Founded in 1962, the Research Institute of Tropical Forestry (RITF), Chinese Academy of Forestry (CAF)relocated in the Tianhe District, Guangzhou in 1981, as a public beneficial research institution for forestry.The institutewas initially established by the Chinese Academy of Forestry as a Tropical Forestry Experimental Center in Ledong County, Hainan, which remain an experimental center now.

The institute’smission is to solve the comprehensive, critical, and basic science and technology problems on the tropical and southern subtropical forestry construction. Its main research areas include: (1) the relationship between forest and environment in tropical and south subtropical regions; (2) breeding and efficient cultivation of plantation; (3) preservation and sustainable utilization of forest resources, which can provide a scientific and technological support for this regional forestry development and ecological environmental construction.

The institutehas outstanding advantages in these area: (1) the breeding and efficient cultivation of precious timber tree such as Tectona grandis, Dalbergia odorifera, Betula alnoides and Phoebe zhennan; (2) the research on tropical forests, mangroves, urban forests and other ecosystems; (3) the cultivation of industrial timber forests such as Eucalyptus robusta and Acacia confusa; (4) the coastal shelter forest restoration and afforestation technology; (5) the forest microorganisms and the under-forest economy. With the development, the institutehas gained more than 100 research achievementsincluding thefirst and the second prizes of National Award for Science and Technology Progress, and the first prize of Ministerial Prize for Science and Technology Progress for six times. In recent years, the institutehas also got a first prize of Guangdong Science and Technology Award, a second prize of Liangxi Science and Technology Award, and a first prize of Guangdong Agriculture and Technology Extension Award.

The institutehas accomplished many national and ministerial science innovation platforms, including the Forest Carbon Sequestration Research and Experimental Center, the Key Laboratory of Tropical Forestry Research, and the Tropical Rare Tree Species Cultivation and Engineering Research Center, which are affiliated to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration. Moreover,the institutehas also built an important field station, which was affiliated to the Ministry of Science and Technology, three Ecological Positioning Research Stations and one Long-term Scientific Research Base, which were belonged to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration. In addition, the institute has collected and preserved more than 1,400 tropical tree species in the Hainan Chenlonggou Ministerial Nature Reserve which hasmore than 620hm²area. Meanwhile, a Quality Inspection Center of Flower affiliated to National Forestry and Grassland Administration is being to establish in the institute. The Precious Tree Branch and the Tropical Rain Forest Branch of the Chinese Society of Forestry, the National Innovation Alliance for Precious Tree Industry and Mangrove Preservation and Restoration are all affiliated tothe institute.

For more information, please visit: http://ritf.caf.ac.cn.