Editor's Note
From 8.4% to 15.8% – this is the change in the forest cover of the whole region in 20 years. Ningxia takes "green water and green mountains are golden mountains and silver mountains" as the main pen, coordinates the treatment of grass and sand in landscapes, forests, fields and lakes, promotes ecological restoration with systematic thinking, and adheres to the harmonious coexistence between man and nature.
Recently, the reporter walked in the mountains and rivers of Saishang, recording the vivid practice of "writing" in the green water and green mountains from specific ecological restoration cases.
Luoshan Nature Reserve, known as the "Desert Emerald". (Photo courtesy of Luoshan Nature Reserve)
Luoshan goose-throated antelope.
The green expression of beautiful new Ningxia
——Ningxia uses the "hand" of the system to promote ecological restoration as a whole
If Dashan also has an ecological "account", then the "account" of Liupanshan has completed the transformation from "deficit" to "full" after many years.
The road is like a jade belt around Qingshan, marching on the Jinglong Highway, which is known as the "most beautiful highway", the reporter sent the photo to the circle of friends, and received a comment: "Five Pot Liang - Sutai", Meng Wangping, head of the Yangjiadian Ranger Point of the Fengtai State-owned Forest Farm of the Liupanshan Forestry Bureau, "accurately positioned" the photo.
With only a photo of the forest, perhaps only those who have been with the forest and the mountains for many years can recognize the "coordinates" at a glance. After several generations of continuous struggle, the forest coverage rate of Liupanshan National Nature Reserve has increased from 23% at the beginning to 64.5% now.
From 8.4% to 15.8% – this is the change in the forest cover of the whole region in 20 years. Build a beautiful new Ningxia and realize the great Chinese dream. The "beautiful expression" of Ningxia, with green water and green mountains as the main pen, is the golden mountain and silver mountain, and promotes ecological restoration with systematic thinking, "healing" landscape nature.
The Hand of Repair "Breathes"
Mountains are the "backbone" of the flat earth. If there is no mountain, the wind and sand will drive straight in; the water will lack the terrain difference and is inconvenient to flow; the climate will be monolithic, affecting biodiversity... "Landscape, forest, field, lake, grass and sand", in this overall ecological "chess game", the mountain is an important "drop".
In Ningxia, in addition to the "Three Mountains", there are many unique mountains.
Moon Mountain, the only water supply area in Xiji County, has been launched since 2013 to build a water conservation forest, and a "landscape painting" has been made on Moon Mountain through the "technique" of harmonious coexistence with the natural world. Nowadays, the degree of soil erosion here has gradually decreased, and the benefits of water conservation have gradually emerged.
The Yunwu Mountains in Wonju District, Guyuan City, also had the true color of the Loess Plateau, and now the vegetation coverage has exceeded 95%. The grass and sand of Shanshui Lintian Lake is an organic whole, so the benefits brought about by local climate changes are also "composite" presentation - the average annual rainfall increases, the degree of soil surface erosion decreases, the surface runoff decreases by 85.6%, and the "water does not go down the mountain, the mud does not come out of the ditch", unveiling the veil of the Yunwushan National Nature Reserve, revealing an increasingly beautiful face.
Mountains and forests are "revitalized", focusing on the reform of mountain forest rights that plant greenery and increase greenery. Reform to give full play to the market regulation mechanism, revitalize forest resources, invigorate management rights, and plant a beautiful new Ningxia background; the integration of forests and grasslands, this year, the "Ningxia Grassland Natural Park Pilot Work Plan" was issued, focusing on improving the ecological, economic and social functions of grassland resources, and further promoting the integrated development of forests and grasslands.
A word "sand" has been added -- from the overall planning of the "shanshui lintian lake grass" to the "landscape lintian lake grass sand" management, Ningxia, which is surrounded by sand on three sides, can understand the profound meaning: As a province and region that took the lead in reversing desertification, Ningxia prevented the harm of sand, used the benefits of good sand, and adhered to the principle of "suitable forest is forest, suitable grass is grass, suitable wet is wet, suitable for wilderness is barren, and suitable for sand is sand", so as to "set green with water, determine forests with water, and measure water."
