Jilin Wangqing National Nature Reserve

Jilin Wangqing National Nature Reserve

Jilin Wangqing National Nature Reserve is a national-level nature reserve.

Jilin Wangqing National Nature Reserve (hereinafter referred to as the "Wangqing Nature Reserve") is located in Wangqing County and Hunchun City, Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, Jilin Province. The reserve covers a total area of 67,434 hectares and is a forest ecosystem-type nature reserve. It includes Lanjia Forest Farm, XinanCha Forest Farm, Duhuangzi Forest Farm, Jincai Forest Farm, and Dahuanggou Forest Farm. The main conservation targets of the reserve are rare and endangered wildlife such as the Northeast yew, Siberian tiger, and Amur leopard, as well as their habitats. In December 2002, the People’s Government of Jilin Province approved the establishment of a provincial-level nature reserve under document No. Ji Zheng Han [2002] 133. In December 2012, it passed the review of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and is currently awaiting official approval.

The Wangqing Nature Reserve is located at the heart of the natural distribution range of the Northeast yew. Its climate is highly suitable for the growth of the species, making it a crucial link connecting the natural Northeast yew populations across eastern, western, southern, and northern regions. It serves as an ideal site for the protection, development, and research of the Northeast yew, and is one of the extremely rare concentrated distribution areas of the species within China. Preliminary statistics indicate that the reserve hosts a vast and naturally occurring population of Northeast yew, with approximately 550,000 trees. The reserve and its surrounding areas are also a concentrated habitat for Siberian tigers and leopards, acting as an important corridor for the dispersal of the Russian Siberian tiger population into China. With the gradual improvement of the ecological environment in and around the reserve in recent years, the population of ungulate species has been increasing year by year, providing ample prey for tigers and leopards. Traces of Siberian tiger and Amur leopard activity have been frequently discovered in the reserve. Additionally, as a vital water source for two major river systems (the Suifen River and the Tumen River) and three main rivers (the Suifen River, the Hunchun River, and the Mi River), the reserve plays a significant role in ensuring downstream ecological security and soil and water conservation.

Since 1959, the Wangqing Forestry Bureau has established a forest management philosophy centered on cultivation combined with harvesting. It has adopted the principle of “restraining primary logging, increasing tending, managing rationally, and advancing on both fronts.” The bureau implements sustainable management techniques for natural secondary forests, emphasizing selective cutting—removing damaged trees while retaining healthy ones, thinning dense areas while preserving sparse ones, controlling logging intensity, protecting young seedlings and trees, and replanting valuable tree species. Its average annual timber volume growth rate is twice that of conventionally managed forests, achieving sustainable use of forest resources. This approach has pioneered a path toward sustainable forest management, ensuring the effective preservation and continuous regeneration of the reserve’s forest resources, while maintaining a healthy ecological environment.