Science and Technology Help Protect the Undersea Ancient Forest (Beautiful China · Approaching the Marine Reserve ②)

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　　As the only national nature reserve in my country that protects the ancient submarine forest relics, Fujian Jinjiang Shenhuwan Submarine Ancient Forest Relic National Nature Reserve preserves the ancient submarine forests with a history of more than 7,000 years and the ancient submarine forests with a history of 9,000-25,000 years. Ancient oyster reef remains.

With the passage of time, the ancient forest remains on the seabed gradually surfaced, attracting the attention of many scholars and reminding people of the reality that they need to be protected urgently.

　　The tree stumps are dark and strange in shape, and they are scattered in the intertidal zone. As the tide recedes, these tree stumps gradually emerge from the sea.

This is the Shenhuwan Submarine Ancient Forest Remains National Nature Reserve located in Jinjiang, Fujian Province, which preserves the 7,000-year-old underwater ancient forest and the 9,000-25,000-year-old ancient oyster reef relics.

　　Unique in the country and rare in the world - this rare geological resource is of great significance to the study of changes in the natural environment and the laws of the earth's climate.

　　It is of great value to the study of ancient oceans, sea and land changes, etc.

　　When she was a child, Zhang Rumei had heard stories about the sea.

　　Zhang Rumei was born in Shenhu Town, Jinjiang City, and her family has been fishing for generations.

There has been a saying in the village for a long time: when fishermen go out to sea, their fishing nets are often caught, and they go down to the sea to check, but there is nothing.

When the tide goes out, there are often some strange tree stumps on the beach.

　　In 1986, a researcher named Xu Qihao from the Guangdong Seismological Bureau heard this legend by chance and made a special trip to Jinjiang for investigation.

Xu Qihao saw those ancient tree stumps for the first time in an area that is now part of the Shenhu Bay Submarine Ancient Forest Remains National Nature Reserve.

　　"It's not like the common mangroves on the seaside." With doubts, Xu Qihao took samples and tested them, and concluded that the tree species is Yale fir, which is about 7,500 years old.

　　Yale cedar generally grows in hilly areas, how could it appear on the seabed?

Xu Qihao deduced that this place used to be an ancient forest. Thousands of years later, only some tree stumps, roots and trunks that escaped the fate of weathering and erosion due to being quickly buried by sea sand remained, and this place also became a sea.

Not only that, not far from these ancient oil cedars, but also a large area of ​​ancient oyster reefs, which are 9,000-25,000 years old.

One terrestrial, one aquatic, two creatures with completely different growth environments, appearing in the same intertidal zone so close to each other, adding a bit of mystery to the already unexplainable ancient underwater forest.

　　Jinjiang City quickly started the declaration of nature reserves.

In 1991, the Shenhu Bay Submarine Ancient Forest was recognized as a county-level nature reserve, and in 1992 it was upgraded to a national-level nature reserve.

In 2004, Jinjiang City established a special management agency, equipped with special personnel and guaranteed funds, and the management and protection of the protected area embarked on a standardized road.

　　So far, science still cannot explain the causes of ancient forests and ancient oyster reefs—the theory of crustal movement, the theory of sea level rise and fall, the theory of natural environment change...Scientists have different opinions.

However, scholars agree on the significance of ancient forest relics—ancient forests and ancient oyster reefs, as well as their natural environment and natural resources, are of great value to the study of ancient oceans, ancient climates, ancient plants, and land and sea changes. It is also an important evidence for understanding the laws of crustal movement and changes in the earth's climate and environment.

　　Carry out scientific research monitoring to provide guarantee for the protection of marine ecological environment

　　Compared with remote sensing images and drone footage, Hu Yi, a researcher at the Third Institute of Oceanography of the Ministry of Natural Resources, and his team walked along the intertidal zone.

As the tide recedes, ancient tree stumps come into view.

　　When it comes to protection, finding out the family background is the key.

Since 2017, Hu Yi has been entrusted by the Management Office of the Reserve to carry out scientific research and monitoring of ancient underwater forest relics.

　　Although he had read a lot of literature before coming here, when he first saw those ancient tree stumps, Hu Yi was still deeply impressed by the uncanny craftsmanship of nature.

Five or six people lined up in a row, and Hu Yi and his team members walked on the intertidal zone, for fear of missing any ancient tree stump.

