(TibetanReview.net, May09’22) – China says it has discovered in Tibet a tree which is the tallest across all territories under the rule of the Communist Party of China. The 76.8-meter-tall Bhutan pine (Pinus bhutanica) was discovered in Medog County in Tibet Autonomous Region, reported China’s official ecns.cn May 9, citing the local Forestry and Grassland Bureau.
The previous record was a 72-meter Taiwania (Taiwania cryptomerioides Hayata) located on Gaoligong Mountain in Yunnan Province, noted another official Chinese news service news.cgtn.com May 9.
The ecns.cn report said the pine tree was found by a joint survey team which used drones to conduct large-scale mapping. A total of 11 giant trees potentially taller than 70 meters were stated to have been found.
Bhutan pine is said to be native to Eastern Himalayas, distributed mainly in mountain rainforests and subtropical climate zone at altitudes of 1,400 meters to 2,500 meters.
A variety of epiphytic plants and endemic plants of Medog were also stated to have been found on the 76.8-meter Bhutan pine tree, including Pholidota articulata, Otochilus porrectus, Coelogyne corymbosa, Bulbophyllum emarginatum and more.
Eight of the giant trees were stated to measure from 70.2 meters to 76.8 meters, located in Gelin Village in Medog County.
The joint investigation team was stated to have been led by Lv Zhi and Guo Qinghua of Peking University, the Xizijiang Ecological Conservation Center, the Shanshui Conservation Center, and Beijing Green Valley Technology. Co., Ltd.