Kingdoniaceae, a national first-class protected plant, was recently found for the first time to be growing in areas below an altitude of 2,700 meters in Northwest China’s Qinling Mountains, reflecting the improvement of the local ecological environment.
During a field investigation, researchers from the forestry workstation of Meixian county of Baoji city, Shannxi Province found the plant in Mount Taibai of Qinling Mountains, mainly in the Dalaigou of the Red River Valley at an altitude of 2,350 meters and in Honghuaping at an altitude of 2,420 meters.
“The area is surrounded by moss, indicating that the humidity is relatively suitable for the growth of Kingdoniaceae,” Wen Manlin, a deputy director of the county’s forestry station, said in an interview with the Xinhua News Agency.
“Growing at such a low altitude shows that the ecological environment of Meixian has been improved,” Wen said.
The plant was listed as a national first-class protected plant in 1999. It is mainly found in Southwest China’s Yunnan and Sichuan provinces and in Northwest China’s Shannxi and Gansu provinces, and generally grows under mountain fir forests or rhododendron shrubs between 2,750 meters and 3,900 meters above sea level.
It has been difficult to spot the plant in recent years as their distributions continuously decreased.
The plant, which can be traced back 67 million years, has strict requirements for its living environment, and is considered a “natural indicator” of ecological environment.
Kingdoniaceae, a national first-class protected plant, found in Northwest China’s Qinling Mountains in areas below altitude of 2,700 meters for the first time. Photo: screenshot of video from Xinhua News Agency
