Rainforest Conservation in China PDF

Part 6 Disappearing green canopy Extended reading/Info sheet Learning material for National Security Education Rainforest conservation in China Textbook p. 75...

Part 6 Disappearing green canopy Extended reading/Info sheet Learning material for National Security Education Rainforest conservation in China Textbook p. 75 Credit: Outcast85/Dreamstime.com Apart from the tropical rainforests in the Amazon Basin, the Congo Basin and in South-east Asia, did you know that there are tropical rainforests in China too? Now, we will learn more about the tropical rainforests in China and how to conserve them. 1 Distribution of tropical rainforests in China Tropical rainforests in China are mainly found in the frost-free southern region where a hot and humid climate prevails (Figure 1). These areas are generally recognised as the northern limit of the tropical rainforest region of South-east Asia. The two major rainforest regions in China are Xishuangbanna in southern Yunnan and on Hainan Dao. Scattered patches of rainforests can also be found in places such as south-western Guangxi and the river valleys in south-eastern Xizang. Source: Zhu, H. "The Tropical Forests of southern China and Conservation of Biodiversity." Bot. Rev. (2017). Figure 1 Distribution of tropical rainforests in China Xishuangbanna ⻄雙版納 Yunnan 雲南 Hainan Dao 海南島 Guangxi 廣⻄ Xizang ⻄藏 Senior Secondary Exploring Geography Third Edition (RMA 2024) © Oxford University Press (China) Ltd 2024 1 Part 6 Disappearing green canopy Extended reading/Info sheet Tropical rainforests in Xishuangbanna Xishuangbanna is located in southern Yunnan between 21°N and 22°N. It has the largest area of tropical rainforests in China and is the country’s first internationally-recognised rainforest area. Table 1 shows some information about this tropical rainforest region. Table 1 Information about the tropical rainforests in Xishuangbanna Tropical rainforests in Xishuangbanna (in Putonghua) Source: Chinese Academy of Sciences Credit: Imago/Alamy Stock Photo Area 19,223 km2 Relief  About 90% of the rainforest is located in the mountain area and 10% on the lowland  Most areas are 600 m above sea level Climate  Tropical monsoon climate: – long and hot summers; short and mild winters – high rainfall, with most rain falls in summer  Despite the low rainfall in winter/dry season, dense fog in the rainforest area helps compensate for the insufficient rainfall and provides moisture to support the vegetation there Ways to retain moisture during dry season in the tropical rainforests in Xishuangbanna (in Putonghua) Plant and  Contain over 5,000 plant species and 2,000 animal species (about 16% and 25% of China’s animal total respectively) species  Exhibit five-layer structure of vegetation, with luxuriant epiphytes, stranglers and lianas  Home to the tallest tree species in China, Wangtianshu (meaning ‘sky tree’), which is an emergent that can grow up to 50–70 m tall  Home to the last few hundred Asian elephants in China Wangtianshu 望天樹 Senior Secondary Exploring Geography Third Edition (RMA 2024) © Oxford University Press (China) Ltd 2024 2 Part 6 Disappearing green canopy Extended reading/Info sheet Tropical rainforests on Hainan Dao Hainan Dao is located at the north-western part of Nan Hai, between 18°N and 20°N. A large continuous area of tropical rainforests is found in the central and southern parts of the island. It is considered the most concentrated and best-preserved rainforest in China. Table 2 shows the details of this rainforest. Table 2 Information about the tropical rainforests on Hainan Dao Tropical rainforests on Hainan Dao (in Putonghua) Source: Wang et al. (2013) Credit: Grandboat/Dreamstime.com Area 6,593 km2 Relief  Land elevation ranges from around 40 m to over 1,800 m above sea level (i.e. where Wuzhishan, the highest mountain on the island, is found)  The rainforests at over 800 m above sea level are known as tropical montane rainforests Climate  Maritime tropical monsoon Plant  Contain over 4,600 plant species (about climate: and 15% of China’s total), 600 of which are – long and hot summers; short animal endemic to Hainan Dao and mild winters species  Exhibit five-layer structure of vegetation, – high rainfall, with most rain with an emergent layer reaching about falls during summer 40 m above ground  Contain over 570 species of animals (about 7% of China’s total)  Home to one of the rarest animals, Hainan gibbons (only 37 left in 2023) Credit: Liumangtiger  Occasional typhoons during /Dreamstime. summer com Nan Hai 南海 Wuzhishan 五指山 tropical montane rainforest 熱帶山地雨林 Hainan gibbon 海南⻑臂猿 Senior Secondary Exploring Geography Third Edition (RMA 2024) © Oxford University Press (China) Ltd 2024 3 Part 6 Disappearing green canopy Extended reading/Info sheet 2 Problems faced by the tropical rainforests in China The total area of primary forests in southern China has been declining over the past few decades. Figures 2a and 2b show the loss of primary rainforest cover over the past two decades in Xishuangbanna and on Hainan Dao respectively. 