Strange 'paradise' forests beneath large sinkholes in China

TPO - A new study has found that plants growing at the bottom of giant sinkholes in China contain a lot of nutrients and grow faster than plants living on the ground.

Sunlight shines on trees inside a sinkhole in the mountainous Xuan'en county of Hubei province, China. (Photo credit: Alamy)

Sinkholes, known as "sky holes," are among the last remaining natural refuges of ancient forests and may harbor plant species unknown to science .

The laurels, nettles and ferns that live inside the paradise forest thrive on huge reserves of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium and magnesium, all of which limit plant growth in other environments where they are scarce.

But because these nutrients are so abundant in the paradise forest, the trees will suck them up so they can grow tall and make the most of the sunlight that reaches them, according to a study published online in the Chinese Journal of Plant Ecology.

Very little light can reach the bottom of the Tiankong, which means "sky holes." Tiankong are 100-meter deep holes in southwestern China. According to research, these deep holes are home to moisture- and shade-loving plants, including species endemic to the region.

In this study, researchers collected samples from 64 plant species inside and outside the sky in Guangxi Province, China, home to the Dashiwei Tiankeng Group, a geological wonder consisting of 30 sinkholes in a space spanning 20 square kilometers.

To determine whether the nutrient uptake and growth strategies of these plants differed depending on their environment, the team measured the carbon and nutrient content of each sample.

According to research, plants in the air absorb nutrients more easily than surface plants because nutrients are more abundant in the shady depths of sinkholes.

The soil nutrients inside the sky forest are not very good, the researchers write, and plants have evolved to make the most of the available resources to grow quickly and capture more light.

Ha Thu

According to Live Science

Source: https://tienphong.vn/ky-la-nhung-khu-rung-thien-duong-ben-duoi-cac-ho-sut-lon-o-trung-quoc-post1659994.tpo