Saihanba Nature Reserve

Saihanba Nature Reserve

The Saihanba Nature Reserve is a national-level nature reserve.

The Saihanba Nature Reserve in Hebei Province is a forest ecosystem-type nature reserve approved for establishment by the People's Government of Hebei Province in 2002. In May 2007, it was approved as a national nature reserve after review by the State Council. The reserve is an area of concentrated natural vegetation demarcated from the forested land under the jurisdiction of the Saihanba Mechanical Forest Farm in Hebei Province. The forests, meadows, and wetlands within the reserve are all in their pristine state and are home to a concentration of rare and precious wild biological species native to the Saihanba region.

(1) Area:

The total area of the Saihanba National Nature Reserve is 20,029.8 hectares, of which: the core zone covers 7,213.31 hectares, accounting for 36.01%; the buffer zone covers 6,083.89 hectares, accounting for 30.37%; and the experimental zone covers 6,732.60 hectares, accounting for 33.62%.

(2) Main Conservation Targets:

The forest-steppe ecotone ecosystem, water sources of the Luanhe and Liaohe rivers, and rare and endangered animal and plant species such as the black stork and golden eagle.

(3) Resource Conditions:

1. The vegetation in the reserve is divided into 7 vegetation types and 25 formations. The natural coniferous forests are dominated by larch and spruce; the mixed coniferous and broad-leaved forests are mainly composed of larch, birch, spruce, and mountain poplar; the natural secondary forests are dominated by birch and mountain poplar; and the natural shrub forests account for 80% of the total forest area in the reserve.

2. The reserve has large areas of marsh and meadow vegetation. The most representative meadow vegetation is formed by the Carex genus, particularly the Carex rhynchophysa formation. The grasslands and meadows in the reserve are colorful. “Lush green grass waist-high, dotted with flowers like stars.” There are over 200 species of wildflowers in the reserve with high ornamental value; formations dominated by grasses represent the characteristics of the grassland vegetation. The five-flower meadows and five-flower marshes are kingdoms of wildflowers.

3. The reserve is home to 659 species of vascular plants belonging to 312 genera, making it a rare biodiversity hotspot in the cold highland regions of Hebei Province. The reserve contains 5 species of nationally protected wild plants: Korean pine, eleutherococcus senticosus, Mongolian milkvetch, wild soybean, and sand couch grass. Additionally, there is 1 endemic plant, 1 variety, and 2 forms, namely Photinia glabra, Nepeta longibracteata, Weichang tea, and yellow-flowered carthamus.

4. There are 24 families and 79 species of macrofungi within the forest ecosystem of the reserve.

5. The Saihanba Nature Reserve was once the core area of the imperial hunting ground “Mulandian” during the Qing Dynasty. Located at the intersection of the Mongolian-Xinjiang, Northeastern, and North China animal regions, the reserve boasts a vast and diverse population of wild animals. It is home to 66 families and 261 species (including subspecies) of terrestrial wild vertebrates, 5 families and 32 species of fish, and 114 families and 660 species of insects. The reserve has 47 species of nationally protected animals, including 7 mammal species: leopard, red deer, lynx, Pallas's cat, Mongolian gazelle, blue sheep, and otter; and 39 bird species: golden eagle, great bustard, black stork, white-naped crane, hooded crane, demoiselle crane, whooper swan, Bewick’s swan, mandarin duck, northern goshawk, black grouse, kite, Eurasian sparrowhawk, Japanese sparrowhawk, northern goshawk, steppe eagle, cinereous vulture, white-tailed eagle, northern harrier, Eurasian hobby, Amur falcon, red-footed falcon, common crane, common moorhen, rock pigeon, eagle owl, and long-eared owl; and 1 fish species: lenok.

(4) Management Institution Development

In 2002, the Hebei Saihanba Provincial Nature Reserve Administration was established with approval from the Hebei Provincial Institutional Organization Committee, classified as a national public welfare institution at the division level. After being approved as a national nature reserve in April 2007, the Hebei Provincial Institutional Organization Office renamed it the Hebei Saihanba National Nature Reserve Administration Bureau, operating under the same organizational structure as the Hebei Saihanba Mechanical Forest Farm General Farm—essentially one team with two names. The reserve implements a three-tier management system: “Administration Bureau, Management District, and Management Station (Point).” Under the Administration Bureau, there are functional departments such as the Nature Reserve Management Division, Office, Publicity Office, Planning and Finance Division, Research Institute, and Public Security Sub-bureau, as well as four management districts: Sandohekou, Qiancengban, Beimandi, and Yinhe. Each management district has 6 management stations, 11 conservation points, 7 inspection stations, and 3 watchtowers. Other functional departments of the Saihanba Mechanical Forest Farm, such as the Forest Fire Prevention Office, Forest Pest Control Station, Industrialization Office, and Infrastructure Division, also oversee related operations within the reserve. The current staff quota for the Administration Bureau is 57 personnel.

(5) Infrastructure Construction

Since its establishment, the Saihanba Nature Reserve has actively sought national funding through project initiatives to strengthen its infrastructure. It has secured over 30 million yuan in national funding to construct the Administration Bureau’s comprehensive building, 6 management stations, 11 conservation points, 3 watchtowers, and 7 inspection stations, along with equipping them with necessary facilities. These efforts have significantly enhanced the reserve’s overall capacity for conservation and management.