Qinling Mountains as Paradise of Animals and Plants
As a mountain, Qinling is natural. Qinling Mountains land has longitudinal and transverse gullies, numerous peaks, flourishing vegetation, complex landforms, which provide advantaged natural conditions for the survival and propagation of different living beings, and create the “Treasure of biodiversity” and “Kingdom of animals and plants”, which connects the Eastern China and Western China, is the transition area of the Northern China and Southern China, integrates the features of the whole country as well as cultivate animals and plants with multiple varieties and unique feature. For thousands of years, the diversity of ecological system, variety, and genetic gene of Qinling has attracted the great attention of the related organizations and scholars from home and abroad. It has become the natural lab for the study of the origin, development and succession rules of the living beings of European and Asian continents.
As far as plants, the countless plants of subtropical zone and frigid zone centralize on Qinling Mountains. There are 2,931 kinds of seed plants, accounting for 12% of the total number of seed plants in China, and if adding with ferny plants, mosses, etc., that figure will come to 3,800, wherein, five belong to Class I national protected plant species and 45 belongs to Class II national protected plant species.
“There are numerous plants on Taibai Mountain,” ancient Chinese said. The plants of Qinling have the features of diversity and uniqueness. Lots of varieties are of very old age and are unique. Certainly, some people also said that the plants of Qinling are so tanglesome that the scenes are not as beautiful as other scenic spots. In fact, this kind of tangle is exactly the real reflection of the diversity of the living beings of Qinling. If you could spend several days climbing Taibai Mountain, the main peak of Qinling, you will see the plants whose varieties distribute in the regions of several kilometers away.
Diversified plants and flourishing forest provide animals with good survival environment, which make Qinling a real animal paradise. According to investigations, so far, 94 kinds of mammals, accounting for 18.5% of total mammal number of China, 399 kinds of birds, accounting for 34% of the total bird number of China, 68 kinds of amphibious reptiles, accounting for 8% of the total amphibious reptile number of China, and 100 kinds of fishes have been found on Qinling Mountains, wherein, 1,435 kinds of insects involving 99 divisions and 19 suborders are found on Taibai Mountain, the main peak of Qinling Mountains, including 12 kinds of Class I key national protected animal species, such as Ailuropoda melanoleuca, Rhinopithecus roxellana, Budorcas taxicolor, Panthera pardus, Neofelis nebulosa, Plegadis falcinellus, Ciconia nigra, Aquila chrysaetos; 49 kinds of Class II key national protected animal species, such as Ailurus fulgens, Moschus moschiferus, Naemorthedus goral, Chrysolophus pictus, Syrmaticus reevesii, Brachymystax lenok tsinlingensis, Luehdorfi a chinensis, etc. so many rare and endangered animal species relatively centralized here, which is very rare in the world. Hence, some people said that Qinling is the shelter of immemorial and relic living beings. Among the rare animal species, Ailuropoda melanoleuca, Plegadis falcinellus, Rhinopithecus roxellana, and Budorcas taxicolor, which are called “Four Treasures of Qinling”, are most famous.
Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) from the Qinling Mountains
In China, Qinling is the northernmost and easternmost place for the distribution of pandas, and pandas have been there for at least 700 thousand years. There are totally 1,596 wild pandas in the world, among which, 273 wild pandas, live in Qinling, and the number in Qinling is stably increasing. These wild pandas distribute in 250 thousand hectares of land. In addition, there are 260 thousand hectares of potential living land. The total of the two living lands accounts for one tenth of the total area of Qinling. Panda is a kind of large herbivorous mammal with gentle character, and it mainly eats Qinling Fargesia and Baishan Fargesii. A large number of Qinling Fargesia and Baishan Fargesii distribute in the low altitude area of Qinling, which provides sufficient foods for panda to live through the winter. Such advantaged condition is unique in China. Hence, the distribution density of pandas in Qinling tops the whole country.
Crested ibis (Plegadis falcinellus)—Oriental Gemstone
Plegadis falcinellus, is called “Oriental Gemstone”, was widely distributed in East Asia, Russia, etc. in the first half of the 20th century. However, the species disappeared insensibly, and only left dozens of on Japanese Island. Its scientific name is “Nipponianippon”, which means “The Japan of Japan”. Were it not for its sharply declining number, it should have been the national bird of Japan. In order to save Plegadis falcinellus, Japanese government captured the last few Plegadis falcinellus for captive bred, but this action ended with failure.
