Research Institute of Economic Forests. It is mainly responsible to carry out research, development and promotion of key technologies of economic forest industry, carry out the research and promotion of economic forest  breeding, cultivation, processing and utilization technology, as well as related technical consultation and technical services; it is responsible for the construction of  economic forest disciplines, academic exchange and academic research contact and coordination of YAFG. 

(V) Research Institute of Forest Products Industry. It is mainly responsible for the research on key technologies for the development and utilization of forest products and bamboo and rattan products, the research on the processing and utilization of forest products, timber and their products, and the research on the processing and utilization of forest food and functional food.

(VI) Research Institute of Scientific and Technological Information. It mainly undertakes the research and service of scientific and technological information at home and abroad. It is responsible for editing and publishing “Journal of West China Forestry Science”. 

(VII) Kunming Arboretum. It mainly undertakes the collection, conservation, introduction, domestication and management of forest germplasm resources, and establishes and improves the collection and management system of forest germplasm resources. It is responsible for routine management of Kunming Arboretum, construction of popular science education bases, etc., and undertakes the relevant business, as a key technical supporting unit, founded  by APFNet (Asia-Pacific Network for Sustainable Forest Management and Rehabilitation), especially for the project implementation in GMS regions.

(VIII) Research Institute of Tropical Forestry (Located in Puwen Town, Jinghong City, Xishuangbanna). It is mainly responsible for the collection, cultivation, scientific research, technology promotion and biodiversity protection of germplasm resources of tropical and subtropical forests and tropical precious fast-growing timber species.

(IX) Yangbi Walnuts Research Institute (Located in Yangbi County, Dali Prefecture). It is mainly responsible for walnut cultivation, product processing and other scientific research and technology promotion.

(X) Oil Tea Camellia Research Institute (Located in Guangnan County, Wenshan Prefecture). It is mainly responsible for the technical research and demonstration promotion, such as exploration of forest germplasm resources, construction of germplasm resources bank, the breeding of improved varieties, the breeding of seedlings, the high-efficiency cultivation, and the green prevention and control of the feature non-timber product forest species, such as oil-tea camellia and Malania oleifen. 

International Cooperation and Exchanges

Since its establishment, YAFG has established good forestry science and technology cooperation relations with the United States, Brazil, New Zealand, Germany, Finland, India and other countries; it has established research cooperation and academic exchange mechanisms for olive, pest control, eaglewood, and advanced forestry technology with Italy, the United Kingdom, Israel, Indonesia and other countries; focusing on South and Southeast Asia, YAFG has actively promoted the construction of the forestry science and technology pivot, and carried out forestry science and technology cooperation with Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Fiji, Malaysia and other economies, so as to share the precious timber tree species selection, genetic improvement and high-efficiency rapid propagation of seedlings, construction of rare botanical garden, cross-border biodiversity protection, ecological restoration and other technologies. Since 2018, YAFG have served as the first and second rotating chairman of Sino-ASEAN Network of Forestry Research Institutes (SANFRI) of APFNet, as well as cooperation with UNDP for biodiversity conservation. With the strong technical research foundation and professional team of YAFG, APFNet and YAFG have jointly built the APFNet Center for SANFRI Young Scholar Exchange and the Asia-Pacific Forestry Workstation for Expert Exchange.