2a Xishuangbanna 2b Hainan Dao Source: World Resources Institute, Global Forest Watch Q: In which decade was deforestation the most Figure 2 Annual loss of primary rainforest cover in serious in Xishuangbanna and on Hainan Dao? Xishuangbanna and on Hainan Dao, 2002–22 Deforestation is the major cause of the loss of rainforest cover in southern China. Over the past few decades, higher incomes in China have led to a growing demand for cash crops, wood and paper products. As a result, large areas of rainforests in southern China have been removed to develop commercial farming (mainly rubber, tea and eucalyptus plantations in Xishuangbanna and on Hainan Dao, as shown in Figures 3 and 4 on p. 5). Rainforests are also destroyed by commercial logging for timber. eucalyptus 桉樹 Senior Secondary Exploring Geography Third Edition (RMA 2024) © Oxford University Press (China) Ltd 2024 4 Part 6 Disappearing green canopy Extended reading/Info sheet Credit: Michele A Burgess/Dreamstime.com Credit: Tatiana Dyuvbanova/Dreamstime.com Figure 3 A rubber plantation in Xishuangbanna Figure 4 A tea plantation on Hainan Dao Table 3 shows some of the environmental impacts caused by the loss of rainforest cover in Xishuangbanna. Table 3 Environmental impacts caused by the loss of rainforest cover in Xishuangbanna Forest When vast areas of rainforests are cut down, the rainforests become fragmented and fragmentation isolated. The outer edges are exposed to stronger winds, soil erosion and exotic species. This will further reduce the area of the remaining rainforests Reduction of  Due to deforestation, the habitats of plants and biodiversity animals are destroyed. Some species have been lost. It is estimated that the biodiversity of the cleared forests and plantations is less than one- tenth of the natural forests there  Even if the animals could stay, some have become critically endangered, such as the Indochinese tiger (Figure 5) and northern white- cheeked gibbon  As the rainforests have become fragmented, large mammals such as elephants and tigers Credit: Witthaya Khampanant/ cannot migrate between the forests. Their Alamy Stock Photo habitats have been greatly reduced Figure 5 An Indochinese tiger Soil  Rubber, tea and eucalyptus plantations have smaller biomasses and produce less degradation litter. As a result, fewer nutrients are returned to the soil  Soil acidity in plantations is much higher due to the use of chemicals, such as nitrogen fertilizers. Nutrients are thus dissolved and leached away more easily  The degraded soil will hinder forest regeneration even after the plantations have stopped operating Change in Owing to high transpiration, the climate in the rainforests of Xishuangbanna has long climate been characterised by many foggy days with high humidity. However, it is found that there are 100 fewer foggy days per year now when compared with the early 2000s. This hinders plant growth and forest regeneration, especially during winter/dry season In recent years, the loss of primary rainforest cover in southern China has slowed down and remained at a low level (refer to Figures 2a and 2b on p. 4). This is mainly due to the government’s efforts to conserve the rainforests. Indochinese tiger 印支虎 northern white-cheeked gibbon ⽩頰⻑臂猿 Senior Secondary Exploring Geography Third Edition (RMA 2024) © Oxford University Press (China) Ltd 2024 5 Part 6 Disappearing green canopy Extended reading/Info sheet 3 Measures to conserve the tropical rainforests in China Tropical rainforests are invaluable national assets and are a significant part of our environment. They provide many ecosystem services, which are crucial for maintaining ecological and resource security, as well as for fostering the well-being of the people. Therefore, rainforest conservation is an important part of national security. A number of measures have been taken to conserve the rainforests in China. Below are some examples. a Set up protected areas and develop ecotourism To maintain the original state of the rainforests and protect endangered species, many rainforest areas in southern China have been designated as nature reserves or national parks (Figures 6 and 7). In these areas, development is restricted. They are protected by laws and regulations, with staff controlling access to the fragile areas and carrying out patrols to monitor illegal activities. Ecotourism has become very popular there too. Many tourists visit these nature reserves and national parks every year. Credit: Hanno Böck/ Wikimedia Commons Wild Elephant Valley Credit: Sun Jia/Wikimedia Commons Wangtianshu Scenic Spot Figure 6 Five nature reserves in Xishuangbanna Credit: Imago/ Alamy Stock Photo Wuzhishan Tropical Rainforest Scenic Area Q1: Compare the spatial distribution of the nature reserves in Xishuangbanna and the national park on Hainan Dao. Q2: In terms of rainforest protection, which pattern is better? Why? Figure 7 Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park Mangao 曼稿 Mengyang 勐養 Menglun 勐侖 Mengla 勐臘 Shangyong 尚勇 Senior Secondary Exploring Geography Third Edition (RMA 2024) © Oxford University Press (China) Ltd 2024 6 Part 6 Disappearing green canopy Extended reading/Info sheet b Enforce forestry laws The ‘Forest Law’ has been adopted in China since 1984. It regulates the issue of logging licenses and timber quotas. Starting from 2020, all Chinese firms are required to record the sources of their timber. No firms or individuals may buy, process or transport timber from illegal sources. c Others The ‘Natural Forest Protection Project’ has been implemented since 2000. Its major goal is to preserve the natural forests in China. It has banned commercial logging in natural forests with high ecological values, such as the rainforest areas in southern China. It also involves carrying out reforestation on cleared land. On Hainan Dao, the complete ban of rainforest logging along with reforestation efforts have increased the rainforest area by 2,000 km2 over the past 20 years. In recent years, local governments have