Chinese and Russian scientists will make their first joint
investigation on fungus resources along the Wusuli River, the
boundary between the two countries, from August this year.
The cooperative project will fill a gap in both countries in
studies of fungal resources in the region, according to one of the
initiators, Tuerguli, from north China's Jilin
University.
As
the high-latitude Wusuli River valley is extremely cold most of the
year, scientists can do the research in a very limited period of
time every year and information on fungi in the area is quite
scant.
According to Tuerguli, the 10-person investigation team, half from
China and half from Russia, will conduct field surveys in Russian
territory during the period from October 2 to 12. In September
2004, the team will move into Chinese territory to make similar
surveys.
Zinaida Azbukina, expert on rust fungi from the Far-East Institute
of Biology and Pedology affiliated to the Russian Academy of
Science, said a catalogue will be compiled from fungi samples and
first-hand data of newly found species.
(Xinhua News Agency March 19, 2003)