Go wild in Changbai Mountain! Explore the secret land of snow country

Huge volcanoes and violent snowstorms coexist

A deep lake hangs high in the sky

See all four seasons in one day

The Arctic is hidden in the temperate zone

Nature will turn these wild fantasies into

Turning into reality one by one

So the world has

Changbai Mountain

(Please watch in horizontal mode, overlooking Changbai Mountain, photographer @王智超)

▼

Erupting magma

Stacked into its towering body

Standing on the Sino-North Korean border

(The location of Changbai Mountain Biological Reserve, which is called Changbai Mountain in China and Paektu Mountain in North Korea. Map by @Song Nan/Planet Research Institute)

▼

Numerous water systems in the mountains

The Northeast Water Tower is formed to moisten thousands of miles

The most famous is the Tianchi Lake, which is as high as the sky.

(The Tianchi Lake under the clouds seems to have broken through the heavens, photographer @卓永生)

▼

When thousands of living beings come

Dress it up, light it up

Changbai Mountain has since become

A colorful fairy tale world

(Seeing a deer in the deep forest, photographer @朴龙国)

▼

Next Steps

Let's walk into the fairy tale world together

01

The Jungle Book

Like every fairy tale

Changbai Mountain

It also has an extremely magical forest

(The vast sea of ​​forests, image source: Visual China)

▼

Here the mountains are high

Foggy and rainy

Countless plants have taken root here.

They marked out their territory and set up camp.

Build a beautiful plant kingdom

Lowest point

(700-1100 meters)

Relatively warm climate

Conifers and broadleaf trees grow together

Forming a highly integrated coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forest belt

Especially in autumn

Thousands of colors mixed and blended

You are in me, I am in you

Blurring the boundaries between each other

(Different trees are like a palette of mixed and harmonious colors, picture source @Visual China)

▼

In winter

Some have lost all their leaves

Some are still full of vitality

(Vegetation that is not cold-resistant has entered dormancy, while relatively cold-resistant vegetation can still remain green. Photographer @李源)

▼

As the altitude increases

(1100-1800 meters)

The climate is getting colder

Some hardy broad-leaved trees are retreating

Hardy conifer

Still forming a neat coniferous forest belt

In the white snow

Thick cuticle of needles

Good for heat preservation and water retention

This is the reason why they stand tall in the cold.

(Coniferous forest covered with heavy snow, photographer @丁俊豪)

▼

The altitude continues to rise

(1800-2100 meters)

Strong winds, heavy snow, poor soil, etc.

A series of survival disasters have become obstacles

Even the usually tough conifers are afraid to

But Yue Hua stepped forward at this time

To follow the wind direction

They are willing to bend and twist their branches

Standing proudly in the wind and frost

(The bent birch trees are still being attacked by the storm, and the rime on the trees is blown all over the sky. Photographer: Guan Xiaodong)

▼

But in such a bad living environment

Only compromise again and again

They have to slow down their growth

Finally, a

Very sparse birch forest belt

This is also Changbai Mountain

The highest forest belt

(Overlooking the birch forest from high altitude, photographer @梦境)

▼

The forest ends here

But the flowers will bloom all the way

When the altitude exceeds 2100 meters

The harsh climate is no different from the polar regions

Flowers that look fragile

But promoted to the protagonist

Every July and August

Tianchi will be surrounded by waterfalls of flowers

This is the only intact alpine tundra zone in Northeast Asia.

(The alpine tundra is covered with low-growing rhododendrons, photographer @朴龙国)

▼

that's all

From low altitude to high altitude

From temperate climates to polar climates

Mixed coniferous and broad-leaved forests, coniferous forests, birch forests, alpine tundra

Four major vegetation belts spread out in Changbai Mountain

(Please watch in horizontal mode, vertical distribution of vegetation belts in Changbai Mountain, drawn by @雪茜&松楠/Planet Research Institute)

▼

Into the woods

Countless exotic flowers and plants are in full bloom

Honeysuckle covered with frost

Still blooming clusters of flowers

(Honeysuckle blooming in the frost, photographer @朴龙国)

▼

Purple-spotted Cypripedium basking in the morning sun

(A layer of exquisite dewdrops hangs on the purple-spotted Cypripedium, photographer @朴龙国)

▼

Two Changbai Rock Calamus plants growing together

(Changbai Rock Iris growing among mosses, photographer @朴龙国)

▼

Plants such as gentian, Fritillaria cirrhosa, ginseng, and Gastrodia elata

Not just an embellishment of the fantasy forest

It is an extremely rare medicinal material.

