When 50-year-old Li Jibao first took the job as a ranger, he didn't realize it meant protecting the environment of a much larger area than just his home village.

Li lives in Xinping village, located in Bijie city of southwest China's mountainous and wooded Guizhou province.

"Although cutting is strictly prohibited, it still occurs occasionally," Li said. Deforestation has caused serious soil erosion and rock desertification in the area.