Why is it Green Listed?

Hubei Dalaoling National Nature Reserve is located at the junction of Yiling District, Xingshan County and Zigui County in Yichang City of Hubei Province, close to the north bank of the head of the Three Gorges Project dam, with a total area of 14,225 hectares.
Dalaoling Nature Reserve originated from the establishment of the state forest farm in 1956 and was approved as a national nature reserve in 2017.Dalaoling Nature Reserve is a comprehensive nature reserve with rare and endangered wild animals and plants, their habitats and wetlands in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area as the main objects of protection. It is one of the regions with the most complete preservation of the diversity of the forest ecosystem and the gene bank of biological species in the northern margin of the Central subtropical region in China. It is a thousand-year ancient route for migratory birds in the middle of China, and one of the most typical areas with the richest biodiversity in the Three Gorges Reservoir area.

Key Achievements

Conservation

In recent years, the Dalaoling National Nature Reserve has achieved remarkable results:

1. The forest ecosystem has been effectively protected, and the populations (communities) of major protected species have undergone positive succession. From 2019 to 2023, the area of evergreen deciduous broad-leaved forests, deciduous broad-leaved forests, and coniferous-broad-leaved mixed forests increased from 11,500.57 hectares to 11,873.54 hectares.
2. The distribution range of forest musk deer (Moschus berezovskii), a major protected species, has expanded. From 2020 to 2024, its distribution area increased from 2,293 hectares to 2,866 hectares, accounting for an increase from 16.12% to 20.15% of the reserve’s total area (14,225 hectares). In fixed sample plots within the reserve, the number of Davidia involucrata (dove tree) plants increased from 35 to 37 between 2019 and 2023, representing a growth rate of 5.71%.

Species diversity has increased, with 5 new species discovered and 36 new provincial records identified in Hubei Province.

Good governance

The Dalaoling National Nature Reserve is divided into a core protection area and a general control area according to the functions of the ecosystem, protection objectives, and utilization values, implementing overall protection, zonal management and control, and differentiated management.
1. The Master Plan for Hubei Dalaoling National Nature Reserve (2023–2032) clarifies the direction of protection and development as well as the main tasks, providing guidance and guarantees for the reserve’s resource protection, facility construction, and scientific management.
2. The Dalaoling Reserve has formulated a series of special plans and systems, making detailed and feasible plans and requirements for work such as eco-tourism, resource patrols, and scientific research monitoring, providing institutional guarantees for the standardized and scientific management of the reserve.
3. The Dalaoling Administration has established a joint prevention and control, co-construction and co-management system with surrounding villages and towns and relevant departments to form a joint force for protection, jointly protect the natural resources, cultural resources, and ecological environment of the Dalaoling Reserve and its surrounding areas, promote the sustainable development of the regional economy and society, and achieve harmonious coexistence between humans and nature.

Community benefits

The Dalaoling Nature Reserve adheres to the philosophy of ecological priority and green development, encouraging and supporting the development of green industries such as homestays, tea, Chinese bees, small fruits, and winemaking in surrounding communities, achieving remarkable social benefits:
By developing the bird-watching industry and organizing national-level bird ringing training, it has promoted the growth of industries such as homestays and agritainment around the reserve.

Relying on the reserve’s ecological advantages and resource endowments, it has driven the development of green products such as tea, Chinese bees, small fruits, fermented bean curd, and konjac in surrounding communities and townships, increasing the income of local villagers.
Meanwhile, focusing on the “Dengcun Green Tea” industry, it has told the “green tea” story and created a “tea culture” atmosphere, achieving a win-win situation between cultural and economic values.
Through activities such as training and field visits, it has promoted the quality upgrading of agritainment in surrounding communities.
Statistics show that there are more than 60 agritainment households around the reserve, with eco-tourism income accounting for half or more of their total revenue.