Taiwan's first species preservation center for tropical flora will be partially opened to the public in January, officials at the Pingtung-based center said on Thursday.
The center, founded by Taiwan Cement Corp and three other Taiwan-based companies, started operating in March, with the aim of collecting and preserving some 6,000 species of tropical flora by 2012.
The center's four sponsors have each contributed NT$20 million (US$600,000) this year and have pledged to maintain the same level of funding for the next four years. Taiwan Cement Corp also donated five hectares of land to the center.
The center is managed by Li Chia-wei (李家維), who is also the director of the Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology at the Hsinchu-based National Tsing Hua University.
During a meeting with county government leaders on Thursday, Li said that the two largest floral reserves in the world -- the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew in London and the Missouri Botanical Garden in the US -- are dedicated to the preservation of flora species in temperate zones and that the world has yet to see a top-notch facility for tropical and sub-tropical flora.
He added that he hopes the center will become the top species preservation center for tropical flora in Asia in 10 years and the leading one in the world within two decades.
Li said the center's staff had already gathered 1,300 specimens in the past six months, 300 more than their target.
"We estimate the number will reach 1,600 by the end of this year and top 2,000 early next year," Li said. "The ultimate goal is a collection of 20,000 species."
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