Li Dangren, director of the forest farm, said that since February 5, an average of more than 10,000 seedlings have been planted every day, which will continue until around the Qingming Festival.

 

As one of the “Top Ten Forest Farms in China” and a pilot unit for sustainable forest management designated by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, the Xishan Forest Farm has cultivated local precious tree species and large-diameter timber forests through forest management measures such as intensive cultivation of artificial forests, transformation of existing forests, nurturing of young and middle-aged forests, and thinning and replanting, to improve forest quality and enhance ecological landscape effects. 

 

At present, the forest farm covers an operating area of 186,500 mu (about 12,433.33 hectares), with a forest coverage rate of 87.95%.

 

The non-timber forest-based economy includes in-forest planting, in-forest breeding, forest landscape utilization, etc. The Xishan Forest Farm has achieved the transition from single-species fir forest to mixed-species forest with trees of different ages after it managed to solve the excessive afforestation density and insufficient biodiversity. 

 

The forest farm, integrating nursery construction with forest management, has improved forest quality and replanted precious local tree species. There are tree species that provide food for animals such as quercus acutissima, and over one million locally precious seedlings such as Nanmu and Southern Taxus. 

 

The pilot results of Xishan Forest Farm were praised by forestry and grassland departments across the country at the National Forest Sustainable Management Work Site Promotion Conference held in Linwu County at the end of November 2024.

 

Linwu Xishan Forest Farm has also explored the co-construction, co-management, and sharing model. It has adopted the welfare-to-work method for such forestry projects as sustainable forest management, national reserve forest construction, and forest transformation to benefit surrounding farmers. In addition, it has cultivated diversified economic forests for flower viewing, fruit appreciation, and reserve large-diameter timber, with the per capita income increasing by tens of thousands of yuan per year for the farmers who participate in the construction of the forest farm’s projects.

 

 

Chinese source: hunantoday