As poaching of valuable fragrant incense trees rises in Hong Kong, scientists are turning to genetics to fight back. Geneticist Zhang Huarong uses genetics to catalogue and take DNA samples from each plant for a database that can help authorities crack down on illegal harvesting -- as well as offer insights into how the plants can be better conserved.
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00:00Around 600 something years ago, make it into powder, and then this is the sole original
00:13Roman.
00:14It was chopped down by illegal, it's hoisted the type of wooden log, we preserve it for
00:26The major reason is that the local incense tree has been growing very well.
00:35We have a very rich, healthy and big population of incense tree in Hong Kong.
00:41So that the illegal collector from other countries, they would like to come to our local countryside
00:47and collect this healthy plant.
00:50Because we have a very rich collection in Hong Kong, they can easily find them and induce
00:55the wound and then collect the well matured wooden tissue for the Chinese medicine.
01:04We are actually using genetic tools to find out the genetic diversity of the incense tree,
01:21a locally endangered species in Hong Kong.
01:26To help inform conservation measures for this species.
01:33For each success, these two peaks...
01:39Yeah, I've been to forests, I've been to feng shui woods, and even the feng shui wood I live in,
01:45in Lantau Island, the trees have been cut down and gone completely in many forests in Hong Kong.
01:54So I've seen many, many, many incense trees disappear.
01:57And then open it out like that.
02:00There we go.
02:01Like a baby.