China

The Shennongjia Biosphere Reserve belongs to the east branch of the Dabashan Mountains which connect the Tibetan Plateau in West China with the Yangze plain in East China. The area covers high elevation differences from the lowest valley (420 meters) to the highest peak (3,106 meters above sea level) and therefore offers a wide spectrum of vegetation zones. Agricultural areas concentrate on the mountain feet (up to 1,600 meters above sea level) whereas tea plantations can extend up to 2,100 meters above sea level. Before the establishment of the biosphere reserve in 1982, wood logging destroyed some primary forests in the region. Today, forests are protected and, with 2,762 species of vascular plants and the occurrence of a golden monkey (Rhinopithecus roxellana) population, the biosphere reserve is considered to be a ‘Green Gene Pool’ of China.

There are 8,370 permanent residents in the transition area (2001). Increasing tourism in the biosphere reserve decreases the demand of local people to rely only on natural resources, such as wood, farmland and animals. A working group for community management has been established to alleviate still existing conflicts of resource use and protection.