At the end of 1970s, with the warmness of Sino-Japan tie, Japanese expected to find Plegadis falcinellus in China, since they knew that this territory is last hope for the survival of Plegadis falcinellus. In 1981, after searching across the greater part of China, Chinese scientists found seven wild Plegadis falcinellus in Yangxian County, Shaanxi, where is located at the southern foot of Qinling. Why does Plegadis falcinellus disappear sharply but only survive in Yangxian County? Scientists found that the reason is that Yangxian County kept traditional tillage way, used little chemical fertilizer and pesticide, and large area of idle winter paddy field provided essential condition for Plegadis falcinellus to live through the winter. Moreover, local residents take Plegadis falcinellus as holy bird and do not hurt them active, which is another important for the survival of Plegadis falcinellus. Because of the existence of Plegadis falcinellus, Yangxian County, at the southern foot of Qinling, is regarded as the last pure land for Plegadis falcinellus in China territory. With the number of Plegadis falcinellus increasing to over 500 from 7 in Yangxian County, as well as the over 1,000 captive bred Plegadis falcinellus, people now could give a sign of relief. However, Plegadis falcinellus does not get rid of the danger of dying out before their sharply disappearance is found out. At present, Yangxian County, at the southern foot of Qinling, is the only wild Plegadis falcinellus reserve in the world.
A Qinling Golden Monkey (Rhinopithecus roxellana) Family
Rhinopithecus roxellana is a kind of endangered primates. It is chartered by its soft, thin, dense, glossy yellow long fur, which help to win its reputation of “Golden Monkey”. There are totally four kinds of Rhinopithecus roxellana in the world, such as Sichuan Rhinopithecus roxellana, Yunnan Rhinopithecus roxellana, Guizhou Rhinopithecus roxellana, and Vietnamese Rhinopithecus roxellana. Sichuan Rhinopithecus roxellana, Yunnan Rhinopithecus roxellana, and Guizhou Rhinopithecus roxellana are only live in China. Qinling is the northernmost distribution place of Rhinopithecus roxellana. Shaanxi’s Qinling Rhinopithecus roxellana belongs to Sichuan Rhinopithecus roxellana in classification, and is the most beautiful and miraculous specie in species. It is said that the creative prototype of Sun Wokong, the “Monkey King” in Journey to the West which is one of the Four Chinese Classics, is Qinling Rhinopithecus roxellana. Qinling Rhinopithecus roxellana mainly distributes in Zhouzhi County, Taibai County, Ningshan County, Foping County, Yangxian County, etc., at the northern foot of Qinling in Shaanxi. There are about 16,000 Rhinopithecus roxellana living in China, among which, about 3,000 to 5,000 live in Qinling. Qinling Rhinopithecus roxellana live above the elevation above 1,400, keeps original arboreal living way and feeds on leaves as well as fruits. Since belonging to primates as human beings, many social, emotional features similar with human beings could be found on Rhinopithecus roxellana.
Budorcas taxicolor is a kind of large rare animal which is between cattle and sheep in shape. Its shape is strong and thick, and its temperament is brutal, like cattle, its head is small and tail is short, just like antelope, so it is called Budorcas taxicolor. Budorcas taxicolor mainly distributes in China. Qinling Budorcas taxicolor is the specie with largest shape, most beautiful haircolor, and rare number, no more than 5,000, among four subspecies of Budorcas taxicolor. The haircolor of male adult Qinling Budorcas taxicolor is golden or brown-yellow, and that of female adult Qinling Budorcas taxicolor is ivory.
The weight of male adult Qinling Budorcas taxicolor may come to 300kg. Qinling Budorcas taxicolor mostly lives in family group, and one family group consists of three to five Budorcas taxicolor at least and dozens of or over one hundred at most. Qinling Budorcas taxicolor mainly distributes in the medium alpine forest and alm approaching to the two sides of Qinling’s ridge. With the seasonal variation, Qinling Budorcas taxicolor moves to different places with different elevation and chooses the most nourishing and suitable foods. Since Budorcas taxicolor is a kind of immemorial relic specie and distributes in bits of area with less number in the world, it has been listed into Class I key national protected animal species by China government, and also been listed as rare animal in Red Book issued by IUCN.
Qinling Takins (Budorcas taxicolors)
As the geologic boundary of North China and South China, the watershed of Yangtze River and Yellow River, and the convergence between subtropical zone and warm temperate zone, Qinling’s position in biology is same as the Alps in Europe, Amazon River Basin in South America, African Savanna, etc., which are all the places with most abundant geologic diversified resources. In addition, Qinling is one of the eleven Chinese key areas for terrestrial biologic diversity protection with global significance.
