Yongde Daxue Mountain

Yongde Daxue Mountain

Yongde Daxue Mountain is a national-level nature reserve.

I. General Overview

The Yongde Daxue Mountain Nature Reserve was approved as a provincial-level nature reserve by the provincial government in 1986. On February 11, 2006, it was upgraded to a national-level nature reserve by the State Council under the document No. 9 (2006) of the State Council General Office. The Yongde Daxue Mountain Nature Reserve is located in the southwestern part of Yunnan Province, with geographical coordinates: 99°33′55″–99°43′53″ east longitude and 24°1′26″–24°11′50″ north latitude. It covers a total area of 17,541 hectares, including a core zone of 9,276 hectares, a buffer zone of 3,291 hectares, and an experimental zone of 4,974 hectares.

II. Main Conservation Targets

The main conservation targets of the Daxue Mountain Nature Reserve include the mid-montane moist evergreen broad-leaved forest, which represents the natural ecosystem of the mountain vertical zones in the subtropical southern region, as well as rare and endemic wildlife such as the western black crested gibbon (Yunnan subspecies) and species of the deer family, and China’s southernmost fir forest of Abies delavayi. It is a medium-sized national-level nature reserve categorized under the forest ecosystem type within the natural ecosystem classification, boasting extremely rich biodiversity and is recognized as one of the globally significant key areas for biodiversity. The reserve has recorded 2,148 species of higher plants, 117 species of mammals, 201 species of birds, and 102 species of amphibians and reptiles. The reserve is situated at a low latitude, with its main peak, Daxue Mountain, lying on the watershed between the Lancang River and Nujiang River systems. It is the highest peak on the Chinese mainland south of the 24° north latitude, with an elevation of 3,504.2 meters. The lowest point in the reserve (Nanjing River) is at an elevation of 960 meters, resulting in a relative elevation difference of 2,544.2 meters.