The reporter learned from the Karst World Natural Heritage Administration of Maonan Autonomous County, Huanjiang, that the investigation and research project on the biodiversity of the Caves of the Huanjiang Karst World Natural Heritage Site, which has been continuously carried out for nearly three years, has basically ended a few days ago, and a total of more than 150 kinds of animals and plants have been newly discovered, including more than 70 kinds of cave animals, 60 species of birds, and 17 species of plants.
The project was launched at the end of 2016, and the scientific research team of cave biodiversity of South China Agricultural University, under the leadership of Professor Tian Mingyi, organized more than 10 investigation activities on the biodiversity of Huanjiang Caves, covering the main areas of the heritage site, including more than 70 karst caves in the core area of the heritage site and the surrounding area of the Huanjiang River.
Through in-depth investigation, the scientific expedition team found that the cave life of the heritage site is diverse, and it is one of the world's cave life species concentration area. Among the cave animals that have been found, there are 16 species of horses, 13 species of foot beetles and spiders, more than 10 species of jumping insects, 10 species of fish, 6 species of lake insects, 4 species of mites, as well as snails, frogs, shrimps, crabs, pseudo-scorpions, two-tailed insects, yanjia, dragon melons, ant beetles, zebra horses and bats. According to experts, more than 80% of these cave creatures are endemic to the region.
"Previously, the world's recognized cave biodiversity hotspots were three karst regions in North America, the European Pyrenees-Alps and the Balkans. The Area of Qiannan-Guibei, centered on the Huanjiang World Natural Heritage Site, has now been confirmed as the fourth cave biodiversity hotspot in the world and the only hotspot in the subtropics. Tian Mingyi introduced.
Located on the north side of the Tropic of Cancer and connected to Limingguan Town in Libo County, Guizhou Province, the South China Karst Huanjiang World Natural Heritage Site covers the entire scope of Guangxi Muron National Nature Reserve and some surrounding national public welfare forest land, with a total area of 115.59 square kilometers and a forest coverage rate of 97.2%. (Scroll down to the second edition)
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Over the years, the Guangxi Muyan National Nature Reserve Management Bureau has also cooperated with scientific research teams such as the Changsha Institute of Agroecology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangxi University, Guangxi Institute of Botany, Guizhou Normal University, and Guizhou Institute of Biology to carry out field investigation and scientific research on the animal and plant resources of the reserve.
Up to now, there are 360 species of terrestrial vertebrate wild animals known in the reserve, including 3 species under national first-level protection and 31 species under second-level protection; 60 species of birds have been newly discovered; there are 1502 species of vascular plants in 207 families and 707 genera, 5 species of national first-level protection, 14 species of second-level protection, and 122 species of orchids.
Statistics show that a total of 17 species of endemic plants were first found in the Wood Theory Reserve, including Wood Theory Magnolia and Single-Flower Barberry. The unisexual magnolia forest found covers an area of 18.7 hectares, which is the largest contiguous area and the most stable community structure of unisexual magnolia community in China.