Gaoligong Mountains
The Gaoligong Mountains are a mountainous sub-range of the southern Hengduan Mountain Range, located in the western Yunnan highlands and straddling the border of southwestern China and northern Myanmar. It is described as a "global biodiversity hotspot" and one of the "biologically richest places on Earth.
Geography
The Gaoligong Mountains are located along the west bank of the Nujiang Valley; from Gongshan county down in to Dehong Prefecture, a distance of approximately. It is the drainage divide between the Nujiang and the Irrawaddy River. The main peak is "Ga her" peak, above sea level. These mountains have an outstanding richness of wildlife.The mountains have five ecoregions:
- Nujiang Lancang Gorge alpine conifer and mixed forests
- Eastern Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows
- Northern Triangle temperate forests
- Northern Triangle subtropical forests
- Northern Indochina subtropical forests
Gaoligong Mountain National Nature Reserve
One part is found in the south-central part of the mountain range and covers an area of. Around wide, and reaches over approximately from north to south — across parts of Lushui County, Baoshan City Prefecture and Tengchong County.
Another large part of the reserve is the Dulongjian area, west of Gongshan, and home to the Derung people.
The highest peak within the reserve is Wona at high.
Conservation history
In 1983, the Gaoligong Mountain National Nature Reserve was established, and in 1992, the World Wildlife Fund, designated it a level A grade protected area. In 2000, UNESCO accepted it as a List of [UNESCO Biosphere Reserves in China|Biosphere Reserve] member.The reserve is part of the Three Parallel Rivers of [Yunnan Protected Areas], established in 2003, and as such a UNESCO [World Heritage Site].