KUNMING, Feb. 15(Xinhuanet)-- Southwest China's Yunnan Province plans to establish a joint meeting mechanism for better protection of its wild animal and plant species, local official sources said.

Initiated by the provincial environmental protection bureau, the mechanism will help 19 departments of the province to coordinate with each other in protection and supervision of animal and plant species.

Yunnan ranks the first in the numbers of animal and plant species in China. However, these species face an increasingly severe situation because of human activities.

According to the mechanism, the province will conduct a survey on distribution and economic value of current endangered animal and plant species so as to make more concrete protection plans.

The provincial government also pledges to invest more in supervision and protection work and crack down on illegal wild animal transactions, the sources said.