Hanma National Nature Reserve

Hanma National Nature Reserve

The Hanma National Nature Reserve is a national-level nature reserve.

The Hanma National Nature Reserve in the Greater Khingan Mountains of Inner Mongolia is situated on the northern western slope of the Greater Khingan, within the territory of Genhe City, Hulunbuir. Its geographical coordinates are longitude 122°23′34″—122°52′46″ east and latitude 51°20′02″—51°49′48″ north. To the east, it connects with the Huzhong National Nature Reserve in Heilongjiang Province; to the south, it borders the Ganhe Forestry Bureau of Inner Mongolia; to the west, it adjoins the Jinhe Forestry Bureau; and to the north, it is bounded by the Longshan Forestry Bureau. The total area of the reserve is 107,348 hectares, with a forest coverage rate of 88.4%. The average elevation ranges between 1,000 and 1,300 meters, with the highest point at 1,455 meters and the lowest at 840 meters.

The reserve maintains a pristine and intact forest ecosystem, characterized by typical cool-temperate light coniferous forests. It features a complete ecosystem structure, robust functions, and distinctive traits, making it one of the best-preserved cool-temperate coniferous forest areas in China.

As early as the beginning of 1954, the state designated the Hanma region — the source of the Niu’er River with its pristine forest landscape — as the “Hanma No-Hunting and No-Logging Zone.” In the “General Plan for the Development of the Greater Khingan Mountains” approved by the Ministry of Forestry in 1958, Hanma was planned as a protected area for the primary ecosystem of Dahurian larch forests and for wildlife. In May 1995, it was approved as an autonomous region-level nature reserve. In November 1996, it was designated as a national-level nature reserve with approval from the State Council. In October 2006, the State Forestry Administration listed Hanma as one of the 51 national model reserves. In 2007, it joined the “Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB) Reserve Network of China.” Following the overall plan, the Hanma Reserve successively completed its first and second phases of construction projects, which passed national acceptance and have been put into use. The Reserve Administration includes a Party-Government Office, a Conservation Management Division, a Scientific Research and Monitoring Division, an Ecological Science Education and Outreach Center, a Public Security Police Station, and four management stations. It currently has 79 staff members (excluding those at the police station).

Since its establishment, under the leadership of the National Forestry Administration, the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and the Greater Khingan Mountains Forestry Administration, the Hanma Nature Reserve has gradually built up its own management system and operational mechanisms. It has fully implemented the guiding principle of “taking conservation as the foundation, sustainable development as the goal, seeking development through conservation, and promoting conservation through development.” Focusing on the protection of the forest ecosystem and wildlife resources, the reserve has actively carried out infrastructure construction and wildlife conservation efforts. Aiming for the sustainable utilization of wildlife resources, it has conducted in-depth basic scientific research, strengthened the protection and restoration of wildlife populations and their habitats, and — on the basis of strict conservation — enhanced scientific surveys, monitoring, and research. It has also ensured the full and rational development and utilization of wildlife resources to achieve the sustainable development of natural resources. The reserve has established itself as a comprehensive nature reserve that aligns with local conditions, integrating wildlife conservation, scientific research, public education, eco-tourism, and the rational utilization of natural resources. It contributes to national economic development and social sustainability.