About the Research Area
The Gutianshan National Nature Reserve, China
 | The Gutianshan National Nature Reserve (GNNR) is approximately 81 km2 and is located in Kai Hua County, at the extreme west of Zhejiang Province, East China. The Reserve was formed in 1975 in the Yangtze River basin, and was established to preserve a portion of evergreen broad-leaved forest in the region. Over 1400 species of plants have been recorded in the Reserve. |
In 2004, a permanent plot covering 24ha was established within the evergreen broad-leaved forest in GNNR, as part of the Chinese Forest Biodiversity Monitoring Network. Subtropical forests cover a quarter of China’s total area however 95% of these forests exist as secondary and plantation forests. Under global climate change, the way these forests shift in species composition and structure and consequently how they affect ecosystem carbon budgets will present challenges to current forest management practices.
The projects at the China Regional Climate Centre will assess how anthropogenic disturbances influence the responses of subtropical forest carbon pools and to the effects of climate change in the Guitianshan Reserve. This will be determined by performing research in 12 established plots, which cover a range of disturbed forests; namely plantation, secondary re-growth and old-growth forests.
 Gutianshan National Nature Reserve located south east of Shanghai, China |
 Study plots within GNNR |