The landscape features and characteristics of Zhangjiajie, and analyze its landscape types, causes, formation processes and evolutionary trends

Zhangjiajie World Geopark is located in Zhangjiajie City, Hunan Province, covering a total area of ??3,600 square kilometers. The main geological heritage types are sandstone peak forest landforms and karst caves.

Thick layers of quartz sandstone from the Devonian period (350 million to 400 million years ago) are exposed in the Geopark distribution area. Due to the gentle formation of the rock formations and the development of vertical joints, they were uplifted by later crustal movements and collapsed due to gravity. The influence of internal and external geological dynamics such as rain erosion and erosion has formed a unique sandstone peak forest landscape. There are more than 3,000 rock cliffs rising from the ground in the park, of which more than 1,000 are more than 200 meters high. Golden Whip Rock It is actually 350 meters high. The stone peaks have different shapes and are beautiful and spectacular. It is an extremely rare sandstone peak forest landform in the world and has great scientific value. There are other sculptural landforms such as square mountains, rock walls, natural bridges, and canyons, as well as cave landscapes developed in Triassic limestone.

The park has dense forests and rare plants such as ginkgo, Davidia involucrata, yew, and tulipweed, which provide physical examples for studying biological evolution.

Zhangjiajie Global Geopark is located in northwest Hunan, China, in the Wuling Mountains in the transition zone between the northeastern Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau in southwest China and the mid-low mountainous area in northwest Hunan. Geographical location: 29°13'18"-29°27'27" north latitude; 110°18'-110°41'15" east longitude, 300m-1300m above sea level, with an area of ??398 square kilometers. In 1992, it was designated by UNESCO The organization was included in the World Heritage List; in 2004, it was listed as a World Geopark by UNESCO. The geopark includes sandstone peaks, Fangshan Village, Tianqiao Shimen, barrier valleys, karst plateaus, karst canyons, and karsts. The various geological relics such as caves, springs and waterfalls, streams and lakes, sediments, structures, stratigraphic sections, and stone biofossils preserve the ecological environment and ecology in an almost undisturbed original natural state. System.

Formation process

The Zhangjiajie sandstone peak forest landform was formed during a long period of geological history since the late Tertiary period, due to the slow intermittent uplift of the earth's crust. The result of long-term erosion and cutting by flowing water. Its development and evolution has gone through four main stages: square mountain, platform, peak wall, peak forest, and residual forest; the initial stage of quartz sandstone peak forest landform formation is the edge. A landform with a steep, relative height difference of tens to 400 meters and a flat top surface. The top surface is composed of hard iron-bearing quartz sandstone, such as the platform peak wall in Tianzi Mountain, Huangshi Village, Yaozizhai, etc. As the erosion intensifies, a large group of ridges develops along the rock yoke, and the rocks on both sides are steep, forming peak walls, such as Baizhang Gorge, which belongs to this type. Forest: The running water continues to erode the joints and fissures on both sides of the creek, forming peak clusters. When cut to a certain depth, a peak forest landform composed of countless tall and steep peak pillars is formed, such as those at Shili Gallery and Kuangdong Creek. Landform characteristics. Remaining forest: After the peak forest was formed, the water continued to cut down until the base was eroded and cut through, and the pillars collapsed one after another, leaving only a few isolated peak pillars, which formed the residual forest landform due to external dynamic geology. If it continues, the remaining forest will collapse and disappear, eventually forming a new denudation landform in the outer areas of the Wulingyuan Devonian sandstone distribution area.

