Wuyi Mountains
The Wuyi Mountains or Wuyishan are a mountain range located in the prefecture of Nanping, in northern Fujian province near the border with Jiangxi province, China. The highest peak in the area is Mount Huanggang at on the border of Fujian and Jiangxi, making it the highest point of both provinces; the lowest altitudes are around. Many oolong and black teas are produced in the Wuyi Mountains, including Da Hong Pao and lapsang souchong, and are sold as Wuyi tea. The mountain range is known worldwide for its status as a refugium for several rare and endemic plant species, its dramatic river valleys, and the abundance of important temples and archeological sites in the region, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Wuyi Mountains are located between Wuyishan City of the Nanping prefecture in northwest Fujian province, and the town of Wuyishan within Shangrao city in northeast Jiangxi province.
Description
World Heritage Site
The mountains have been listed since 1999 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, for cultural, scenic, and biodiversity values.The site has a total area of 99,975 hectares that is divided into four core parts. Three are ecological: the Nine-bend Stream Ecological Protection Area in the centre, flanked by the Wuyishan National Nature Reserve to the west and the Wuyishan National Scenic Area to the east. The fourth, a cultural preservation area, is the Protection Area for the Remains of the Ancient Han Dynasty, about 15 km to the southeast of the others. These core parts are surrounded by an additional buffer zone of 27,888 ha. Portions of the Wuyishan National Nature Reserve are more stringently protected, as the Fujian and Jiangxi Wuyishan Biosphere Reserves on the respective sides of the provincial border, under the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves.
Geology
The region is part of the Cathaysian fold system and has experienced high volcanic activity and the formation of large fault structures, which were subsequently subject to erosion by water and weathering. The landscape is characterized by beautiful winding river valleys flanked by columnar or dome-shaped cliffs as well as cave systems. Peaks in the western portion of the Wuyi Mountains typically consist of volcanic or plutonic rocks, whereas peaks and hills in the eastern area are made up of red sandstone with very steep slopes but flat tops. Bedrock lithology at Wuyi Shan is dominated by tuff, rhyolite, and granite in the western part. Red sandstone is common farther east. The elevation ranges from 200 m to 2,158 m. The terrain is rugged with cliffs and high peaks. There are numerous caverns in the mountains, some of which have been explored and opened to the public.The Jiuqu Xi river, about 60 kilometers in length, meanders in a deep gorge among these hills. In most places, it is a slow, shallow stream navigable only by small craft like rowboats and canoes. However, the river narrows at one point to just a few metres but a depth of.
Climate
The Wuyi Mountains act as a protective barrier against the inflow of cold air from the northwest and retain warm moist air originating from the sea. As a result, the area has a humid climate with high rainfall and common fogs. Lower altitudes experience annual temperatures in the range from 12 °C to 18 °C.The area is relatively pollution free. The Chinese government set up its first air-quality monitoring station in the area on January 31, 2005.
Lower elevations have a humid subtropical climate with mean annual temperature around 18 °C and mean annual precipitation of at least 220 cm. Cooler, wetter conditions prevail at higher altitudes and winters can be snowy on the highest peaks.
Biodiversity
Flora
The Wuyi Mountains are the largest and most representative example of Chinese subtropical forests, and of the biodiversity of south Chinese rainforest. The region's ecology has survived from before the Ice Age around 3 million years ago. Biologists have been conducting field research in the area since 1873.The vegetation of the area depends strongly on altitude. Broadleaf evergreen forests dominate the lower elevations; their tree species yield to deciduous and needleleaf evergreen trees at higher elevations. It is divided into 11 broad categories:
- Temperate coniferous forest
- Warm coniferous forest
- Temperate broad-leaved and coniferous mixed forest
- Deciduous and broad-leaved forest
- Evergreen broad-leaved and deciduous mixed forest
- Evergreen broad-leaved forest
- Bamboo forest
- Deciduous broad-leaved shrub forest
- Evergreen broad-leaved shrub forest
- Brush-wood
- Meadow steppe
Fauna
The fauna of the Wuyi Mountains is renowned for its high diversity, which includes many rare and unusual species. In total, approximately 5,000 animal species have been reported for the area. Of these species, 475 are vertebrates and 4,635 are insects. The number of vertebrate species is divided as follows:| families | species | |
| mammals | 23 | 71 |
| birds | 47 | 256 |
| reptiles | 13 | 73 |
| amphibians | 10 | 35 |
| fish | 12 | 40 |
Forty-nine vertebrate species are endemic to China and three are endemic to the Wuyi Mountains. The latter are the bird David's parrotbill, Pope's spiny toad, and the bamboo snake Pseudoxenodon karlschmidti. Other known endangered species in the area include South China tiger, clouded leopard, hairy-fronted muntjac, Mainland serow, Cabot's tragopan, Chinese black-backed pheasant, Chinese giant salamander, and the golden Kaiser-i-Hind.