Rainforest of Xishuangbanna
Rainforest of Xishuangbanna | |
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Location | Yunnan Province, China |
Coordinates | 22°01′38″N 100°52′31″E / 22.02710°N 100.8754°E |
Area | 19,223 km2 (7,422 sq mi) |
The Rainforest of Xishuangbanna in the Yunnan Province of China is one of the largest forests in Asia at 19,223 km2 (7,422 sq mi).[1]
In recent years the region has been opened up to use in a large scale and the primary forests, especially rainforests, have been severely destroyed.[1]
Biodiversity
[edit]Xishuangbanna is included in the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspots and contains over 5,000 species of vascular plants, comprising 16% of China’s total plant diversity.[2]
This rainforest entails also a very diverse fauna of birds, mammals, and reptiles, and amphibians, which represent 36%, 21%, and 14% of China’s biodiversity, respectively.[2]
Among others, the area gives home to Asian elephants, Indo-Chinese tigers, and green peacocks.[3]
Vegetation types
[edit]The tropical rainforest of Xishuangbanna can be divided into two vegetation subtypes pertaining to tropical rainforest vegetation, the tropical seasonal rainforest and the tropical montane rainforest.[1]
References
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