On July 8, the reporter learned from the Karst World Natural Heritage Administration of Maonan Autonomous County, Huanjiang, that the investigation and research project on cave biodiversity in the Huanjiang Karst World Natural Heritage Site, which has been continuously carried out for nearly 3 years, has basically ended, and a total of more than 150 kinds of cave animals have been found, of which more than 70 species of genera have been newly discovered; 60 species of birds have been newly discovered; and 17 species of plants have been discovered for the first time. The mystery of the creatures of the Huanjiang Heritage Site is gradually unveiled.
Leopard. Photo courtesy of Guangxi Muron National Nature Reserve Management Bureau
The project was launched at the end of 2016, and the project undertaking unit, south China Agricultural University, under the leadership of Professor Tian Mingyi, has organized more than 10 field investigations of 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 Huanjiang Heritage Site is diverse, and it is one of the world's cave biological species concentration areas. Among the more than 150 kinds of cave animals that have been discovered, there are 16 species of horse land, 13 species of foot beetles and spiders, more than 10 species of jumping insects, 10 species of fish, 6 species of tide insects, 4 species of mites, as well as snails, frogs, shrimps, crabs, pseudo-scorpions, spider spiders, two-tailed insects, yan beetles, dragon lice, ant beetles, zebra horses and bats. According to experts, more than 80% of these cave creatures are endemic to the region.
Grass owl (pronounced xiāo). Photo courtesy of Guangxi Muron National Nature Reserve Management Bureau
Previously, the world's recognized cave biodiversity hotspots were three karst regions: North America, the European Pyrenees-Alps and the Balkans. The Area around Qiannan-Guibei, centered on the Huanjiang World Natural Heritage Site, has now been confirmed to be the fourth cave biodiversity hotspot in the world, and the only hotspot in the subtropics. Professor Tian Mingyi introduced.
Located on the north side of the Tropic of Cancer and connected to the Guizhou Libo Karst World Natural Heritage Site in the north, the South China Karst Huanjiang World Natural Heritage Site covers the entire scope of Guangxi Muron National Nature Reserve and some of the surrounding national public welfare forest land, with a total area of 115.59 square kilometers and a forest coverage rate of 97.2%.
White oriole (pronounced xián). Photo courtesy of Guangxi Muron National Nature Reserve Management Bureau
Over the years, the Guangxi Muron National Nature Reserve Management Bureau has also cooperated with the Changsha Institute of Agroecology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Guangxi Institute of Botany, Guangxi University, Guangxi Normal University and other scientific research teams to carry out field investigation and scientific research on the animal and plant resources of the reserve.
Up to now, 360 species of terrestrial vertebrate wild animals have been found in the Huanjiang Karst World Natural Heritage Site, 3 species of national first-class protected animals (golden leopard, python, forest musk), 31 species of second-class protected animals; 60 species of birds have been newly discovered; there are 1502 species of vascular plants in 207 families and 707 genera, and 5 species of national first-class protection (unisex magnolia, palm leaf wood, southern yew, Yunnan spike flower fir, single-seated moss), 14 species of second-level protection, and 122 species of orchid plants.
Narrow-leaved spider hairy moss. Photo courtesy of Guangxi Muron National Nature Reserve Management Bureau
According to statistics, a total of 17 species of endemic plants were first discovered in the Huanjiang Relic Site (namely, wood magnolia, single-flower barberry, etc.). The unisexual magnolia found, known as the "panda of the plant kingdom", has an area of 18.7 hectares, which is currently the largest contiguous area and the most stable community structure of the unisexual magnolia community in China; the Vietnam golden cypress found, of the 46 mature individuals found in China, 31 are in Huanjiang.
Editor 丨 Chen Cheng
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