Abundant Ancient Tree Resources in Shennongjia

The towering ancient trees in the ancient and magical land of Shennongjia are the vivid manifestation of Shennongjia's environmental and climatic variations. They are the precious heritage left by nature to mankind as well. Every ancient tree has its own history of evolution and survival, which is well worth our research, protection and rational utilization.

Shennongjia is situated at the transitional zone between the north subtropical to the warm temperate belts. Its highest peak is Shennong Peak, with 3,106.2 meters above sea level, and its lowest point is Shizhu River in Xiaguping Township, with an altitude of 398 meters, hence the relative elevation is over 2,700 meters. Owning to the alternating climatic influence of the hot and humid southeast monsoon and the dry and cold continental highs, a conspicuous vertical microclimate takes shape from the valley bottom to the top of the mountain. Shennongjia, therefore, enjoys diverse climate conditions of the subtropical, the warm temperate, the temperate and the cold temperate, which is the main cause of the plant diversity in Shennongjia. Furthermore, compared with other regions located at the same latitude worldwide, the Daba Mountain Ranges (Shennongjia in its easternmost section) and its adjacent Wuling Mountain Ranges are the only regions that preserve plant diversity to the maximum. It was no doubt that Shennongjia was chosen as the destination for the first China-US joint botanical expedition when China and the United States restored diplomatic relations, which fully illustrates the significance of Shennongjia in domestic and international research in plant diversity.

China attaches great importance to the ecological protection of the Yangtze River, the most importance of which is the protection of the forest vegetation along the river. Since Shennongjia is located between the Yangtze River in its course through Hubei and the Hanjiang River, it is of primary significance to protect the natural resources and ecosystems in Shennongjia. Shennongjia Forestry District has once invited a team of well-known botanists at home for a survey of its ancient trees, and it took 18 months to complete all censuses and data collection for the whole area. The survey recorded 637,257 ancient trees in Shennongjia, with 681 scattered single ancient trees and 636,576 ancient trees that forms 15 ancient tree groups. All in all, the existing ancient trees in Shennongjia belong to 88 species of 62 genera in 36 families, all of which are macrophanerophytes.

The specific data are provided as follows by regions. There are 93 scattered single ancient trees in Yangri Town; 79 scattered single ancient trees in Xinhua Town; 111 scattered single ancient trees in Songbai Town; 82 scattered single ancient trees in Songluo Town; 49 scattered single ancient trees and one tree group with 11 ancient trees in Hongping Town; one ancient tree group with 264,000 ancient trees in Xinhua Forest Farm; 12 scattered single ancient trees in Xujiazhuang Forest Farm and one ancient tree group with 134,235 ancient trees in the area co-managed by the forest farm and Laojunshan Agency of the Administration of Shennongjia National Park; 2 scattered single ancient trees and one ancient tree group with 1,622 ancient trees in the territory of the Forestry Research Institute; 58 scattered single ancient trees and one ancient tree group with 4,248 ancient trees in Honghuaduo Forest Farm; 7 scattered single ancient trees and one ancient tree group with 33,000 ancient trees in Hongping Forest Farm; 10 scattered single ancient trees in Wenshui Forest Farm; one ancient tree group with 937 ancient trees in Shanshuping of the Laojunshan Management Area of the National Park, and another ancient tree group in Motianling  area co-managed by Laojunshan Agency of the Administration of Shennongjia National Park and Xujiazhuang Forest Farm; 49 scattered single ancient trees and two ancient tree groups with 1,342 ancient trees in Muyu Management Area of the National Park; 13 scattered single ancient trees and five ancient tree groups with 1,181 ancient trees in Shennongding Management Area of the National Park; 116 scattered single ancient trees and one ancient tree group with 190,000 ancient trees in Dajiuhu Management Area of the National Park.