Honghe Nature Reserve

Honghe Nature Reserve

Heilongjiang Honghe National Nature Reserve is situated in the hinterland of the Sanjiang Plain in Heilongjiang Province, at the junction of Tongjiang City and Fuyuan County, with a total area of 21,835.7 hectares. The geographical coordinates are 133°34′38″–133°46′29″ east longitude and 47°42′18″–47°52′00″ north latitude.

Established in 1984 as a provincial-level nature reserve with approval from the People’s Government of Heilongjiang Province, Heilongjiang Honghe National Nature Reserve was upgraded to a national-level nature reserve in 1996 with the approval of the State Council. The reserve primarily protects the wetland ecosystem composed of aquatic, wetland, and terrestrial organisms and their habitats, as well as rare and endangered species such as the Oriental White Stork, Red-crowned Crane, White-naped Crane, and Whooper Swan.

Heilongjiang Honghe National Nature Reserve is one of the regions with the richest biodiversity on the Sanjiang Plain in China. It also serves as an important breeding and stopover site for migratory birds traveling between Northeast Asia and southern regions, with hundreds of thousands of waterbirds breeding here every year. The reserve is home to 284 species of wild animals, including 174 bird species. Among these, 10 are nationally protected rare and endangered wildlife species: the Oriental White Stork, Black Stork, Red-crowned Crane, White-naped Crane, White-tailed Sea Eagle, Steller’s Sea Eagle, Greater Spotted Eagle, Whooper Swan, Mandarin Duck, and Hazel Grouse. There are 1,012 species of wild plants, including 6 nationally protected rare and endangered plant species: Wild Soybean, Manchurian Ash, Manchurian Walnut, Eleutherococcus senticosus, Phellodendron amurense, and Astragalus membranaceus. Additionally, 97 bird species are jointly protected under the China–Japan Migratory Bird Agreement, and 15 bird species are protected under the China–Australia Migratory Bird Agreement.

I. Natural Conditions:

Heilongjiang Honghe National Nature Reserve lies on the Sanjiang alluvial and sedimentary plain, featuring flat terrain that slopes slightly from southwest to northeast with a relative elevation difference of 3 meters. The ground slope ranges from 1/5000 to 1/10000 and is divided into two types based on elevation: terraces and floodplains.

(1) First-level Terrace: This type covers a large area within the reserve without any significant dissection. It consists of an Upper Pleistocene alluvial and lacustrine deposit (a1+1Q3), with surface layers of clay and silty clay ranging from 5.65 to 14.5 meters thick. The terrace contains numerous marshy depressions, with clay areas locally uplifting along the right bank of the Nongjiang River, creating a relative elevation difference of 1–1.2 meters.

(2) Low Floodplain: Distributed along both sides of the Nongjiang River and Woluolan River, it appears in strip-like or tadpole-like shapes, bordering the first-level terrace. The floodplain is composed of heavy swamp deposits (a+b Q4), representing a new alluvial swamp sedimentary layer.

The soils in the reserve are mainly Albic soil and Swamp soil.

Albic soil is divided into three subtypes: Upland Albic Soil, Meadow Albic Soil, and Gleyed Albic Soil, covering an area of 11,311.18 hectares, or 51.8% of the total area. Albic soil is mainly distributed under island-like forests, with a black soil layer 10–20 cm thick. Currently, only a small portion is cultivated, and there are plans for returning farmland to forest. Meadow Albic Soil is found in flat areas where small-leaved Calamagrostis and other weeds grow. Gleyed Albic Soil occurs in low-lying and flat areas with fertile soil.

Swamp soil is mainly distributed along the Nongjiang River floodplain, covering 4,105.1 hectares or 18.8% of the total area.

