Province earthquake in 34 global hotspots for biodiversity conservation is one of the giant pandas and other rare and important habitat for wildlife, water conservation is an important soil and water conservation areas, ecotourism one of the most resource-rich region, but also ecologically fragile areas in west China.
October 2008, the NDRC, the State Forestry Administration and other United issued a "Wenchuan earthquake restoration and reconstruction of ecological restoration special plan" 229 project planning, the total investment of 13.679 billion yuan, involving ecosystem restoration, environmental remediation, large restore panda habitat and nature reserves, restoration and reconstruction of infrastructure and other four aspects.
July 2010, the provincial government organizations, the provincial Forestry Department, Policy Research, led Provincial Academy of key participation, number of units in the earthquake affected areas to carry out ecological restoration of the joint research project, recently completed the "earthquake-stricken area in Sichuan Province of the economic and social sustainable development ecological restoration project of (draft). " "Disaster restoration, is a long-term complex system engineering, it normally takes about 10 years continuous building." Provincial Academy of Forestry official says. Two years, the disaster made a lot of valuable experience of ecological restoration, and wildlife habitat restoration is one of the combination. Wolong is the representative in this regard.
Natural + artificial crack closure mountain "wound"
Up to 5 months of field sampling, and then by pattern analysis and statistics show that in Wolong will be 2100 hectares of damaged forest as landslides, avalanches and other serious damage, completely into the bare rock and boulders piled in a similar nature entirely Change can only rely on the natural repair. "There has been initial improvement." There are more than 4000 hectares will need to repair through natural restoration and artificial two ways to gradually restore forest vegetation.
January 7 in the provincial town of Wolong go 303, the reporters saw rocks exposed on the road on both sides of the cliff, the more close to the highway where the more exposed rocks, while the top is tree clumps. "Wolong Giant Panda Habitat has been initially fixed." Provincial Academy of Forestry, said Dr. Deng Dongzhou, he is ecological restoration earthquake written by key members of the thematic reports, and 10 colleagues responsible for the Wolong Nature Reserve and its surrounding areas the research.
In fact, as early as after the earthquake, the Wolong Deng Zhou survey discovered that more than 3000 meters above sea level where some sections less forest damage, coupled with abundant rainfall, vegetation is "relying on the forces of nature gradually been restored." Two years later, when he and his colleagues to the Wolong research areas above the town, I saw some trees have natural growth mountain together.
However, the Wolong Nature Reserve, the total destruction of vegetation caused by the earthquake area of 6117 hectares, the forces of nature can be?
Accept the mission, they re-implement small-class Deng Zhou survey site type, "according to altitude, slope, soil depth, soil type, vegetation distribution and other factors, Wolong Area is divided into 5, 18 site types, 395 small classes. "This is according to topographic maps, scientific and technical personnel to the field of painting on slope, then drawings and data into the computer, the statistics precisely the area of vegetation damaged.
What impressed me most is the Tang Health Area. Early in the morning, senior engineer Zhang Xiaoping and Deng Geng Zhou and his party reached the town from the starting three, and off-road vehicles move forward more than 3 hours later, "there is no road up the mountain, car does not go up." They walked along a disused railway , high kick low kick stepping on mud, and even hands and feet, even while taking pictures, while drawing. Along the way, the ground cracks, broken trees, the earthquake pulled the "wound" everywhere exposed.
By up to 5 months of sampling analysis, design and statistics, they are planning a place in severe damage, the use of artificial plant saplings, engineering measures and artificial points (scatter) sowing afforestation, where the mild impairment through the closure Education replanting, reseeding and points (scatter) and other artificial means for broadcasting the program to restore vegetation.
In fact, artificial rehabilitation program, they have to constantly change. October 2009, Deng Zhou, who had intended in Wolong town entrance by matrix Gengda shrub and grass seeding to restore vegetation. "It was a bare rock, without soil conditions, to rely on the machine to mix the soil seed sprayed rock." But the second spring, there has not sprayed with machine repair program, "the bare rock all collapsed." It is ever-changing nature, only to Deng Zhou them feel challenged again.
Panda bamboo delicious selection of mixed planting "meal"
Wenchuan County Forestry Bureau staff said, "Before the earthquake, the mountain can sometimes see traces of wild giant pandas, but never to be seen after the earthquake." Therefore, the Wolong ecological restoration "is the natural habitat of giant pandas to restore" , the positioning to get expert support.
Wolong, Sichuan Plateau are alpine valleys area, terrain, high and low altitude and the poor, rich forest plants. Expert finds in Wolong ecological restoration and wildlife habitat to be restored by combining the same time try to consider the giant panda habitat and food sources, species selection is important.
"Different altitudes, different species need to be planted." Combination of field survey results, but also access to the thick "Wolong Vegetation" and other books, Deng Zhou and colleagues chose the wild walnut, red birch, pine, oak and ... ... 10 variety of species.
However, the expert panel, or when there is a problem. Vulnerability lies in the "cedar" body. "Site survey, we found that the distribution of Cryptomeria Wolong some sections, so the cedar are also included in it." Deng Zhou said, but, old and experts, cedar is not native tree species in Wolong, not as an alternative. Some guys do not satisfied with the design, but also access to information everywhere, turned out to senior experts are correct: "The cedar is the 60s of last century the introduction of Wolong from the field, really is not a native species!" So, Japanese cedar from the prepared selection list is removed.