The uniqueness of geological relics<. /p>

Typical landforms on the earth that can be similar to the Zhangjiajie Sandstone Peak Forest landform mainly include karst stone forest landforms and Danxia landforms. However, there are only about four landform areas in the world that can be compared with the Zhangjiajie Sandstone Peak Forest landform; These four sword-shaped cascades are the Malaha Chinji Strict Nature Reserve in Madagascar; the Sarawak National Park in Malaysia; the Saman River National Park in Palawan, the Philippines; and the Kaijingde Mountains in Papua New Guinea. The most common characteristics of the landform are: it is an island or seaside environment, all distributed in the tropical zone within 20° north and south latitude; its development era has been since the late Tertiary Period, and its origin is relatively simple, which is caused by surface dissolution of limestone; It has significant biodiversity, represents the ecosystems and unique flora and fauna of different environments in the tropics, and has abundant rainfall. The Zhangjiajie sandstone peak forest landform is unique in the world, with a relatively large height difference and a large height-to-nephew ratio. , the column has high density, with alternate soft and hard layers, unique column shape, lush vegetation, rare animals and plants, and a wide variety of features. In particular, it has a unique and currently well-preserved peak forest into a standard model. That is, the systematic landform landscape formed by platforms, square mountains, peak walls, peak forests, bee bushes, and residual forests is perfectly reflected in this area, and it still maintains an almost undisturbed natural ecological environment system. Therefore, from a scientific perspective and an aesthetic perspective, the Zhangjiajie sandstone peak forest landform is superior in landscape and characteristics to the stone forest landform, Danxia landform and Denver landform in the United States. It is an extremely special and precious geological heritage landscape in the world. .

Humanities and History

The park area and its relics of human history in various foreign eras, as well as the sites of major humanistic events, comprehensively demonstrate the settlement and development of ethnic minorities such as the Tujia and Miao ethnic groups. , language and cultural origins, and the history of exchanges with other ethnic groups and Central Plains culture.

For thousands of years, ethnic minority peoples such as Tujia and Miao have lived in special sandstone peak forests and karst cave development areas. The living environment of peak forests and karst caves has been integrated into all aspects of local people's lives, forming colorful ethnic cultures and customs. Folklore, poetry, dance, folk houses, festivals, etc. all reflect the long historical origins of the local people.

Resource Value

Zhangjiajie Sandstone Peak Forest Landform contains earth evolution, geological and landform formation mechanism, unique natural beauty, typical ecological environment system, harmonious beauty and richness of the harmony between man and earth. National culture and art, etc., it has become one of the few teaching and scientific research bases in China. Experts and scholars from China and other countries around the world have engaged in research in geoscience, ethnology, biology, history, ecology, folk culture, tourism development and management, etc. in the park, and have accumulated a wealth of research data, forming the sandstone peak A complete theoretical system including the formation mechanism and development characteristics of forest landforms has further enriched earth science research.

Protection of geological relic resources

Geological relics refer to the precious non-renewable resources that were formed, developed and transported due to internal and external geological processes during the long geological evolution of the earth. Geological natural heritage and special geological relics not only have scientific research significance, but also constitute beautiful landforms and ecological environments, becoming valuable tourism resources. This magical geological relic in Zhangjiajie is threatened by potential destruction. The area is affected by today's tectonic force field, the uplift of the earth's crust, the erosion of running water, and the incision of ravines. In the future geological period, the sandstone peaks and pillars will The base of the peak will be further cut down, and the stability of the quartz sandstone peak forest is subject to potential threats. The contradiction between heritage protection and tourism development, environmental damage and pollution caused by urbanization, and the pressure of human development on nature, are Threats posed by natural disasters such as floods and catastrophes. Geological heritage resources are the wealth of all mankind. Once damaged, they cannot be restored. For this reason, UNESCO has established a geological heritage working group to be responsible for the protection of global geological heritage. The Zhangjiajie Global Geopark is the world's most famous sandstone peak forest. Evolutionary relics are the most typical areas that bear witness to the long history of earth evolution and have irreplaceable scientific significance, rarity and aesthetic value. To this end, Zhangjiajie has established a protection and management agency in accordance with the law, and has also promulgated relevant laws and regulations for the protection of geoparks, such as the "Convention for the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage", "Hunan Province Wulingyuan World Natural Heritage Protection Regulations", etc. Of course, what is more important is that we humans should consciously enhance our awareness of protecting the world's geological heritage and strengthen our understanding of relevant knowledge! So whether you are a Zhangjiajie person or a tourist, when you understand the importance of Zhangjiajie Global Geopark to all mankind, I hope you can start from yourself, from today, from now on, and cherish your own Care for the ecological environment and geological heritage as much as life! Then the Zhangjiajie Global Geopark, this magnificent wonder, will remain young and charming forever. It will always stand proudly on our beautiful earth and show its infinite splendor to all mankind forever!

