This aerial photo taken on Dec. 5, 2023 shows black-necked cranes at a reservoir in Lhunzhub County of Lhasa, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Jiang Fan)

LHASA, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- The germplasm resource bank in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region has preserved 11,648 seed samples from 2,107 species, according to Xizang's regional institute of plateau biology.

The bank has so far preserved 5,061 plant seed samples from 1,636 species, 1,170 animal seed samples from 129 species, as well as 5,417 microbial seed samples from 342 species.

Wen Xuemei, director of the germplasm resource bank, said that the bank can effectively preserve biological germplasm resources by scientific and technological means.

The bank plays a positive role in supporting the preservation and research of biological germplasm resources in Xizang, as well as the conservation of the region's biodiversity, Wen added.

Founded in 2017, the bank has eight sub-banks, including plant seed bank, DNA bank, microbial bank, animal bank, and insect bank.

Photo taken on Nov 30, 2023 shows the samples in the germplasm resource bank in Southwest China's Xizang autonomous region. [Photo/Xinhua]