China's Qinling mountains:

A hot spot of biodiversity

One of the world's richest sources of biodiversity,with breathtaking scenery, the Qinling mountain range is situated in the southern Shaanix province in China.It streaches 1,500 kilometers from the borders of Gansu and Qinghai provinces in the west to the middle of Henan Province in the east.

It has an average elevation of 12,000 feet(3,700m) The Qinling mountain range supports a wide variety of plant and wildlife some of which is unique, as they are not found anywhere else on Earth.

A natural boundary between the North and South of the country the mountain range forms an important boundary between two of China's largest watersheds, the Chiangjiang (Yangtze River) and Huang He (Yellow River).

The highest mountain in the range is Taibai Mountain, stretching 3767 metres into the sky.As the mountain range runs from east to west, strong,cold winter winds blow across the terrain on the northern slopes while rain and warmth is experienced on the southern parts of the mountains.

This montane divide also serves as a biogeographic barrier between subtropical forests (mostly evergreen) and their associated species to the south and temperate forests (mostly deciduous) to the north.Even though Pleistocene refuge species such as the dawn redwood found in the Daba Mountains are generally not found here, the forest is better preserved in the Qinling Mountains, compared to the adjacent lowlands to the north. .

Northern temperate deciduous trees like oak, elm, walnut, maple and ash dominate low-elevation foothills. Evergreen species of these forests include both broadleaf chinquapins ,ring-cupped oaks and conifers like the pine.

A number of endemic plant types occur here.

The region is home to a large number of rare plants, of which around 3,000 have so far been documented.Plant and tree species native to the region include Ginkgo, thought to be one of the oldest species of tree in the world, as well as Huashan or Armand Pine, Acer miaotaiense and Chinese Fir.

Timber harvesting reached a peak in the 18th century in the Qinling Mountains.

Some of China's rarest and most distinctive mammals, include the cute and cuddly Qinling pandas, said to be a sub-species of the giant pandas.They are protected in the region with the help of the Changqing and Foping nature reserves.

The mountain is also home to the Golden Takin (a species of Ox), Golden Pheasant, Golden Snub-nosed Monkey, Temminck's Tragopan, Crested Ibis, Golden Eagle, and the Clouded Leopard.However, in this greatest mountain range of central China. there are distinct differences between the animals living in the north and south of Qinling. Most of the animals like pandas ,crested ibis and takin seen in the south cannot be found in the north.

The difference in distribution of the fish-fauna between south and north slope of the Qinling Mountain Range which naturally divides the Palaearctic and Oriental Region is also very remarkable.

The fish-fauna in this area is very rich and numerous. Altogether 16, species printed here were collected in this area and they belong to 16 families and 85 genera, Cyprinidae shows a dominant part in this fauna, there are 96 species of it, occupying 60 per cent of the total.

Lying at the north foot of Taibai Mountain (the peak of Qinling Mountain), Taibai Mountain National Forest Park, is located in Meixian County, in Baoji City of Shaanxi Province.

Covering an area of 7,287 acres, 94.3 per cent of which is covered with forest, it contains 10 scenic districts and over 180 attractions.

Since its height above the sea level varies from 0.39 miles to 2.18 miles, Taibai Mountain National Forest Park is the highest national forest park of China.

It was officially established in 1991 and has been formally open to the public since July, 1992.Taibai means 'too white' in Chinese, used here to describe the colour of the mountain. Because of the cold climate in the mountain, thick layers of ice have always been covering its summits all the year round.

Endowed with prosperous forest resources, rich animal species, odd mountainous physiognomy together with its profound historical scenes, Taibai Mountain National Forest Park has attracted countless tourists from home and abroad.

There are many beautiful places to see in the mountain range and anyone who visits China would not miss out on a trip to this hot spot of biodiversity many believe that even though most of China's mountains are famous the world ov cannot be seen in the south.er China would not be the same if not for the Qinling mountains.

Facts and pix: Internet

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FACT FILE

* The main body of Qinling mountain is in Shaanxi Province China, and Shaanxi can be divided into three sections by Qinling mountain. The south of Qinling was called ShanNan; the north of Qinling was the famous GuanZhong Fluvial Plain, which was called 'Eight Hundred Kilos Qin Chuanâ',the most northern part is mainly composed by the Loess Plateau ,ShanBei.

* Two nature reserves protecting the panda's habitat in the area are Foping and Changqing,

* Around 200 giant pandas live in the region, estimated at around a fifth of the entire wild giant panda population.

* The peaks reach 2,000-3,000 metres, the highest being Mount Taibai (3,767 metres), located about 100 kilometres west of Xi'an

* The mountains acted as a natural defence against nomadic invasions from the North, as only four passes cross the mountains.

* In the late 1990s a railway tunnel and a spiral was completed, thereby easing travel across the range at 3,767 metres (12,359 ft), which is about 100 kilometres (62 mi) West of the ancient Chinese capital of Xi'an and is the highest mountain in eastern China..

* Mount Hua (2,155 metres (7,070 ft)), Mount Li (1,302 metres (4,272 ft)), and Mount Maiji (1,742 metres (5,715 ft)) make up the three other significant peaks in the range.