Between the mountains and the waters, the "governance" of the freehand green is written; in the system, the natural "breathing" is coordinated.
Integrated monitoring helps to lead the way
Carefully stepping on the beach and pulling out the layers of reeds, the staff of the Ningxia Wetland Protection and Management Center launched a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation of wetlands. The investigation team collected plant samples during the day and worked overtime at night to check, and has conducted investigation and monitoring of 25 fixed sample sites stipulated by the state and 20 sample plots and more than 120 samples in 6 important wetlands of the country.
The survey of ningxia grassland monitoring and evaluation plots was carried out simultaneously. Members in the WeChat group shared their experiences and shared "plant identification" - four investigation working groups composed of more than 70 people from the autonomous region's grassland workstation, county-level grassland management department, Ningxia University, and third-party institutions were set up in the whole region, and undertook the investigation tasks of 281 grassland field samples.
The comprehensive treatment of grass and sand in shanshui lintian lake starts from comprehensive monitoring. Recently, Ningxia has promoted the integration of ecological comprehensive monitoring of "forest and grass wet sand" to provide basic support for the high-quality development of forest and grass undertakings. "This monitoring is promoted through integration, and the systematic study and judgment of forests, grasslands, wetlands, deserts, etc. is the basis for Ningxia to coordinate the governance of the grass and sand system of landscapes, forests, lakes and lakes, and it is also an inevitable requirement for the construction of pilot zones." The relevant person in charge of the Forestry and Grassland Bureau of the Autonomous Region said.
Reshaping and optimizing the picture of harmonious coexistence, in the first half of this year, Ningxia took the construction of the pilot area as the main line, coordinated the treatment of the grass and sand system of the landscape and forest field lake, as of now, 970,000 mu of afforestation has been completed, accounting for 64.7% of the annual task; the restoration of 119,000 mu of degraded grassland, accounting for 59.5% of the annual task; the restoration of 101,000 mu of wetlands, the protection and restoration of wetlands 193,000 mu, accounting for 72% of the annual task; the area of desertification control is 797,000 mu, accounting for 88.6% of the annual task.
Embark on a new journey to build a modernization in which man and nature coexist in harmony. Governing mountains and increasing greenery, retaining water and fixing sand, afforestation and grass restoration, Qinghe river is still wet, Ningxia keeps the lifeline of improving the ecological environment, takes "one river and three mountains" as the coordinates, builds the overall ecological layout of "one belt and three regions", promotes the comprehensive green transformation of economic development, and makes green a distinctive background for the construction of the Yellow River Basin ecological protection and high-quality development pilot zone. (Reporter Mao Xuejiao)
Helan Mountain: "Father Mountain" to see the elves
On August 27, the reporter and his party drove to Suyukou in Helan Mountain, and along the way, they could see rock sheep, a national second-class protected animal. They run between rocks and rocks, full of the tension of life.
According to the staff of Helan Mountain National Nature Reserve, there are currently about 40,000 rock sheep in the entire reserve, which is one of the areas with the highest distribution density of rock sheep in the world, and it is continuing to increase. Not only rock sheep, but also the number of other animals, plants and insects is also increasing, and the virtuous circle development trend of Helan Mountain is becoming more and more obvious.
According to the assessment of the Chinese Academy of Forestry, Helan Mountain now conserves 44.1635 million cubic meters of water, 1.1596 million tons of solid soil, 33,400 tons of carbon sequestration, 73,400 tons of oxygen release, 7880.50 tons of pollutants, and the value created by the forest ecosystem every year reaches 1.726 billion yuan.
Through the implementation of the Tianbao Project and the closure of mountains and afforestation for many years, the ecology of Helan Mountain has been significantly improved, the forest and grass vegetation has recovered rapidly, the forest coverage rate of Helan Mountain National Nature Reserve has reached 14.3% from 10.2% in 2003, and the vegetation coverage in fenced enclosure areas and protected areas has reached more than 60%. The increasingly good ecological environment has become a paradise for animals and plants to flourish.
