Daba Mountains, Mountain range and nature reserve in Chengkou County, China
The Daba Mountains form a mountain system and nature reserve stretching 1000 kilometers across central China between the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers. The range reaches elevations up to 3105 meters at Shennong Peak, creating distinct forest zones that change with altitude.
These mountains formed when southern China collided with Asia during the Mesozoic era, creating a natural barrier around the Sichuan Basin. This geological process isolated the region and shaped the landscape visible today.
The forests here contain more than 850 woody plant species that have been used in traditional medicine for centuries, including the locally cultivated Eucommia tree. These plants remain important to the region's healing traditions and are still gathered by local communities.
The mountain system creates distinct climate zones with subtropical forests in the south and temperate forests in the north. Visitors should prepare for different weather conditions and vegetation types depending on elevation.
Scientists rediscovered living Dawn Redwood trees here during the 1940s after the species was thought extinct outside fossil records. This discovery showed that the forests could preserve species believed lost to time.
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