Wolong mountain village has a large area around their houses and lead a bamboo plant, "the result is not that pandas eat bamboo." Considering this situation, the Provincial Academy of Forestry Research Institute, made the first artificial Yan Wu use of bamboo forest, not only for the Wolong natural conditions, it should be the pandas favorite food. Thus, in the repair folder in which they chose the white bamboo, Fargesia nitida bamboo and other species, and with particular stress on the "white clip bamboo + alder", "Sequoia nitida + Sichuan", "wild cane bamboo + Walnut, "" Cold bamboo + spruce "and many other bamboo sowing methods have appeared.
Discussion of artificial rehabilitation program, the old experts have repeatedly told, must be judged clear forest clearing is the open space left by the destruction of forests, or for the open space originally, this is why? "No trees have been open space, where the sun might just pandas. If planted trees, that giant pandas to the familiar, there is no rest." Deng Zhou an explanation.
Under the trees appeared a number of scientific experiments
A lot of mud with stone of the slope, filled with all kinds of natural stones and debris accumulation body ... ... two years after the earthquake, the Wolong Nature Reserve, but also to see that scene. Geng reached the town in this period to the Wolong town, the reporter saw a large area of rocky mountains there, want to finish cleaning up the rocks and then plant trees, almost impossible. But how do the trees go? Two years, a variety of experiments on the vegetation cover in Wolong for.
Although the natural restoration of vegetation, biodiversity, species richness, ecosystem services strong, but slow time. Yan Wu told reporters in an interview before, and the formation of large vegetation, and artificial restoration will be faster, but the complexity and geographical difficulties is certainly yes.
Studied at the Institute of Applied Ecology, Deng Zhou, going to school during the design of a Valuable container tree nursery network and the national patent applications. Can it be applied to ecological restoration in Wolong? April 2010, he and his colleagues set out to test the container plantation.
"Commonly used in nursery bag is made of plastic film, both can not be degraded, but also likely to influence root growth." Beginning, they punch holes in the plastic film in order to help tree root breathing, the effect is not very good. They use sacks, sacks can degrade, but the town from the Wolong Gengda the stoning area of the town too, sacks not easily fixed. After testing a variety of materials, the eyes lock bamboo basket.
Seeds mixed into the soil bamboo basket, bamboo basket then placed into the rubble heap one by one. "Bamboo basket on a network of holes, permeable to air permeability." Species after germination, root and slowly passed through bamboo basket, drill into the soil under rocks, firmly grasp the loose soil. "The bamboo basket itself is biodegradable and can corrupt the fertilizer for the trees."
In addition, they also draw on the alkaline soil, degradation of sand, under the conditions of the dam road afforestation methods. Dams, highway, workers put the seed into the soil and vegetation bag, then bag a barrier of vegetation, so that the slope on the green grass quietly thrive. "Vegetation is an ecological bags bags, which split into several layers, respectively, can be put into the seed, soil, fertilizer."
Before spring, the experts will come to the Wolong site investigation "to the survival rate of 85% to be qualified," Zhou said Deng. Therefore, new experiments have to start, and use of plant photosynthetic apparatus to measure the photosynthetic data, transpiration data, determine the situation of photosynthesis. Plots also were investigated in 20 × 20 m quadrat number of trees to Meike and measured DBH and tree height. Looks good vegetation, in addition to the promotion in Wolong, some successful experiences, but also in the larger location for further promotion.
Reference and dialogue focused on breaking the world's problems
Reporter: ecological restoration of earthquake disasters is a worldwide problem, two years, the earthquake-stricken areas in the repair process, the province has experience of other countries and regions, experience or technology?
Deng Zhou: Two years ago, two experts in Sichuan in Japan for technical assistance, pilot selection in Wenchuan, Beichuan and Mianzhu three places. Japanese technology is mainly to solve the problem from the engineering point of view, the mountain as a whole system planning and design. First cut soil slope that is flat, eliminating the danger. Followed by the puzzle ridge, to block secondary disasters such as landslides, and finally afforestation. Japanese experts have already conducted a number of province training of relevant personnel, technology promotion.
In addition to improved technology, but also for the geographical conditions of each place to find the most suitable species. For example, in Minjiang River dry valley Wenchuan, precipitation rarely, only to find the best environment to adapt to survive in dry valley of Minjiang species, in order to fundamentally solve the problem. Forestry Research Institute has selected Cupressus, South axillaris other seven or eight species, through experiments, Pioneer selected the most adaptable species.
Reporter: province quake-hit counties (cities, districts) in different geographical distribution, ecological restoration What are the characteristics?
Deng Zhou: Two years ago, disaster ecological restoration is moving forward steadily, get some experience. For example, the natural repair and restore the combination of artificial treatment, mainly natural repair; ecological restoration and wildlife habitat restoration combined with the hit combination of urban and rural greening, and the forestry industry construction, and tourism resources and restoration combined. 39 counties (cities, districts) quake-hit areas involving Western Sichuan mountains and canyons, mountain areas and basins Basin in hilly areas such as three geographical areas, the regional characteristics of different geographical, ecological restoration focus is different.
For example, the Green River is the province one of ten demonstration counties forestry industry in the post-disaster restoration ecology, ecological restoration with the forestry industry together. Qingchuan closing hillsides to facilitate afforestation and replanting, reseeding options are economic species. Example, the kinds of walnuts, is to develop Walnut industry; species of Quercus, is native to the local conditions of production of black fungus; types of hair Ye Shantong seed, is the development of woody grain and oil resources; species of poplar, is the development of fast growing forest species. Using fast-growing tree species with tree species and planting woody oil, not only can quickly repair the damaged forest, restoration of forest cover, and can form large-scale commercial forestry and forests, the region can provide raw materials related to, for ecological safety of the county building and forestry industries have an important role. Source: Sichuan Daily