Honghe Nature Reserve has a temperate humid climate along the Sanjiang rivers, exhibiting distinct temperate monsoon characteristics. Winters are long, harsh, and snowy; springs are windy and dry; summers are hot; and autumns are short. The annual average temperature is 1.9°C, with the coldest month averaging -23.4°C and the warmest month 22.4°C. The extreme minimum temperature is -39.1°C, and the extreme maximum is 40°C. The effective accumulated temperature above 10°C ranges from 2,165°C to 2,624°C, and the annual sunshine duration is 2,356 hours. The average annual precipitation is 585 mm, with 50%–70% falling between July and September. Heavy rains mostly occur in summer, with maximum daily rainfall reaching up to 75 mm, and moderate rain is also frequent. The multi-year average evaporation is 1,166 mm. The prevailing winds are northwest throughout the year, while southwest winds dominate the plant growing season. The annual average wind speed is force four, with maximum gusts reaching 24 m/s. The area experiences about seven months of frozen ground annually, with swamp vegetation frost layers reaching 80–160 mm deep and the maximum permafrost depth being 2.0–2.2 m. The first frost typically arrives in late September, the last frost in mid-May, resulting in a frost-free period of 114–150 days, with an average of 131 days over the years.

II. Plant Resources:

With its unique natural conditions and rich vegetation types, Honghe National Nature Reserve is a precious repository of plant resources. According to statistics, the reserve hosts 1,012 species of higher plants across 103 families, including 719 seed plants, 31 ferns, and 262 lichens and mosses. Among them, six species are nationally protected rare and endangered plants: Wild Soybean, Manchurian Ash, Manchurian Walnut, Astragalus membranaceus, Phellodendron amurense, and Eleutherococcus senticosus. Many other plants are useful for medicine, food, or as nectar sources. These include 11 categories: 253 medicinal plants such as Schisandra chinensis, Eleutherococcus senticosus, Gentiana scabra, and Paeonia lactiflora; 19 fruit-bearing plants such as Vitis amurensis, hazelnuts, and Eleutherococcus senticosus; 54 forage plants such as Calamagrostis angustifolia and Carex lasiocarpa; 9 wild vegetable plants such as Hemerocallis citrina, dandelion, and mushrooms; 54 fiber plants such as reeds and Calamagrostis angustifolia; 6 oil-producing plants such as Manchurian Walnut, Wild Soybean, wild vetch, and Xanthium sibiricum; 3 plant-based pesticides such as Cimicifuga foetida, Chenopodium album, and Clematis hexapetala; 4 aromatic oil plants such as Convallaria majalis, Leonurus japonicus, Artemisia argyi, and Acorus calamus; 4 tannin plants such as Pterocarya stenoptera, Pulsatilla chinensis, and Euphorbia fischeriana; and main nectar plants such as Stachys baicalensis, Stachys palustris, Salix brachypoda, and Tilia. Forest resources include trees and shrubs, commonly found species being oak, birch, poplar, Manchurian Ash, hazelnut, and Lespedeza bicolor.

III. Animal Resources:

Surveys indicate that Heilongjiang Honghe National Nature Reserve is home to 174 bird species across 43 families and 16 orders, and 33 mammal species across 11 families and 5 orders. Nationally protected species include one Class I protected animal, the Sika Deer, and seven Class II protected animals: Red Deer, Camel, Lynx, Black Bear, Brown Bear, and Otter. Animals with high economic value include 13 species such as Wolf, Raccoon Dog, Red Fox, Leopard Cat, Least Weasel, Steppe Polecat, Yellow Weasel, Manchurian Hare, Roe Deer, Hedgehog, Wild Boar, Squirrel, and Musk Rat. Notably, Roe Deer are abundant, with populations exceeding 100 individuals year-round, while Snow Hares and Musk Rats are commonly seen.

Based on long-term survey records, the reserve has 16 fish species across 6 families, mainly including Loach, Old Fish, Crucian Carp, and Amur Catfish.

Heilongjiang Honghe National Nature Reserve reflects the full picture of the pristine wetlands of the Northeast Sanjiang Plain. It is an inland wetland and aquatic ecosystem-type nature reserve and also serves as a microcosm of the Sanjiang Plain in China. It embodies typicality, rarity, and diversity, and has been recognized by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Global Environment Facility (GEF), and the State Forestry Administration (SFA) as a typical demonstration site for the “China Wetland Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Use” project on the Sanjiang Plain. In January 2002, the reserve was approved by the Ramsar Convention as a Wetland of International Importance, becoming one of only 21 such sites in China.

Transportation: There are regular buses from Jiamusi to Honghe Nature Reserve, running every half hour. The fare is 30 yuan, and the journey takes approximately 2–3 hours.