Why is it Green Listed?

Shandong Kunyushan National Nature Reserve (hereafter referred to as Kunyushan Reserve) is located in the east of Shandong Peninsula, which spans across Yantai and Weihai, belonging to Changbai Mountain range and Laoshan mountain chain. Taiboding is the main peak with an elevation of 923 meters above sea level. Kunyushan Reserve was established in 2008 with the approval of the State Council. Its main protected objects are mixed forest ecosystem of coniferous and broadleaf trees with Pinus densiflora as the constructive species. Kunyushan Reserve is the only national nature reserve of forest ecosystem type in Shandong Province. The Forest Coverage Rate reaches to 82% or more. Kunyushan Reserve is the original habitat and natural distribution center of Pinus densiflora in China, which has the largest distribution area and the most well-protected natural forest ecosystem of Pinus densiflora. Kunyushan reserve is one of the richest biodiversity areas in the warm temperate zone. There are 3,382 species of wildlife recorded, with 93 species of nationalⅠ,Ⅱ level protected animals and plants. Kunyushan Reserve is the most important ecological barrier to Shandong Peninsula, whose ecosystem services value of the natural reserve is 12*10^8 yuan/a. 

Photo Credit – Ju Chuanjiang – chinadaily.com.cn

Key Achievements

Conservation

• In Kunyushan Reserve the main protected objects are mixed forest ecosystem of coniferous and broadleaf trees with Pinus densiflora as the constructive species. Pinus densiflora is the temperature resistance coniferous species only distributes in China, Japan and Korea Peninsula, and also is the important substitute species of geographical distribution of vegetation in China, significant at regional forest vegetation structure and function. In china Pinus densiflora distribution range is narrow and fragmented. In China Kunyushan Reserve is the original habitat and natural distribution center of Pinus densiflora, which has the largest distribution area and the most well protected natural Pinus densiflora forest, retaining abundant genetic diversity and having important representativeness in the world. The typicality and rarity of natural Pinus densiflora forest in Kunyushan Reserve have high protection value and great academic application value.  
• Since Kunyushan Reserve was established, there have been no forest fires, and the spread of Pine Wood Nematode Disease has been curbing effectively. The area of Pinus densiflora forest remain stable, and the growth status is good. The annual average growth rate is 2.385m3 per hectare.  
• The ecological environment of Pinus densiflora forest is healthy and stable, with rich biodiversity. According the background resource survey data, the population of wild animals such as badgers and hares is increasing yearly, the bird species recorded has increased by 93 compared to 2005. The ecosystem services value can be directly created by 12.79*108 yuan/year.  
• In Kunyushan Reserve, the construction of facilities has been contained strictly. Except for necessary management and conservation infrastructures, there are no new reception facilities such as hotels, restaurants that can contaminate the environment. At the same time, Kunyushan Reserve removed the artificial facilities such as concrete roads and river barriers that were built before the Reserve established, minimizing human traces and restoring nature to its original form. 

Good governance

• In order to resolve the conflicts between conservation and development, through full consultation with towns and communities around Kunyushan Reserve, Kunyu Town was established with 36 villages in and around the Reserve, which is managed by Kunyushan Reserve directly. Each community has a village committee. Villagers can put fovard opinions and suggestions on the management of Kunyushan Reserve through the villagers’ meeting, villagers’ representative meeting, satisfaction survey, 12345 hotline and other ways. Kunyushan Reserve gives feedback to villagers timely. For example, in response to crop damages caused by wild animals such as badger and spotted deer that reflected from community villages, Kunyushan Reserve has buy wildlife public liability insurance for crops such as corn, peanuts, and wheat cultivation, to reduce wildlife-farmer conflicts and safeguard the property of the public. 
•  Kunyushan Reserve conscientiously implement relevant laws and regulations. According to the characteristics of natural resources, the distribution of protected objects, and the promotion of the economic development in local communities, Kunyushan Reserve conducted rational zoning, with implementing zoning management and policy. With Kunyushan Forest Farm and local communities, Kunyushan Reserve is in the first batch in China and the first one in Shandong Province that has completed uniform registration of natural resources title. The property rights of natural resource are further clarified and confirmed,and the rights and interests of natural resources owners has been effectively guaranteed. 
• Based on 2 national-level monitoring platforms, Kunyushan Reserve has been in cooperation with more than 20 universities and research institutes, and constructed a complete system of scientific research and monitoring relatively. Kunyushan Reserve has owned a group of specialized technical staffs, with great achievements in scientific research and dozens of papers in journals.

Community benefits

• There are 36 villages with a population of 12,000 in and around Kunyushan Reserve. Over the generations, the communities have been blended in with its surroundings and have become an important part of the Reserve. while protecting ecological environment, Kunyushan Reserve boosts the community’s economic development, effectively improves the quality of production and life of the community’s residents.
• Kunyushan Reserve removed 90,000 tons of garbage from community rivers, and clears the residents’ living garbage everyday. The community’s living environment has been effectively improved, ranked first in the Living Environment Evaluation of Yantai City. Kunyushan Reserve is the source of four rivers. Through protection, the water quality of the rivers meets the national Class I standard for surface water quality, providing high-quality production and domestic water for more than 3 million downstream residents.
• More than 500 ecological public welfare and social service positions have been established to prioritized accept community residents in outdoor patrols, resource monitoring, and nature guidance in the Reserve, thereby increasing residents’ income levels.
• Kunyushan Reserve actively promotes community development, invests funds in improving village infrastructure construction, establishes support funds to promote the development of characteristic ecological agriculture, form characteristic agricultural product brands. Relying on the high-quality natural resources, Kunyushan Reserve promotes the development of rural tourism, providing tourists with ecological picking, specialty food, leisure lodging, etc.. Through promoting the rural tourism, Kunyushan Reserve excavates and makes use of the traditional ethnic culture, thereby favoring the preservation and transmission of traditional culture.