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As a result, Tangjiahe Nature Reserve has significant value of preservation, research, education and ecology. Tangjiahe natural protection area as the national level nature reserve in the forest and wildlife type could take the giant panda and its natural habitat as the key protection objects, which has been known as natural gene pool, life homeland as well as the green pearl of Minshan mountain ranges.
Tangjiahe Nature Reserve is located at the foot of the northeastern foothill of Minshan Moutain on the northwestern margin of the Sichuan Basin. Neighboring Baishuijiang natural protection area of Gansu Province in north, Dongyanggou provincial-level nature reserve of Qingchuan in east and Pingwu County of Mianyang City in south, Tangjiahe Nature Reserve is an important part of major habitat for the giant panda in the Minshan mountain ranges.
It had been classified as an AAAA natural protection zone by WWF, one of the most hot spots of global biodiversity. The preserve is located in the transitional region from the northern end of the Hengduan Mountains to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. It had never developed the broad areas of ice sheets during the active period of the fourth glacial stage. Thus many old species had been preserved perfectly.
The high mountain and valley area along the northern part of Longmen Mountain had the highest peak with the altitude of about 3,837 meters above sea level and the relatively high altitude of over 2,400 meters. The complex and varied terrains and landforms with ridges and peaks rising one after another are cut intensely. The preserve belongs to the subtropical monsoon climate zone with the warm and moist climate as well as the plentiful rainfall.
With a large number of beautifully preserved nature landscape, obvious vertical vegetation zone spectrum, it had become a natural habitat for rare and precious animals and plants. According to one survey, the higher plants in the area are over 3,100 kinds, and the rare tree species include davidia involucrata, Chinese tulip tree, Eucommia ulmoides and many more. The vegetation displays the typical vertical distribution.
The coniferous and broadleaf mixed forest zone and dark subalpine coniferous forest zone at elevations between 2,200 and 3,200 meters, with thick forest and dense bamboo grove are the suitable habitat and breeding area for the giant panda.
Within the Tangjiahe National Nature Reserve, there're abundant cultural landscape with many passes and forts that are easy to defend and hard to break down. Thus it's the hotly contested spot of military strategist through the ages. The colorful customs and habits as well as the deep gulf and valley in the native place and the idyllic pastoral scenery of the little town could form the unique ethnic folklore.