advised owners of rubber and tea plantations in southern China to convert their plantations back to rainforests, and to set up more ecologically friendly plantations. For example, agroforestry has been applied to create multi-species and multi-layered plantations. Credit: Imago/Alamy Stock Photo Figure 8 Reforestation in a rubber plantation in Xishuangbanna Table 4 on pp. 7–8 summarises the benefits and problems/limitations of the above measures. Table 4 Benefits and problems/limitations of the measures to conserve rainforests in southern China Benefit Problem/Limitation Set up  Preserve the rainforests  Lower economic returns than other protected areas  Promote economic development in a commercial activities, e.g. plantation and develop non-destructive way agriculture and logging ecotourism  High management and monitoring  Create jobs and bring higher and more stable income compared to traditional costs farming for the local people  High costs and difficulty in enforcing  Increase government revenues by laws due to the vastness and charging entrance fees remoteness of the protected areas  Have more money for conservation  Tourists and the building of projects infrastructure and tourist facilities may pollute or damage the environment  Preserve the culture, ways of life and living space of the local people  Too many tourists may disturb the peaceful life of the local people  Can serve as an educational tool Forest Law 森林法 Natural Forest Protection Project 天然林保護工程 Senior Secondary Exploring Geography Third Edition (RMA 2024) © Oxford University Press (China) Ltd 2024 7 Part 6 Disappearing green canopy Extended reading/Info sheet Benefit Problem/Limitation Enforce forestry  Preserve the rainforests  High monitoring and production costs laws  Minimize illegal logging  High costs and difficulty in enforcing  Meet the market demand for green laws due to the vastness and consumption remoteness of rainforests  Encourage logging companies to  As firms may incur higher costs to produce products in sustainable ways source their timber in better ways, the prices of wood and paper products may  Maintain the living space for local increase communities Ban logging and  Slow down deforestation/Preserve or  Banning logging may affect economic restore restore the rainforests/Increase development degraded land rainforest area  High costs of reforestation  Slow down soil erosion on the  Limited tree species are suitable for degraded land/Restore degraded soil planting. Introducing exotic species may  Maintain/Restore the wildlife disrupt the ecosystem habitats  Trees take a very long time to  Increase the number of plant and regenerate animal species, thus restoring biodiversity  Restore the ecosystems of the rainforests  More trees can reduce carbon dioxide in the air and thus ease global warming  Local people can maintain their livelihoods in the reforested areas  Secondary forests can generate economic returns by providing forest resources  As the degraded land is protected from soil erosion by the newly planted trees, there is a reduced risk of resultant hazards such as landslides and flooding. This in turn reduces the economic loss to areas nearby  Maintain/Restore the living space for local communities Apply  Improve soil fertility and increase  High planning, monitoring and agroforestry in yields production costs plantations  Minimize the need for chemicals  Require proper knowledge and  Reduce the risk of pests or diseases technology  Increase and diversify the income  Even with agroforestry, the biodiversity sources of the plantations of plantations is still much lower than natural forests Senior Secondary Exploring Geography Third Edition (RMA 2024) © Oxford University Press (China) Ltd 2024 8 Part 6 Disappearing green canopy Extended reading/Info sheet 4 Individual actions to conserve the tropical rainforests in China Apart from the above measures taken at the government level, what can we as individuals do to conserve our rainforests? Figure 9 shows some ways that individuals can help conserve the tropical rainforests in China. Which suggestions will you adopt and follow? What other actions can you think of?  Consume fewer rainforest products (e.g. use less paper)  Buy responsibly sourced products (e.g. products made from wood sourced from sustainably managed rainforests)  Support firms that operate in ways that minimize damage to rainforests  Donate money to environmental groups working on rainforest conservation  Share with others the importance of saving rainforests  Participate in ecotourism in rainforests  Join tree planting programs in rainforests  Others: _________________________________________________ Figure 9 Individual actions to conserve the tropical rainforests in China Contributed by: Ip Kim Wai, Lam Chi Chung, Ho Sau Hung, Tsui Sau Ngan, Chan Ting Yu, Lam Choi Ying, Ng Wing Chun and Yu Wai Ching Answer to question bubble (p. 4) Deforestation was the most serious from around the mid-2000s to the mid-2010s. Answers to question bubble (p. 6) 1 The nature reserves in Xishuangbanna are scattered while the national park on Hainan Dao is concentrated. 2 The national park on Hainan Dao can better protect the rainforest. This is because the national park on Hainan Dao is a large continuous area where wildlife can travel around the forest and the wildlife habitat is more extensive. But for the nature reserves in Xishuangbanna, they are fragmented/not connected with one another. Senior Secondary Exploring Geography Third Edition (RMA 2024) © Oxford University Press (China) Ltd 2024 9