Mount Wawushan Forest Park sits 180
km away from Chengdu, in Hongya county. the vast primeval forest on top of
the mountain is full of the flavor of primitivity and simplicity. This
world of ice and snow in the south will make you fell as if you were in a
supernatural fairyland.
Wawushan Mountain National Forest Park, named
because the center of mount Wawushan looks like the roof of one of the
local tile houses, is located between 102 degrees 51' - 103 degrees 20'E
and 29 degrees 31' - 29 degrees 51'N, and is about 40km from Mt. Emei. The
natural conditions of a temperate climate (mean 10.7 C per year), humid
air (86-93%) and abundant rainfall (about 2397.4mm per year) are very
suitable for amphibians.
31 species of amphibians are founded in the park,
belonging to eight families: Hynobidae (1 spp.); Cryptobranchidae (1 spp.);
Bufonidae (1 spp.); Hylidae (1 spp.); Pelobatidae (12sp); Ranidae (10 spp.);
Rhacophoridae (4 spp.) and Microhylidae (1 spp.). Of these, 11 are new
records for the Park and 2 are new species. More surveys are expected to
reveal further species.
Though most of these species are faring well,
attention should be paid to species such as Scutiger chintingensis, first
found on Mt. Emei at an elevation of 3000m or so in 1950 by Liu, C.C..
Since then, the population has been getting smaller and smaller. The
species is currently very difficult to find at this location, possibly due
to tourism pressures.
Fortunately, it was also discovered at Mt.
Wawushan at an elevation of 2500m, and this population is thought to be
large and quite stable. It is necessary and important to monitor the
variation in this population and analyse the related factors.
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