Exploring the Miracle of Planting Flowers in Stones, Once a "Stone Corner", Now Becoming a "Golden Knot" Ecology of Xichou People | Plants | Golden Knots
Stone desertification is a desertification ecological phenomenon formed by karst landforms. Xichou County, Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, used to have severe rocky desertification, poor soil, and a harsh natural environment. For many years, Xichou County has adhered to afforestation, mountain closure for afforestation, and returning farmland to forests. The former Shishan has become a green sea today. At the same time, the local area has developed green ecological industries according to local conditions, taking into account its own ecological functional status, and has embarked on a path of green development.
Xichou County, Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, was once one of the areas with the most severe rocky desertification in China. 99.9% of the county's land area belongs to mountainous areas, and the rocky desertification area once reached more than 70% of the total mountainous area. Nowadays, walking through the Sanguang area, which used to be the most severely affected by rocky desertification in the county, the ecological green and industrial green are dotted with desert rocky mountains. The dense kiwifruit forests are lush with branches and leaves, and rows of neat stone ridges are like ribbons, making it difficult to connect with the desolate rocky desertification scene in the old photos. The "San Guang Village", which used to have "trees cut down, soil erosion exposed, and girls run away", has now become a new "San Guang Village" with "glorious poverty alleviation, dazzling colors, and bright prospects".
Cheng Dunru, the leader of wealth creation in Xichou County, Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province: I have been farming on this mountain behind me for more than 30 years. The original rocky land is now covered with lush green trees. Not only me, but also the surrounding people have reaped tangible rewards from it.
The transformation of Shishan into an oasis not only solves the problem of food for the people, but also drives the prosperity of industries. In recent years, Xichou County has introduced professional agricultural technology companies and built a comprehensive base of over 5000 acres of plateau characteristic fruits, mainly focusing on organic kiwifruit cultivation. 358 households of villagers in the Sanguang area earn an annual rental income of over 4 million yuan through land transfer. More than 100 villagers work at the planting base every day. The company also drives more than 3000 households from 14 villages in the county to invest and receive fixed dividends. The former "Shijialun" has become a "golden knot" for people in Xichou.
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In Guangxi, where karst landforms are widespread, a new Long March of redrawing green mountains and clear waters is underway. Hechi City in Guangxi is the area with the most severe rocky desertification. A group of young technology workers came here, accompanied by the mountains, to explore the miracle of planting flowers in stones.
Li Yunfan, a graduate student at the Institute of Subtropical Agricultural Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences: As a northerner, I only saw this kind of karst landform after entering graduate school. My current research focus is on the impact of the chemical properties of the bedrock under the root system on vegetation productivity.
In the greenhouse laboratory, Li Yunfan had to face 180 flower pots and a 365 day experimental period. To restore the natural state to the greatest extent possible, stones are placed at the bottom of each flowerpot, with soil on top, and then plants are planted. When it rains, the rainwater will take away the components of the rock and soil. By measuring the rainwater, we can know how much nutrients the rock releases.
Qin Menger, who runs up the mountain all day, focuses on studying the roots and stems of plants.
![Exploring the Miracle of Planting Flowers in Stones, Once a "Stone Corner", Now Becoming a "Golden Knot" Ecology of Xichou People | Plants | Golden Knots](https://a5qu.com/upload/images/ca92dfde3090ee2e66fbcf7e1c5a0fc5.jpg)
Qin Menger, a graduate student at the Institute of Subtropical Agricultural Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences: My research aims to control and restore the phenomenon of rocky desertification in karst areas by selecting advantageous plants and configuring plant communities reasonably. Different plants release different root exudates, which can change and increase the available phosphorus in the soil, thereby increasing the activity of microorganisms.
Both the study of lithology and the selection of advantageous species are complex and lengthy processes that require scientific rigor and patience. Over the past decade, the Huanjiang Karst Ecosystem Observation and Research Station of the Institute of Subtropical Agricultural Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences has carried out 485 ongoing research projects, and 750 young scientific and technological workers have come here for scientific research and learning, leaving their footprints for the long march of green water and green mountains.
Li Yunfan, a graduate student at the Institute of Subtropical Agricultural Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences: Doing research is building on the foundation of our predecessors, and only by adding them up step by step can we make a big breakthrough. We are just a part of thousands of researchers, contributing our own efforts.