Matou Mountain Nature Reserve

Matou Mountain Reserve

Matou Mountain Reserve is a national-level nature reserve.

The Matou Mountain National Nature Reserve was established in 1994, upgraded to a provincial-level nature reserve in 2001, and approved as a national-level nature reserve by the State Council in 2008. After 21 years of development, it is now the only national-level nature reserve in Jiangxi Province that primarily aims to protect rare wild plants and their communities.

(1) Geographic Location

The reserve is located in the northeastern part of Zixi County, Jiangxi Province, within the central section of the Wuyi Mountain Range, on the western foothills of the Wuyi Mountains at the junction of Fujian and Jiangxi. Its geographic coordinates are between 117°09'11"–117°18' east longitude and 27°40'50"–27°53'52" north latitude. The eastern boundary starts from Yejiding at the border with Fujian Province, extends southward to Guanyinjian, then to the 1224-meter peak in the south, follows the watershed ridge between Donggang and Nangang to Yuefeng Mountain in the west, proceeds north along the ridge to Dongyuanqiaotou, crosses the Changping River to Gaofujian, then to the ridge behind Dongkeng Village, follows the southeast ridge to Wutai Mountain, turns east along the ridge to the path leading to Huangmaozhai and then north to Xiangtai Mountain at the border with Guixi County, continues eastward along the Zixi–Guixi county boundary to the junction with Fujian Province, then turns south back to Yejiding on the eastern border with Fujian.

(2) Area Within the Reserve

The total area of the Matou Mountain National Nature Reserve is 13,866.53 hectares. Of this, the core zone covers 4,286.08 hectares (30.90%), the buffer zone 3,438.72 hectares (24.80%), and the experimental zone 6,141.73 hectares (44.30%).

(3) Topography and Landforms

The reserve's landforms are mainly volcanic rock mountains formed by tectonic cutting and water erosion, characterized primarily by mid-to-high mountains and mid-low mountain terrain. The topography generally features alternating basins and ridges arranged in a grid-like pattern. Most of the area consists of Yanshanian granite, with soils being mountainous red soil, yellow-red soil, and yellow soil derived from granite weathering, as well as small areas of mountain meadow soil. The highest peak, Hedong Peak, stands at 1,364 meters, with over 20 peaks exceeding 1,000 meters.

(4) Climate Conditions

The climate of the reserve is subtropical humid monsoon, with an average annual temperature of 16–18°C. The coldest month, January, averages 5.7°C, while the hottest month, July, averages 27.8°C. The mean annual precipitation is 2,263.78 mm, but distribution is uneven, concentrated in spring and summer, with autumn and winter being dry and low-rainfall periods. The annual relative humidity is 83%, with an average of 1,597.6 hours of sunshine per year, 270 frost-free days, and 88 foggy days annually.

(5) Conservation Targets

1. Forest Resources

Located in the heart of the central Wuyi Mountain Range, the reserve features forest vegetation dominated by natural evergreen broad-leaved forests, with a forest coverage rate of 97.43% and an excellent ecological environment rich in biodiversity. It is home to 2,483 species of higher plants across 1,005 genera and 275 families, including four species under China’s first-class national key protection: the southern yew, Bretschneidera sinensis, water shield, and Primulina tabacum. There are also 16 species under second-class national protection, such as Torreya jackii, Emmenopterys henryi, and Phoebe bournei, totaling 20 protected species. The reserve primarily focuses on conserving rare plants such as Michelia caloptila, Torreya jackii, Platycrater arguta, and Bretschneidera sinensis, along with their original populations. It is the only national-level nature reserve in Jiangxi—and to date in China—dedicated mainly to protecting wild rare plants. Among them, Michelia caloptila is endemic to Matou Mountain and was listed as “Critically Endangered” in the 2004 Chinese Species Red List; it is an ornamental tree known for its beautiful form and foliage. Torreya jackii and Platycrater arguta are also found only in Matou Mountain within Jiangxi.

A major feature of the reserve is the abundance of large, natural communities composed mainly of rare and endangered plants. For example, there are over 270,000 Torreya jackii trees, with good regeneration—6,670 trees have a diameter at breast height (DBH) over 20 cm, and the largest DBH reaches 57 cm, making it the largest known Torreya jackii in the world. The southern yew exceeds 260,000 individuals, with over 150,000 mature trees, making it a distribution center both for Jiangxi Province and nationally. The natural forest of Bretschneidera sinensis covers more than 100 hectares, and Emmenopterys henryi spans nearly 2,000 hectares.

2. Animal Resources

The reserve is home to 387 species of terrestrial vertebrates across 91 families and 27 orders, accounting for 61.04% of Jiangxi Province’s 634 terrestrial vertebrate species. This includes 29 amphibian species (2 orders, 8 families), representing 76.32% of Jiangxi’s 38 amphibian species; 49 reptile species (2 orders, 12 families), making up 62.03% of the province’s 79 reptile species; 244 bird species (17 orders, 49 families), accounting for 58.33% of Jiangxi’s 420 bird species; and 64 mammal species (6 orders, 22 families), representing 60.95% of the province’s 105 mammal species. As research continues, more animal species within the reserve will be discovered, making the Matou Mountain Nature Reserve in Jiangxi an important base for biodiversity conservation.

Of the 387 terrestrial vertebrate species, 56 are under national key protection, including seven under first-class protection: the golden eagle, Lady Amherst’s pheasant, yellow-bellied tragopan, clouded leopard, leopard, South China tiger, and black muntjac. There are also 49 species under second-class protection, such as the tiger frog, Chinese giant salamander, lesser coucal, mandarin duck, grass owl, short-eared owl, collared scops owl, collared owlet, little falcon, Chinese sparrowhawk, Eurasian sparrowhawk, common buzzard, red kite, common kestrel, Temminck’s tragopan, silver pheasant, koklass pheasant, rhesus monkey, pangolin, dhole, otter, masked palm civet, river deer, serow, and goral. Raptors and snakes prey heavily on rodents, while birds, frogs, and some mammals help control agricultural and forestry pests, playing a vital role in maintaining ecological balance. The reserve has abundant snake species and a diverse bird population, most of which feed to varying degrees on agricultural and forestry insects, giving these animals significant conservation value. However, the status of rare animal species and their populations is concerning: the South China tiger and leopard are almost extinct, the Lady Amherst’s pheasant and clouded leopard—unique to China—are scarce, and although species such as the silver pheasant, koklass pheasant, collared scops owl, grass owl, and collared owlet remain relatively numerous, strict protection measures are needed to aid their population recovery and growth.

Wei Jiukang, "Where the White Clouds Rise Is My Home" (Photo taken on June 14, 2015, in Matoushan Village, Matoushan Town)