According to the staff of Helan Mountain National Nature Reserve, there are currently 647 species and 17 varieties of wild vascular plants in 84 families, 329 genera and 17 varieties in Helan Mountain, among which the plants belonging to the national key protection are tetrachedon, sand holly, Mongolian almond, Helan Mountain cloves, naked fruit wood, wild soybeans; there are 204 species of bryophytes and 259 species of large fungi; 218 species of wild vertebrates, including 12 species of first-class protected animals such as black stork and golden eagle, and 41 species of secondary protected animals such as red deer and rock sheep.
Helan Mountain is an important dividing line between China's geography and climate, as well as the dividing line between Tengger, Maowusu, Ulanbu and the three major deserts. The intangible value of Helan Mountain is even more incalculable. Helan Mountain is like a long dragon stretching from north to south, blocking the wind and sand, conserving water sources, regulating the climate, and is the "ecological lung" of the Ningxia Plain.
In 2019, on the basis of consolidating and improving the achievements of the governance of the protected area, the autonomous region implemented the comprehensive management of the ecological environment outside the protected area. At present, all open-pit coal mines have been closed and withdrawn, 332 "scattered pollution" coal processing enterprises in key areas have been shut down and banned, and all 45 points affecting the ecological environment have completed basic treatment. In the past three years, it has invested nearly 10 billion yuan in various types of funds, and the area of treatment and restoration has reached 200 square kilometers, and the ecological environment of Helan Mountain has been significantly improved.
The reporter met a Mr. Zhang with his wife and children in the Suyukou Scenic Area. He said that his grandfather was a "Zhining person" from the south, and now his son has become a fourth generation of Ningxia people. Mr. Zhang said that as soon as he had time, he and his family walked along Helan Mountain, and every time he could feel the beautiful changes of Helan Mountain, he, like many people in Ningxia, hoped to see the scenery of Helan Mountain becoming more and more beautiful, more harmonious between man and nature, and let more protection results benefit the people. (Reporter Lu Yanhong)
Helan Mountain Rock Sheep. (Photo courtesy of Ningxia Helan Mountain National Nature Reserve Administration)
Cloud Mountain: Pull out the clouds and mist to see the scenery
On August 23, after an autumn rain, the grass became more and more lush on the rolling hills of ningxia Yunwushan National Nature Reserve, and birds and animals appeared in the middle, forming a picture of harmonious coexistence between man and nature.
Located in the northeast of Yuanzhou District, Guyuan City, Ningxia Yunwu Mountain National Nature Reserve, with a total area of 6660 hectares, has the unique natural characteristics and original natural features of the Loess Plateau, is the natural "background" of the typical grassland ecosystem in the semi-arid area of the Loess Plateau, and is also a natural treasure house for studying the evolution process and law of the typical grassland ecosystem in the semi-arid area of the Loess Plateau, which has important conservation, scientific research and ecological value.
From looking forward to the growth of vegetation coverage to the pursuit of species diversity and richness, the concept of ecological restoration and protection in Yunwushan Nature Reserve has been continuously updated.
The lush vegetation of the Cloud Mountain is now a beautiful home for animals and plants. As early as 1993, the Yunwushan Nature Reserve was accepted as one of the first members by the China Biosphere Reserve Network Organization. Since 2013, Yunwushan Nature Reserve has undertaken the project of "Experimental Research on The Release of Foxes into Natural Control of Rat Pests", which reactivates the wildness of foxes through the purchase of domestic foxes and the three-level adaptive rewilding training in the reserve, so that foxes can become "ecological protection guardians" of forests and grasslands from the destruction of rats, hares and other animals. At present, the Yunwushan Nature Reserve has successfully rewilded 731 foxes, which have been released into grasslands and forest areas in Sichuan, Inner Mongolia, Hebei, Shaanxi, Ningxia and other provinces and regions, controlling rat infestation areas of 910,000 hectares, making useful exploration and contributions to biological rodent extermination.
According to reports, the number of vertebrates in the protected area has increased from less than 30 species before protection to 113 species, of which 30 species are national key protected animals. There are national first-class protected animals such as jade belt sea eagle, golden eagle, great bustard, falcon hunting falcon, and there are also national second-level protected animals rabbit, lynx, gray crane, grassland eagle, long-eared owl, eagle owl, kestrel, etc., Ningxia new record species 1 species; there are 316 species of insects, 60 species of spider spiders, including 22 species of ningxia new record insects and spiders.
