Shennongjia National Natural Reserve

Shennongjia National Nature Reserve is located at the juncture of three counties in Hubei Province - Badong, Xingshan and Fangxian. It borders Xiangfan City, Yichang City and Wanxian County. The 71,000 hectare reserve was established in 1982.

The reserve encompasses three vertical vegetation zones. They include subtropical, warm and cold areas. Scientists say it is an ideal place for ecological research on biodiversity, allowing growth of typical vegetation and plants that transition between areas. The reserve was accepted into the International Man and Biosphere Reserve Network under UNESCO in 1990.

Climate

The Reserve lies in transitional northern subtropical to mid-subtropical regions. It is cool, moist and rainy with an average temperature of 7.9 C. It has extreme high temperatures of 36.4 C and lowest temperatures of about 17.7 C below zero. Its yearly precipitation averages 1,440 millimeters. July and August are the rainy season. Generally speaking, it is in a glacier period from the end of September through April and is covered with precipitation year round.

Complicated terrain, plenty of rain, big relative height differences and other reasons make the reserve a mysterious place.

 Physical Features

Located between Daba Mountain and Wudang Mountain, Shennongjia is a part of the Qinba Mountains, and extends from southwest to northeast. The highest peak in he reserve is known as Shennongding and is 3,105.4 meters above sea level while the lowest area is just 398 meters. The area's average altitude is 1,700 meters and there are six peaks with an altitude topping 3,000 meters. Shennongjia has been called "the roof of central China."

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