Henan introduces new standards to strengthen protection of ancient and notable trees

Henan Daily

Zhengzhou: Ancient and notable trees are hailed as “green national treasures” and “living cultural relics”.How should they be protected? According to Henan Provincial Forestry Bureau on February 16, the Technical Specifications for the Conservation of Ancientand Notable Trees in Henan Province has officially been released as a provincial standard for their protection and will come into effect on April 20, 2025.

Henan is rich inancient and notable trees, boastinga total of 319,461 suchtrees. This includes 32,954 scattered ancient trees and 777 ancient tree clusters of 286,507 trees in total. Henan ranks fourth in Chinain terms of the total number of such trees. On October 26, 2024, Henan issued the No. 2 Provincial Chief Forester’s Order, requiring comprehensive efforts to improve the protection of ancient and notable trees. The focus will be on strengthening technological support, enhancing the preservation and utilization of the unique genetic resources of Central China’s ancient trees, actively promoting the application of R&D achievements, and improving the effectiveness of conservation.

To this end, organized by Henan Provincial Forestry Bureau and led by Henan Agricultural University, with the participation of Henan Academy of Forestry Sciences and Henan Provincial Forestry Resource Monitoring Institute, the Technical Specifications for the Conservation of Ancientand Notable Trees in Henan Province was officially released after going through stages including project initiation, expert discussions, feedback solicitation, standard pre-review, and technical review.

The specifications are divided into six main sections: terminology and definitions, conservation scope, conservation principles, health diagnosis, conservation measures, and inspection and archival management. They specify that the conservation of ancient and notable trees follows the principles of protection priority, “one tree, one strategy”, and balanced conservation, ensuring their health and long-term survival.