At present, the Yunwushan Nature Reserve has the functions of forage germplasm resource gene bank, scientific research experiment demonstration, teaching, wildlife habitat and environmental protection awareness popularization, etc., which has become a model for vegetation restoration and comprehensive treatment of soil erosion in the semi-arid area of the Loess Plateau and even in the ecologically fragile areas of western China, and has also become an important research platform for biodiversity conservation and climate change.
After more than 40 years of effective protection, today, the vegetation coverage of the Yunwushan Reserve has increased from less than 30% before the protection to more than 95% now, and the average yield of grass has increased by 4 times to 5 times; the number of plants has increased from 182 species before protection to 313 species; the average annual rainfall has increased by 35 mm compared with the original; the erosion modulus of the soil surface has been reduced from 5,000 tons per square kilometer to 2,000 tons; and the surface runoff has been reduced by 85.6%. The erosion ditch in the 50 square kilometers of the reserve has stopped extending, realizing that "the water does not go down the mountain, and the mud does not come out of the ditch". (Reporter Lu Yanhong text/photo)
The Cloud Mountain Reserve trains foxes to survive in the wild.
Moon Mountain: Spring Mountain can be seen in the grass and trees
On August 25, autumn rain in Xiji County was long. Along the tourist loop that runs through More than 50 kilometers of Moon Mountain, it winds upwards, and the reporter's eyes are full of green as far as the reporter can see. Along the road, spruce and other trees stand tall among the green grass, high or low, full of life, the surface is covered with green grass, and the bare soil layer is almost invisible.
Moon Mountain is the highest mountain range in Xiji County, the main peak is 2633 meters above sea level, belongs to the remnants of Quwu Mountain, and is named because its shape is similar to that of arc moon. At the same time, Moon Mountain is also the only water supply area in Xiji County, and the regional ecological location is extremely important.
When the reporter and his party climbed the main peak of Moon Mountain at an altitude of 2633 meters, the rain passed and the sky was clear, and the view was wider. A staff member of the Ecological Restoration Office of the Natural Resources Bureau of Xiji County sighed: "The ecological construction results of Moon Mountain are the epitome of Xiji County's sparing efforts to increase the construction of the ecological environment. ”
Practicing the development concept of "green water and green mountains are golden mountains and silver mountains", Xiji County has steadily promoted the construction project of moon mountain water conservation forest. In 2013, with the support of higher-level departments, Xiji County invested 120 million yuan to complete afforestation of 70,000 mu in the management and protection areas of Moon Mountain Forest Farm and Sweep bamboo ridge forest farm, planting more than 6.7 million seedlings such as spruce, birch and clove; in the spring and autumn of 2020, it invested 104 million yuan to complete afforestation of 31,200 mu in Moon Mountain Forest Farm, Xinying Township and Flint Stone Village Township. After arduous efforts, the ecological environment of the Moon Mountain project area has gradually improved, the degree of soil erosion has been gradually reduced, and the benefits of water conservation have gradually emerged.
This year, Xiji County will continue to increase the construction of the Moon Mountain water conservation forest, planning to invest 120 million yuan to complete afforestation of 34,000 mu (11,000 mu of new afforestation, 23,000 mu of replanting) and 3.06 million seedlings such as spruce, oil pine, cloves and red plum apricots in 22 administrative villages of Moon Mountain Forest Farm, Xinying Township, Flint Zhai Township and Baiya Township. After the completion of the project, the soil erosion in the Moon Mountain area will be further effectively controlled, the water conservation capacity will be steadily improved, the forest coverage rate will be greatly improved, and the effect of the key ecological function area in southern Ningxia will be fully utilized.
The territory of Xiji is full of ravines and mountains. Once upon a time, the ecological environment here was fragile, and the forests and water resources were poor. Since the "13th Five-Year Plan", Xiji County has relied on the key ecological projects of the state, districts and cities to carry out large-scale land greening actions, and has completed a total of 638,200 mu of afforestation and greening projects in the key functional areas of Liupanshan with precipitation of more than 400 mm, closed 80,000 mu of mountains and afforestation, and greened 1435.1 kilometers of roads, and the ecological environment has been significantly improved. At present, the forest coverage rate of Xiji County has increased from 12.97% to 18% now, and the annual precipitation has increased from 377.9 mm to 573 mm.