(Ginseng, photographer @朴龙国)

▼

Daphne korea, honeysuckle, rose

Aromatic plants such as angelica and lily of the valley

Exuding fragrance

(The small lily of the valley is hidden under the big leaves and exudes fragrance, photographer @朴龙国)

▼

When they wither and decay

It will become a hotbed for fungal growth.

(This bunch of mushrooms is a member of the Changbai Mountain Micro World, photographer @朴龙国)

▼

Spring goes and autumn comes

Plants constantly change color and posture

Become the fairy tale world of Changbai Mountain

The most fantastic stage

The protagonists on the stage must belong to the beasts

02

Mythical beasts of the forest

Wild animals that have lived in Changbai Mountain for generations

More than 70 kinds

Some of them are brutal and ferocious

Some are cute and smart

In the long-term predation and prey

A strict "hierarchy system" came into being

Siberian Tiger

He is the undisputed king of beasts.

Strong physique and sharp fangs

The equal earthquake frightened all the creatures in the mountains

(Watching closely, photographer @陈建伟)

▼

In addition to the tiger that is feared by all animals

Carnivores such as black bears, leopards, lynxes, and wolves

It also makes other creatures avoid it.

Their prey

Often in fairy tales

The most docile and lovable character

The naturally timid roe deer

Always be alert and observe the surrounding environment

(Roe deer hiding in the grass, photographer @李溪洪)

▼

The plump alpine pika

Standing on the rock looking into the distance

Every hair sparkles in the sun

(In the food-rich Changbai Mountains, the alpine pika eats itself to become very fat, photographer @王智超)

▼

Chipmunk sniffs

The colorful world before our eyes

That is a fragrance that has never been found in nuts.

(The chipmunk lifts its front legs and leans forward to smell the fragrance of the flowers. Photographer @李溪洪)

▼

But in Changbai Mountain

There are also a group of aquatic animals living there.

The disturbances in the forest have nothing to do with them

Clear rivers, lakes and streams

The fat fish and shrimp produced

It is their daily food

But the otter is tired of eating fish, shrimp and shells

Sometimes I want to taste the flavor of plants

(The otter holds a branch with his hands together, as if to express gratitude for the gift of nature. Photographer @伊超)

▼

but

Whether it is a beast or a cute beast

Changbai Mountain's long winter with snow and wind

Threatening every life indiscriminately

But they have a plan of their own

For example, animals such as sika deer

Well aware of the natural law that the temperature at the foot of the mountain is warmer than on the mountain

Every winter comes

From the high altitude birch forest

Migrate to low altitude coniferous and broadleaved mixed forests

(A sika deer walks alone in the snow-covered world, photographer @关晓东)

▼

sometimes

The temperature down the mountain was unexpectedly cold.

They can only rely on themselves

Most of the animals here

Each of them has a gorgeous fur coat

But beauty is only superficial

Keeping warm is the real purpose

Flexible Sable

Climbing up the snow-covered branches

Open your arms

Seems to be showing off its warm and beautiful coat

(Lovely sable, photographer @欧鹏)

▼

The red fox has bright, fluffy orange-red fur

Even under the cover of snow

It is still the most eye-catching presence on the snowfield

(The red fox wants to use the limited snow to cover its "huge" body. Photographer @冯江)

▼

also

There are also some wild animals and amphibians

Like the "Sleeping Beauty" of Changbai Mountain

When the cold comes, fall into a sweet dream

Until the spring breeze brings warmth

The ice and snow that accumulated throughout the winter turned into spring water

They will wake up again

The long-dormant tree frog jumped onto the plump leaves

Enjoying the long-lost sunshine and rain

(The tree frog jumped onto the fat leaves and comfortably enjoyed the sunshine and rain. Photographer: @皮忠庆)

▼

When the beasts with their own unique skills

When we occupied the fantasy forest

The blue sky above ushered in

More flexible and free elves

(Oriental White Stork, photographer @清小汐)

▼

03

Bird Elf

Dense forest

Plenty of water

More than 300 species of birds no longer have to worry about their livelihoods

Some of them have lived here for generations.

