GLOBAL WARMING THREATENS YUSHAN JUNIPER POPULATION|面臨氣候變化威脅 玉山圓柏數量漸減

The World Meteorological Organization projects that global temperatures in 2016 could break records. The warming climate is threatening the Yushan juniper, a tree species indigenous to Taiwan found only at elevations above 3,000 meters. Seeing the Yushan juniper requires some strong hiking skills. It grows only at altitudes above 3000 meters, the highest of any tree species in Taiwan. The mountain lake of Cuichi on Mt. Xue, Taiwan's second-highest peak, is surrounded by Taiwan's oldest and most spectacular Yushan juniper forest. ==CHEN YU-FENG, Prof., Dept. of Taiwanese Literature, Nat'l Cheng Kung Univ.== Anywhere you look, there are trees over three thousand years old. The trees here range from three thousand to a few hundred years old. But all of them are five hundred years old at least. Professor Chen Yu-feng, who has studied plant ecosystems for over 40 years, says that the Yushan juniper may be Taiwan's longest-living known tree species. ==CHEN YU-FENG, Prof., Dept. of Taiwanese Literature, Nat'l Cheng Kung Univ.== This old tree here has been watching over us for more than 4,000 years. We should be thankful. It's not easy for plants to survive in the cold, windy and barren alpine regions. The Yushan juniper has adapted to its harsh environment. In addition to growing into trees, they can even take the form of twisting shrubs low to the ground. But now the junipers are facing a new challenge. Professor Chen observes that global warming has affected the plant's distribution. ==CHEN YU-FENG, Prof., Dept. of Taiwanese Literature, Nat'l Cheng Kung Univ.== If warming continues, my calculations show that by the end of the century, Yushan juniper populations in the shrub form will only be found at altitudes above 3,800 meters. As temperatures grow hotter, the Yushan juniper is facing competition from other tree species for their high-altitude habitat. The vegetation and environment of Taiwan's mountains deserve more attention. TRANSLATED BY：JOHN CHEN 想要看玉山圓柏，得先練就一身好腳力，爬上三千公尺以上的高山，因為它是全台灣分布海拔最高的樹種，雪山，台灣的第二高峰，在雪山翠池的周遭，有著一片台灣目前僅存最壯觀、最老的玉山圓柏森林。 ==成大台文系教授 陳玉峯== 三千啦 你隨便碰就有一棵三千多歲的啦 所以這裡大概從三千 兩千 一千多 到幾百年的都有 但是這個巨木林 都超過五百歲啦 研究植物生態超過四十年的陳玉峯教授表示，玉山圓柏可能是台灣已知，活得最久的樹種。 ==成大台文系教授 陳玉峯== 有這棵太祖媽守在這裡 等於說替我們顧我們的鄉土 顧了四千多年 感恩喔 植物要在強風、嚴寒、貧瘠的高山地帶活下來，並不容易，為了適應環境，玉山圓柏的樹身，奇妙多變，除了高大直立的喬木林，甚至演化為低矮盤旋的灌叢，不過，現在它們要面對的挑戰愈來愈多。陳玉峯教授觀察，暖化現象打亂了原本植物的分布。 ==成大台文系教授 陳玉峯== 如果持續暖化 我給它計算的結果是 到本世紀末 我估計玉山圓柏的族群 平均起來將只有剩下 海拔三千八百公尺以上地區 還會保有圓柏這些矮盤灌木 當天氣愈來愈熱，高山最頂端的玉山圓柏，也面臨其它樹種的競爭，玉山圓柏能不能堅強挺過氣候變遷的威脅，台灣高山植被生態環境相當值得關注。 記者 陳添寶 柯金源 採訪報導