Page 9 - 文化旅游2024-6

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FOCUS | 焦点

Tuning in to the voice of a rainforest researcher

聆听守望者的声音

Entering the Wangtianshu Scenic Area of Xish- ensuring that sample sites remain undisturbed while
uangbanna Tropical Rainforest National Park, the allowing researchers to observe and study the canopy
tall and straight Parashorea chinensis stands out up close.
prominently in the forest. When in full production, “Most of the time, I accompany other research-
the seeds of these trees swirl elegantly through the air ers to conduct studies using the tower crane, which
like feathers, revealing a distinctive beauty of nature. serves as an open platform not only for our organiza-
Our reporters also discovered a touching story about tion but also for ecologists, zoologists, botanists, and
Dong Jinlong, a researcher, and his connection to the other scientists from around the world, facilitating
Parashorea chinensis. diverse research efforts,” Dong said. “Collaborating
Dong, an engineer at the Tropical Botanical Gar- and exchanging ideas with researchers from across
den, studied biological sciences at Yunnan Normal the globe has greatly broadened my perspective on
University. Starting in his sophomore year, he began scientific research.”
his journey in scientific plant research under the guid- “If we didn’t reach the forest canopy, it was
ance of Academician Sun Hang from the Kunming difficult to understand the specific form of Diptero-
Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences. carpaceae plants. Upon reaching the very top, we
“At that time, I primarily conducted plant surveys discovered that Parashorea chinensis could tower
and collected experimental samples on the Qing- over other trees by an extra one or two dozen me-
hai-Xizang Plateau, while also participating in the ters,” Dong said. Previously, human estimates of the
gathering of wild germplasm resources at the South- height of Parashorea chinensis were often inaccurate.
west China Wildlife Germplasm Resource Bank,” Although they had attempted to measure it using in-
Dong said. Driven by curiosity and a yearning for frared rangefinders and other equipment, achieving
discovery, along with his experience in plant classi- precise measurements in such a densely populated
fication, he later joined the Xishuangbanna Tropical forest proved impossible. “It’s only when you reach
Botanical Garden. Initially, he focused on plant iden- the forest canopy and measure with a real ruler that
tification, revising species names, and digitizing plant you can truly appreciate the majesty of Parashorea
information. Today, he works at the Xishuangbanna chinensis.”
Ecological Station of the Tropical Botanical Garden, “I once found a black webbed tree frog (Rhacoph-
where he primarily monitors and researches the Para- orus reinwardtii) among the foliage of the Parashorea
shorea chinensis rainforest. chinensis canopy. This frog species has been observed
Parashorea chinensis, the giants of the forest, and documented as inhabiting the highest habitat in
reach heights of 70 to 80 meters, making it challeng- the world. There is still much we don’t understand,
ing to observe these tall trees. In 2014, a forest can- such as the conditions of the epiphytes on the forest
opy tower crane was built and put into operation in canopy, but we are slowly unraveling these myster-
Xishuangbanna. “The tower crane allows researchers ies,” Dong said. He enthusiastically shared the many
to access the forest canopy for non-destructive and surprises that Parashorea chinensis has brought him,
repeatable direct observations,” Dong explained. Pre- yet he is also aware that researchers often face lone-
viously, researchers could only reach the canopy by liness and challenges in their work. “We are willing
climbing with a single rope or using ladders and other to persist out of our love for nature and our reverence
methods, which had drawbacks — they were not very for this profession. There are countless unknowns in
repeatable and couldn’t cover the entire area effec- nature, and we will continue on the path of wonder
tively. The tower crane overcomes these challenges, and discovery,” he added.