A SPECIAL work to protect the city’s old and precious trees was launched recently by the Shenzhen Municipal Planning and Natural Resources Bureau. Upon investigation, each ancient tree will have an “ID card,” Shenzhen Economic Daily reported.

A survey shows that Shenzhen has a total of 1,562 ancient and precious trees, including 14 first-class old trees, 56 second-class ones and 1,487 third-class ones and five precious trees.

Old and precious trees refer to rare or prestigious tree types, those with historical or memorial value, as well as those over 100 years old. First-class old trees refer to trees that are over 500 years old.

The city is working to improve ancient tree identification and will issue an “ID card” to each identified ancient tree after citywide investigations finish.

Dapeng New Area is the first stop for the bureau’s field investigation. According to the report, Dapeng has six first-class ancient trees in five types, specifically looking glass tree, bishop wood, camphor tree, longan tree and Chinese banyan tree. Among these trees, the oldest is nearly 570 years old.

Each subdistrict office in Dapeng is responsible for the management of ancient trees. These offices invite experts regularly to check on the trees’ living environment and work out protection plans if necessary.

In Kuichong Subdistrict, an area of about 2 hectares is covered by old looking glass trees, also known as Heritiera littoralis. The area is said to be the country and the world’s most complete and oldest community of this tree.

Its surrounding area is a wetland ecological zone composed of other trees, including Kandelia candel and milky mangrove. Together, they constitute Shenzhen Baguang Heritiera Littoralis Wetland Park.

Personnel doing daily conservation work would carry out ancient trees’ anti-corrosion treatment, anti-typhoon support reinforcement and remove weed surrounding and attached to the trees to improve their living environments and promote better growth.

The bureau will investigate in Luohu, Futian, Nanshan, Bao’an and Yantian districts next, said the report.  (Wang Jingli)