We call it a resident bird

The most ferocious of them all, the golden eagle

Up to 1 meter in length

The wingspan is nearly 2 meters

Whether it is flying in the sky

Still running on the ground

It may become its meal.

(A golden eagle about to land reveals its legs that appear to be wearing long johns. Photographer: @宇禾)

▼

The long-tailed forest owl stands on the slender treetop

Staring into the distance with dull eyes

After all, for night owls

Dusk Forest is its home

(A fat long-tailed forest owl is perched on the top of a coniferous tree. Perhaps the needles are too prickly, so it looks like it is just gently resting on it. Photographer: Cheng Bin)

▼

But in Changbai Mountain

Most birds migrate with the seasons.

We call them migratory birds

Changbai Mountain has entered winter in October

A group of migratory birds that only visit in winter arrived on time

They are one of the few guests this season.

But it brings a different scenery

Northern Redbird with pink feathers

Flapping wings

Shuttle between the silent ice and snow

(The small Northern Redbird brings life to the vast snowfield. Photographer: Cheng Bin)

▼

The beginning of April

Winter birds leave, summer birds return

This is their summer resort.

It is also an important breeding ground for them.

And love

It is the first step to reproduce offspring.

A heron couple in their newly built nest

Looking at each other with love in their eyes

(A pair of herons, photographer @清小汐)

▼

Most birds die within a month.

Complete egg laying and hatching

Welcome the whole process of chicks breaking out of their shells

Scaly-scaly merganser

Less than 24 hours old

Follow in your mother's footsteps

Jump down from a high tree hole

Go to the water life

(The little Chinese merganser jumps off the nest. Even if it is the first time to fly, it must maintain a graceful posture. Photographer @冯江)

▼

Changbai Mountain high-quality water source

It is the habitat they rely on most.

In the water

They slowly

Shedding her young feathers, shedding her immaturity

Becoming an independent adult

(The grown-up Chinese merganser can perform light water floating at any time. Photographer @观自然)

▼

at the same time

They will also meet many partners

The naughty white wagtail is one of them.

It stood on tiptoe and stuck its head out

Secretly watching the Chinese merganser bathing in the hot spring

(White Wagtail and Merganser, Photographer @观自然)

▼

besides

The exaggerated crested grebe

They spend almost their entire lives in water.

Therefore, the quality of water in the habitat is extremely important

Especially during the breeding period

Poor water quality will have many adverse effects on them.

On the water

They love to dance

He is the well-deserved " King of Water Dance "

(The crested grebe shakes its head and throws water droplets into the air. Photographer: @欧鹏)

▼

Their dance

Just dancing for the bird in my heart

(Male and female crested grebes dancing together, photographer @欧鹏)

▼

Once they dance together

It means you have fallen in love

From now on, never leave, always the same

(Crested Grebe mating, photographer @欧鹏)

▼

Soon after

They will welcome a group of cute babies

The responsibility of raising children is

The couple will also shoulder the responsibility

(A crested grebe plays with its baby in the water, photographer @欧鹏)

▼

Changbai Mountain is one of the three major golden water sources in the world.

It is the best choice for crested grebes to live.

Meltwater from snow seeps into the basalt deep inside the volcano

30-60 years of underground leaching and purification

Eventually it came out

The cold spring is kept at a constant temperature of about 7°C all year round.

Rich in minerals such as potassium, calcium, and metasilicic acid

It is precisely with such high-quality water sources that

It gave birth to a variety of life

Make the fairy tale world become reality

▼

This article was created by

Written by | Doudou

Editor | Wang Kun Photo | Xu Ying

Map | Songnan Design | Xueqian

Review | Mirror

Cover Photographer | Guan Ziran & Guan Xiaodong

This article is provided by

Nongfu Spring × Planet Research Institute

Co-production

— The end —