Since then, Hu Yi will go to Shenhu Bay to carry out scientific research and monitoring every now and then.

After making multiple measurements of the intertidal zone in different seasons and at different times, Hu Yi not only helped the reserve determine the location of 19 ancient tree stumps exposed in the intertidal zone, but also had a basic understanding of the distribution range and size of the tree stumps .

　　To protect the ancient underwater forest, we must protect the natural environment around it.

In addition to relying on a professional team to carry out scientific research on protected objects, the management office also conducts regular monitoring of the quality of the marine ecological environment in the protected area.

During spring and autumn spring tides and autumn spring tides every year, the management office will organize sampling and monitoring of water quality, sediment, and biological quality in the sea area within the protected area.

　　"The monitoring results of the past three years have shown that the marine water quality in the protected area is stable above Class II, and the sediment quality is good. If the water quality does not meet the standard or the biological quality data is abnormal, we will promptly find out the reason. Formulate and implement corresponding protection actions." Su Wenwei, Director of the Reserve Management Office, introduced.

　　Along the coastline of Shenhu Bay, there are five towers of communication base stations.

A set of intelligent high-altitude monitoring system is installed in the tower, which monitors the surrounding radius of 2000 meters around the clock and from multiple angles. Once abnormal conditions are found, the equipment can realize automatic alarm.

The intelligent high-altitude monitoring system and the internal information management system of the management office are jointly established to form an integrated platform for management, protection and monitoring, which effectively makes up for the problem of insufficient manual inspection power.

　　"The remains of ancient forests are of great significance, but there are still problems of unclear family background. For example, the discovery of ancient tree stumps is still limited to the intertidal zone. Are there any ancient tree stumps in a wider range? Where is the specific location? Is there anything other than ancient tree stumps?" More components of ancient forests? It is still difficult to accurately detect with current technical means." Hu Yi said: "The remains of ancient forests are non-renewable resources, and it is urgent to invest more resources as soon as possible to jointly carry out research and protection."

　　Strengthen natural science popularization, and the concept of protection is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people

　　"Teacher, why are there forests in the sea?" "What do these forests look like?"

　　In the Science Popularization Museum of the Shenhuwan Submarine Ancient Forest Remains National Nature Reserve, the children surrounded Zhang Rumei and babbled about their questions about the ancient forest.

In the museum, Zhang Rumei led the children to look at the pictures on the exhibition wall, play the VR adventure of the underwater ancient forest, and patiently answer their questions... She has listened to the stories of Shenhu Bay since she was a child, and now she is a guide here. The mystery of the ancient submarine forest in Shenhu Bay is expounded from the perspective of the author.

　　"The protection work requires everyone's participation. By strengthening science popularization, more people can understand the significance of the underwater ancient forest and raise their awareness of protection, so the protection effect will be better." Hong Shaoxiong, an engineer at the reserve management office, said.

　　Now, there are 1,600 square meters of marine science museum, 500 square meters of geological museum and 300 square meters of academic lecture hall in Shenhu Bay National Nature Reserve of Submarine Ancient Forest Remains; Publicity and education facilities; World Ocean Day and National Ocean Publicity Day activities are also held... In the past five years, the reserve has held a total of 37 themed science popularization activities, 7 on-site knowledge competitions, and 1 special exhibition, with an audience of tens of thousands.

　　"It can be clearly felt that people's overall protection awareness is improving. The adults and children who used to go to the protected area to catch the sea and dig shells are now consciously controlling the scope of activities outside the protected area." Supervision Section of the Reserve Management Office Section chief Wang Jianzhu said.

　　Carrying out ecological restoration, planting coastal protection forests, and strengthening law enforcement and protection of protected areas... In addition to popular science education, a series of protection measures have also achieved real results, and the risk of man-made destruction of ancient submarine forests has been largely controlled. .

　　In July last year, a group of bird-watching enthusiasts from the Quanzhou Bird Watching Society saw the Great Crested Tern, a second-class national key protected wild animal, in Shenhu Bay.

"Birds are an important indicator to reflect the ecological environment of a region. There are more and more birds in Shenhu Bay, which just reflects the effectiveness of the protection of the reserve." Wu Kechao, president of the Quanzhou Bird Watching Society, said.

　　Our reporter Wang Yinxin