Saturday, March 28, 2009

Flora in Nanling, Guangdong (Part 2)

Threats to Nanling National Nature Reserve had been identified in recent years in order to make recommendations to the reserve by many academic and conservation parties. Developments and humun disturbance are inevitable but the sustainability of the reserve should be taken into account seriously. Logging had long been a problem in Nanling but was officially banned since the establishment of the reserve. The adverse effects of logging in the past are still visible nowadays as the logged areas have been degraded to Cunninghamia lanceolata (China Fir) plantation. Hydroelectric station at the entrance of Nanling would definitely disrupt the stream ecosystem and flooding of forests.

Illicium jiadifengpi (假地楓皮) was found in montane forests at an elevation of about 1,500 m in Mangshan Nature Reserve.

Tsuga tchekiangensis (南方鐵杉) is endemic to China and considered as vulnerable. It is also a tertiary relic species having a very old history!

Pieione bulbocodioides (獨蒜蘭) was commonly found growing on steep rock surface with mosses. Nanling Nature Reserve contains rich diversity of orchids. 49 had been recorded in previous survey done by KFBG. Pieione sp. is one of the most abundant orchid species in good forests.

Huperzia serrata (蛇足石杉) was regularly seen in both Nanling and Mangshan.

Tubocapsicum anomalum (龍珠) is the only species in the genus Tubocapsicum in China.

Chionographis chinensis (中國白絲草) is very rare in Hong Kong but it is very abundant in Nanling!

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