The development goals of the geopark

Zhangjiajie Global Geopark strengthens the protection of geological heritage landscape resources and ecosystems. Adhere to the policy of strict protection, unified management, scientific planning, and sustainable use, and based on the principle of protecting the systematicness, authenticity and integrity of the geopark's relic landscape and biodiversity, and adjust land use according to the georelic landscape protection zoning , to optimize the land use structure and maintain coordinated development of environmental protection, tourism industry and social economy. Build the geopark into a world-class geopark that integrates multi-disciplinary inspections, landscape sightseeing, ecological leisure, and cultural entertainment to promote the social and economic progress of China and the world and benefit mankind.

Biological Resources

Due to geohistorical reasons, this area was not completely covered by continental glaciers during the Quaternary Ice Age, so it became a refuge for plants during the Quaternary Ice Age. Ancient relic plants have been preserved, making it one of the most representative natural heritage preservation sites in China's flora. According to the "List of Rare and Endangered Protected Plants in China", there are 57 species of nationally protected plants in the park, including 10 species of first-level protected plants such as Davidia involucrata, 33 species of second-level protected plants, and 14 species of third-level protected plants. . Due to the large differences in natural conditions, the geopark has obvious vertical zoning of plants, complete communities, and a stable and balanced ecology. It provides a good habitat for wild animals and has become a paradise for wild animals. There are first-level nationally protected animals such as clouded leopards and red-bellied tragopans, as well as second-level protected animals such as giant salamanders, macaques, pangolins, great hunting dogs, and forest musk deer.

The Five Unique Peaks in Zhangjiajie

The unique quartz sandstone peak forest in Zhangjiajie is famous for its "Three Thousand Strange Peaks". These peaks and forests have unique shapes, varying heights and styles, forming a spectacular Dafeng Forest scenic spot, among which Yubi Peak, Camel Peak and Wuzhi Peak are the most representative ones. They may be steep and tall, or they may be graceful and graceful, with masculine and feminine postures coexisting, which is pleasing to the eye and indescribably beautiful. The ground in Zhangjiajie is heavily incised, forming a unique wonder of canyons and gullies. There are 32 canyons above 2,000 meters, with a total length of 85 kilometers. The most famous are canyons such as Jinbianliu, Shentang Bay, and Shili Gallery. Water Show Among the peaks and valleys, there are dozens of flowing springs, lakes and waterfalls, which have been flowing continuously for a long time. The scenery is pleasant and beautiful.

It has a complete range of scenery types, including streams, springs, lakes, pools, waterfalls, etc., which are so colorful that it is known as "Eight Hundred Beautiful Waters". Yuanyang Waterfall flows straight from a height of several hundred meters, with great momentum. It is as spectacular as Baofeng Lake, a jade pool on earth. Deep Forest Zhangjiajie has lush forests, and Wuling pines are widely distributed and so numerous that they are known as "one hundred and eight thousand pines". Dong'ao has a rich group of karst caves between the mountains and rivers. Among them: Huanglong Cave is 15 kilometers deep, has 13 halls, 96 corridors, 3 waterfalls, 1 Yin River, and numerous stalagmites of various shapes, which are amazing. The scenery of Dragon King Cave is extremely unique. It is one of the largest and oldest karst caves in China and has extremely high archaeological and tourism value.