On October 9, according to CCTV reports, the Chinese Giant Tree Science Expedition Team released the height of the largest tree in China, Yunnan Huangguo Fir , which was determined to be 83.4 meters, equivalent to 28 floors. This giant tree has a breast diameter of 207 cm, and is around 380 years old, which is equivalent to a young and middle-aged man.
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According to reports, this height is obtained through manual tree climbing measurement and regional survey, combined with drone-assisted measurement. This is the first comprehensive scientific research in China to climb, photography, and collect germplasm resources on giant trees above 80 meters high.
On the same day, the scientific expedition team also released a photo of this giant tree. A reporter from Beijing Youth Daily learned from the Wild China Studio, who participated in the scientific expedition work that the photo of the giant tree was completed by the precise collaboration of four scientific expedition team members. First, use a drone to take three to six photos every few meters, and then take a group of photos several meters apart, all the way to the top of the tree. This way, more than 160 photos of different heights were obtained, and then the splicing was completed later. The overall picture was more than 350 million pixels, and the screen could be projected on a 100-meter giant screen to show the details of the giant tree.
Wild China Studio introduced that the giant tree is located in Chayu County, Tibet Autonomous Region. In May this year, the team of Guo Ke, a researcher, conducted a vegetation survey on the giant tree community in Buzong Village, Shangchayu Town, and found several giant trees above 75 meters high. One of the Yunnan Huangguo fir trees reached 83.2 meters after preliminary measurements by drones, exceeding the measurement records of 72 meters of bald fir distributed in Gongshan County, Yunnan Province, 76.8 meters of Bhutan Song in Motuo County, Tibet Autonomous Region, and 81 meters of Taiwan fir in Nantou County, Taiwan.
In August this year, the scientific expedition team went to again to Chayu County to conduct manual tree climbing measurements and regional surveys on this "China's tallest tree" Yunnan Huangguo Fir. This scientific expedition used the international direct measurement method of measuring giant trees, that is, manually climbing to the top of the giant tree, and after determining the highest treetop, the metal tape measure was placed from the treetop to the ground to measure. Finally, the height difference between the lowest point in the center of the tree trunk and the treetop is 83.4 meters.
Explorer Liu Tuanxi is the technical guide for the giant tree climbing of the scientific expedition team. He climbed to the top of China's tallest tree with his teammates to conduct a height measurement. On October 9, he told the Beijing Youth Daily reporter that at that time, three members worked together to climb trees, and it took seven or eight hours to climb from the ground to the top of the tree. This climb was mainly done with ropes, and no operations such as nailing the giant tree were carried out. After the scientific expedition, all the equipment was collected and taken away without causing any damage to the trees.
Liu Tuanxi said that although the giant tree is in the valley and the wind is not very strong, when he is on the top of a 28-story tree, he is still worried about what will happen if the giant tree breaks. "But behind me, I feel very shocked to appreciate the magnificent natural scenery you can see at the top of the tree. After gradually adapting, I even slept on it for a while."
Dialogue with
China's tallest tree climbing surveyor: I slept at the top of China's tallest tree for a while
Beijing Youth Daily: Please tell me about the process of climbing China's tallest tree.
Liu Tuanxi: Climbing giant trees is actually not a new thing, and you have a lot of relatively mature experience internationally. This time we climbed, there was a team of three-person coaches including me. The first step to climbing a tree is to hang the rope used for climbing onto the branches.
We tried a variety of methods, such as hanging the rope with a drone. This was not good after trying it 9 times. Later, we used a professional slingshot machine and fired 18 times in succession, projecting a professional rope to a height of more than 30 meters. This rope is very strong, almost inelastic, and can bear a load of 200 kilograms.
After hanging this main rope, the three of us hung ourselves on the rope for testing. After confirming that we were safe, one of them used a method similar to rock climbing to a height of more than 30 meters along the main rope. Then, by swaying the rope, we rose by 3 to 4 meters each time, and then we continued to cycle and finally reached a height of about 80 meters. If you go further up, the diameter of the tree trunk is only 15 cm to 20 cm, which is about the same thickness as the calves of an adult.
The three of us used a 100-meter-long metal ruler to measure the height near the top of the tree. Finally, after expert correction, we got the 83.4-meter tree height released this time.
Beijing Youth Daily: What are the main issues that need to be paid attention to during the tree climbing?
Liu Tuanxi: We have several important principles for climbing this time. The first is safety. Ensuring the safety of personnel is the most important thing. Because this tree grows on the slope and tilts slightly to the south, during the climbing process, we often hang in the air 50 meters below on the ropes. The rope is hung on the branches, and people are shuttled between the branches, and we need to ensure that we will not break when climbing. There is a very rigorous testing process here to ensure absolute safety.
Another thing is to ensure that our operations will not cause any harm to the tree, and we will not leave anything on the tree when we leave. Such operations such as nailing are absolutely not allowed. When we go down the tree, we will go down to the ground through a method called "double rope descending". The whole process is carried out using ropes. Finally, we will take away all equipment, including ropes, to ensure that it will not cause any damage to nature.
Beijing Youth Daily: As the saying goes, "A tree is beautiful in the forest, and the wind will destroy it." Will it be very windy when you reach the top of the tree? Do you feel fear during the climbing of giant trees?
Liu Tuanxi: The location of this tree is a valley, and the wind is not very strong in normal times. In fact, in a sense, it is precisely because the wind here is not strong that such giant trees exist here. If the wind is usually very strong in a place, or there will be typhoon occasionally, then over the years, the high trees will be blown off by the wind one day, and there will be no environment where giant trees can be produced.
Generally speaking, people will feel fear and nervous when they first climb rock. This is human instinct, but after slowly getting used to it, they will not be so nervous. The same goes for climbing the tree this time. Although the wind is not strong here, you will still feel a slight shaking when you get to the top of the tree. At that time, you will instinctively feel nervous, think randomly, and what to do if the tree is about to break. But later I thought that this tree has existed for hundreds of years and has not been blown off by the wind. And scientists also investigated that the tree itself is very healthy and has no pests and diseases. Although
began to feel fear, after slowly getting used to it, I began to feel the magnificent natural landscape that the treetops could enjoy.
Beijing Youth Daily: What kind of landscape did you see on the top of the tree?
Liu Tuanxi: Not far from the north of this tree is a mountain with an altitude of more than 6,000 meters. We are located in the valley on the south side of the mountain. The valley is lush vegetation and extremely rich in primeval forests.
When people adapt to the balance of high altitude, their fear gradually disappears. Seeing such a magnificent nature, they will feel awe of nature in their hearts.
is like this, I overcome my fear because we rely on the rope to work up and down. There can only be one person on a rope at the same time. While waiting for others to operate, I played for a while and slept on the top of the tree for a while.
Beijing Youth Daily: You also saw the photo of China's tallest tree waiting for the body released this time. What did you feel when you saw this photo?
Liu Tuanxi: I am very happy and shocked. The three of us wore bright red jackets when climbing the tree, but in this photo, we are three small red dots on the tree.
Seeing this photo awakened my memories on the top of the tree at that time, and I was happy and relieved.
(Beijing Youth Daily)
