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Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –
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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News
XINING, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) — A 916-year-old Przewalski's juniper (Juniperus przewalskii), also known as Qilian juniper, has been identified during scientific research in northwest China's Qinghai Province, local forestry authorities said Friday.
The tree, located in the Baishushan Mountains in the Tsaidam Basin, is the oldest representative of its species.
The study, conducted by the Forestry and Grassland Administration of Delingha City, Haixi Mongol-Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, focused on two key aspects: field inspections and laboratory sample analysis. By examining 87 wood core and cross-section samples, the researchers determined the age structure of the Qilian juniper population in the Baishushan Mountains.
The results showed that approximately 2.3 percent of the surveyed junipers were at least 500 years old, 13.8 percent were between 300 and 499 years old, and 83.9 percent were between 100 and 299 years old. Prior to this discovery, the oldest recorded Qilian juniper in the study area was a tree aged 769 years.
Sun Dengfu, head of the department, said the study developed a multivariate model for predicting the growth of native trees, providing data to support research on indigenous plants, climate and geological changes, and eco-cultural tourism in the Qaidam Basin.
Endemic to China, Juniperus przewalskii grows on sunny slopes at altitudes of 2,600 to 4,000 meters in the northeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and has high drought tolerance. -0-
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