Emei Mountain is known as the "plant kingdom", with 242 families of higher plants, more than 3200 species, accounting for about one-tenth of the total number of plant species in China and one-third of the total number of plant species in Sichuan; the perfect ecological environment, breeding more than 2300 kinds of wild animals, is also known as "animal paradise". In modern times, colleges and universities around the world often come to Mount Emei for scientific research and study tours.
A study of the Emei Mountain Gall Bee and its natural enemies
From October 12 to November 2, the team of Professor Graham Stone of the University of Edinburgh and the researchers of the Emeishan Biological Resources Experimental Station jointly carried out a three-week field comprehensive investigation of gall bees and their natural enemies in Emei Mountain, conducted a comprehensive investigation of the types of gall galls and their main host plants in the Emei Mountain Scenic Area, and investigated more than 220 shell trees, collected more than 570 specimens of galls, and obtained more than 880 insect specimens.
According to the research results of Professor Graham Stone for many years, it is determined that nearly 100 types of galls and more than 60 species of gall bees have been recorded in this survey, including more than 50 newly discovered gall forms.
"Research on Emeishan Gall Bee and Its Natural Enemies" is the first international collaborative scientific research project jointly carried out in Mount Emei on the basis of the agreement between Emeishan Biological Station, the University of Edinburgh and Zhejiang University in the United Kingdom, on the basis of the "International Collaborative Innovation and Science Popularization Education Base for Endangered Animals and Plants in Mount Emei".
During the field scientific expedition of the project carried out by the researchers of the University of Edinburgh in Mount Emei, Professor Fang Shengguo of Zhejiang University and the leader of the Emei Mountain Biological Resources Experimental Station made a special trip to Mount Emei to visit the expert team of the University of Edinburgh, and all parties conducted in-depth exchanges and discussions on the construction of the Emei Mountain Forest Disease and Pest Biological Control Research Center, future scientific research cooperation and talent training, and finally reached a consensus on comprehensive and in-depth cooperation and establishing a long-term, stable and effective cooperation mechanism.
During the visit to Mount Emei, Professor Graham and his team members also had a comprehensive exchange with the staff of the Mount Emei Biological Station on scientific research, student training and education at the University of Edinburgh, and made a wonderful report for the staff of the Mount Emei Biological Station on the study of the world gall bee and its natural enemies. The in-depth cooperation between Emeishan Biological Station and the University of Edinburgh will play a great role in comprehensively improving the existing scientific research and popular science education level of the base.
What is a gall bee
Small, smooth, dark-colored, forethia extended to the base of the wings, flattened abdomen, larvae often as gall bees, because of the ability to stimulate the swelling of plant tissue to form galls, so named. Adults are generally about 1 to 4 mm long, and the largest can reach about 7 to 16 mm. The body shape is symmetrical, often shiny, and some are velvety. The body is black and dull maroon; the sides of the forebreast are extended posteriorly to meet the basal of the mid-thorax wings, or only separated by a thin film. The antennae are not knee-shaped, more than 16 segments, mostly up to 30 to 70 segments, and 1 foot rotational segment. The forewings are wingless, with a few wing chambers , and degenerate veins , and the hindwings have no rump. The abdomen is often extremely flattened, and the second abdominal segment is often long and can cover half or all of the dorsal abdomen. The oviposiform protrudes from the ventral surface of the anterior end of the abdomen, and can be retracted, curled, and longer than the body length.
Gall bees
Most can be used as galls on the host plant, and a few live parasitically, with other insects as the host or as parasitic insects. Reproductive methods are more specific, with heterotypic sexual alternating generational reproduction, and asexual reproduction. Camp parasite eggs often have long stalks, and the larvae are footless, maggot-like, and pupae are cocoonless.
Galls
Mount Emei Biological Experiment Station
In 1984, the former Sichuan Institute of Natural Science (now renamed Sichuan Institute of Natural Resources Science) was established as a scientific research base in Mount Emei.
Biological station is located near the Wannian Temple, the total area of the station is 54 acres, the real estate construction area is about 6,000 square meters, with laboratories, herbariums, conference rooms, science popularization halls, expert guest houses and other functions of four comprehensive buildings, with good working conditions.
In addition, nearly 80 acres of plant collection and preservation gardens carry out the "West China Rain Screen Belt" rare and endangered and important cash crops ex situ protection, and about 20 acres of experimental sites engaged in the ecological adaptability of introduced plants and plant reproduction.
Emeishan Station now collects and preserves nearly 2,000 species of plants (including 130 species of national key protected plants), and the site also has a number of plant germplasm resources gardens or gardens such as medicinal plant resources garden, fern garden and endemic rare plant garden.
Emei pseudounisphrotic magnolia, a unique species of Mount Emei, known as "Emei Sacred Flower"
Research Directions
▷Research on the application basis and applied technology of biodiversity rainstorms and sustainable use of plant resources
▷Structure and function of subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest ecosystem in Mount Emei
▷ Monitoring and assessment of biodiversity in Mount Emei
The plant resources of Emeishan Biological Station were established in the early 1980s, which is the earliest scientific research group established in China. For more than 20 years, based on Mount Emei, the Plant Resources Group has been engaged in the ex situ protection of rare and endangered and important cash crops in the region, focusing on collecting plant species in Sichuan Province and the tropical region of Southwest Asia, exploring the methods of plant introduction and domestication, rescuing rare and endangered plants and excavating wild plant resources.
At present, the Botanical Garden of Emeishan Biological Station has preserved nearly 2,000 species of plant species in 187 families, and preserved nearly 200 species of national key protected plants, rare and endangered plants, endemic plants, single species of plants and plants with important scientific research value, including the international rare plants Officinalis, Lingchunmu, Emei Pseudounigeal Magnolia, Emei Hanxiao, Taiwan Fir, Ziye Maple, Octagonal Lotus and other 53 species (according to the "National Rare and Endangered Plants List" published by the State Environmental Protection Administration in 1984). 101 species of national key protected plants such as cycads, money pines, Bole trees, canopy trees, alder trees, lianxiang wood, and thrush trees (according to the "List of Wild Animals and Plants under National Key Protection" officially approved and promulgated by the State Council in 1999), is the botanical garden with the largest number of plant species and national key protected plant species collected and preserved outdoors in Sichuan Province, especially the number of small maps and rare plant species preserved in Mount Emei ranks first in the country, and some family species (Cymbidium, Berberraceae, Octagonal Lotus and Peach Leaf Coral genus of Dogwood, etc.) The collection also ranks among the best in the country, with obvious resource characteristics, and has made important contributions to the protection and utilization of rare plants in southwest China and Mount Emei.