A 102.3-meter Tibetan cypress in Nyingchi, Southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, has been identified as the tallest tree to ever be discovered in the Chinese mainland and has been confirmed as the tallest known tree in Asia. Photo: Sina Weibo

A 102.3-meter Tibetan cypress in Nyingchi, Southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, has been identified as the tallest tree to ever be discovered in the Chinese mainland and has been confirmed as the tallest known tree in Asia.

After days of field surveys, data collection and processing, the giant Tibetan cypress found in Tongmai village of Nyingchi, which is located in the National Nature Reserve of Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon, was announced to be 102.3 meters high, beating the current record for the tallest tree in the Chinese mainland, according to a research team led by scientists from Peking University.

The team have previously studied tall trees in southeastern Xizang, and this giant Tibetan cypress, which was discovered in May, is impressive because its roots are not completely buried underground, and a large portion of its supporting roots are exposed to the ground to stabilize the behemoth, said Guo Qinghua, a professor at the Institute of Remote Sensing of Peking University.

The researchers used various methods to measure the tree, including drones and backpack lidar technology to obtain 3D point cloud models of giant trees around the area.

These technologies helped not only eliminate data loss caused by the laser's inability to penetrate the dense canopy, but also make it safer and less damaging to the trees, Guo noted.

The previous record of the tallest tree in Asia was hold by a yellow sala pair named "Menara" discovered in Malaysia, at a height of 100.8 meters. This discovery of the Tibetan cypress has adjusted the list of the world's tallest trees ranked by tree species, and Tibetan cypress has become the world's second tallest tree species after the American coast redwood.

Tibetan cypress is mainly distributed in the southeast region of Xizang, and only has a small population in the National Nature Reserve of Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon. The distribution area of Tibetan cypress is very narrow, with the species now considered relatively rare.

In recent years, the height of trees in China has been frequently updated. The 84.1-meter Taiwan Fir, the previous tallest tree in China and East Asia, is still nearly 20 meters shorter than the Tibetan cypress found this time.

In addition to the tallest cypress tree in Tibet, the survey also found more than 50 trees above 85 meters tall, including 25 trees surpassing 90 meters tall, which greatly improved the height record of trees in China and even Asia, according to Guo, adding that the discovery holds great significance for biodiversity conservation.

Yarlung Zangbo Canyon, which is 504.6 kilometers long with an elevation drop of more than 7,000 meters, is one of the top 34 globally recognized biodiversity hotspots. The valley has been dubbed a "Natural Vegetation Museum" because it is home to almost all terrestrial vegetation types from the tropical to arctic zones, including some rare, and unique species.

The valley has a 65 percent of known higher plant species and 50 percent of the mammals on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. In total, more than 3,000 higher plants species can be found in the area.

Global Times