During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, Xiji County will do a good job in the construction of the "six major ecosystems", and strive to achieve a forest coverage rate of 23% in the county by 2025, the comprehensive vegetation coverage of grasslands will reach 82%, the wetland area will be stable at 20,000 mu, and the watershed soil erosion control will reach 80%, so as to ensure that "planting a piece, living a piece, becoming a piece, and green one piece" will help the construction of the yellow river basin ecological protection and high-quality development pilot zone. (Reporter Lu Yanhong text/photo)
Moon Mountain.
Liupan Mountain: The mountain is bright and beautiful and pleasant to birds
On August 24, the reporter interviewed in Ningxia Liupanshan National Nature Reserve and found a copy of the "Liupanshan Bird Atlas" published in November 2019. The atlas records a total of 200 species of birds in 17 orders and 46 families, each bird occupies a page, freezing and recording the most beautiful moments of each bird.
Whether the ecology is good or not, birds and beasts know best. On the same day, when the reporter interviewed Xiaonanchuan in the Liupanshan National Nature Reserve, the birds in the mountains and forests chirped, and the streams in the valley babbled. Guo Zhihong, deputy director of the Office of the Liupanshan National Nature Reserve and forest park management bureau, who is responsible for the investigation and monitoring of wild animals in the reserve, picked up the "long cannon" of shooting birds and quickly grabbed a bird that stopped on a small branch.
Guo Zhihong told reporters the story of the discovery of new species of birds that he participated in. In 2016, when Guo Zhihong and his colleagues were touring the mountains, they found three ibis-billed sandpipers along the Jing River, at least 9 to 12, which made everyone very excited. You know, the sandpiper is called the "water quality expert", and the water where they live can usually be drunk directly by humans.
In order to find out the home of birds in Liupanshan National Nature Reserve and grasp the first-hand reference materials for environmental improvement in the reserve, in the 1980s and 2011, Liupanshan Nature Reserve twice organized forces to conduct special surveys of birds in the reserve, and there were 158 species of birds in 15 orders and 36 families. At that time, due to the limitations of the technical means of the investigation, the results of the investigation were only recorded in writing.
In 2016, Liupanshan National Nature Reserve once again carried out a special survey of birds, this survey is not only advanced in technology, but also with the participation of many forces, which lasted for 3 years to use high-quality photographic equipment and equipment to record each bird found in a photo record, and recorded and certified at different times, recording a total of 200 species of birds in 17 orders and 46 families. In this survey, not only the species of birds recorded have increased by 2 orders and 10 families and 42 species compared with before, but also the black vulture and bearded vulture, which are national key protected birds at the national level, for the first time.
In 2019, the Protected Areas Administration collected all the photographs of 200 bird species in 17 orders and 46 sections recorded in the case into a book, and named it "Liupanshan Bird Atlas". After the publication of the book, by August 20 this year, more than a year ago, the reserve and "bird powder" found 34 new species of birds, Guo Zhihong proudly pointed to the map and said: "Our map can not keep up with the change of bird species!" ”
At the beginning of 2020, a "bird powder" in Yinchuan launched the "Liupanshan Bird Watching Weekly" on the WeChat public platform, timely releasing the newly discovered birds photographed, which has been insisted on for one year and eight months. There are more and more enthusiasts like this, and we all have only one common goal: to make more people care about and support ecological environmental protection.
After several generations of struggle, the forest coverage rate of Liupanshan National Nature Reserve has increased from 23% to 64.5% now, and the accumulation of living standing wood accounts for half of Ningxia. The ecological environment is improving day by day, attracting more and more vertebrates and birds to the reserve to breed. Comrades of Liupanshan National Nature Reserve said humorously that the "Liupanshan Bird Atlas" is getting thicker and thicker, indicating that the ecological environment of the reserve has become better, and in order to achieve this goal, they will redouble their efforts to make the sky bluer, the trees greener, and the water clearer. (Reporter Lu Yanhong)
Liupanshan Black Stork. Photo by correspondent Guo Zhihong
Source: Ningxia Daily