A group of Chinese economists have called for legislation to save the rare black earth resources of northeast China from deterioration.

They also called for efforts to control water and soil erosion and plant trees and for other protective measures to prolong the service life of the black earth.

As the most fertile land in China, a 100,000-sq km black earth belt covering parts of Heilongjiang and Jilin provinces is a leading commodity grain production base of the country, accounting for 60 percent of the two province's total grain output.

However, excessive farming, damages to vegetation and increasing use of fertilizers have resulted in severe weathering, water and soil erosion and a drastic drop of organic matter in the black earth, said Chen Si, 47, an economic expert and an official with the agricultural committee of Jilin Province.

At present, 44,700 square kilometers, or 37.9 percent, of the belt suffer from serious soil erosion.

Chen called on concerned departments to pay attention to the fact that the "black earth in northeast China is becoming thinner and thinner."

Chen noted that water conservation, forestry and other concerned departments should make concerted efforts to strengthen monitoring the changes of the black earth in the province and suggested the government increase investment in this regard.

The rapidly deteriorating black earth worries many. Che Xiulan, also an economics expert, said China would lose a giant "grain granary" if no effective measures were taken to curb the problem.

Soil erosion in the black earth area has adversely affected local ecology, resulting in frequent droughts, floods, sandstorms and other natural disasters.

Che noted that it is imperative to work out a law on the protection of the black earth to save the rare resources from disappearing.

(Xinhua News Agency January 14, 2003)