A new plant species called Asplenium guodanum found in Danxia Mountain by the biodiversity research group from Sun Yat-sen University was officially published on May 1.
According to the staff of the Danxiashan Management Committee in Shaoguan, Guangdong Province, this is the fourth new fern species discovered and published in Danxia Mountain after Dryopteris shiakeana, Selaginella orientali-chinensis, and Asplenium danxiaense. It's also the 24th endemic plant and the 43rd new species found in Danxia Mountain in over a decade.
Asplenium guodanum was first discovered in the wild by Guo Jianqiang, a popular science volunteer in Danxia Mountain, a local forestry expert, and a "plant enthusiast." He provided clues that led to its discovery. Through collaborative research by Professor Liao Wenbo's team from the School of Life Sciences at Sun Yat-sen University and Associate Professor Xu Kewang's team from the College of Biology and Environment at Nanjing Forestry University, the new species was officially published in the international botanical classification journal PhytoKeys. This new species has a close resemblance to Asplenium subcrenatum, a Yunnan-specific species, indicating the tropical affinity of the plant fauna in Danxia Mountain.
Currently, Asplenium guodanum is only found in a small population in Danxia Mountain, with fewer than 50 adult plants. According to the Red List criteria of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), it is recommended to be listed as a critically endangered (CR) species. This discovery underscores the uniqueness of Danxia flora and the urgent need to protect the biodiversity of Danxia Mountain. Particularly crucial is the protection of species with delicate survival capacities, which may vanish before being documented.
Professor Liao Wenbo explained that Asplenium guodanum is named as a tribute to the late Professor Chen Guoda (1912–2004), a distinguished academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and a former faculty member at Sun Yat-sen University. This naming honors Professor Chen's pivotal contributions to the study of the Danxia landform.
In 1939, Professor Chen Guoda first proposed the concept of "Danxia Topography" and identified this geological formation as a hallmark for discerning Danxia strata. Prior to this, the research group had honored Professor Peng Hua with the species Diospyros penghuae (or Diospyros danxiaensis), in recognition of his efforts in promoting Danxia Mountain on the global stage. They also named Primulina huangjiniana after Professor Huang Jin, who dedicated his life to exploring the Danxia landform across China, and Sedum jinglanii after Academician Feng Jinglan, who in 1928 made the initial discovery of the Danxia landform, thereby inaugurating the field of Danxia geological research.
Danxia Mountain is renowned as the epitome of the Danxia landform worldwide. Situated at the northern edge of the South Asian tropics, approximately at latitude 25 degrees north, this region boasts a unique climate. It is characterized by distinctive peaks, columns, valleys, and red rock formations that intertwine to create a distinctive blend of isolated and thermal island effects. Over millions of years, Danxia Mountain has nurtured a rich array of endemic species.
With Danxia Mountain's designation as a world geological park and a world natural heritage site, and its inclusion in the national park candidate list, the scientific expedition project of "Danxiashan Biodiversity Survey" was officially launched in 2021. As of May this year, a total of 43 new species have been discovered and named. The biodiversity and ecological diversity within Danxia Mountain have thus formed the Danxia biota, representing the second globally significant scientific emblem after the naming of Danxia landform.
Author | Alice
Editor | Steven, Will, James
