A fir with peeling, orange-red bark that grows higher than almost any other tree on Earth.
- Group: Plant
- Plant type: Tree
- Habitats: Fir forest, tree line
- Regions: Kham, Amdo
Habitat and distribution
Mountains at 3,000–4,700 m in southern Gansu, southern Tso Ngonpo province (Ch: Qinghai), western and northern Sichuan and south-eastern Tibet (Flora of China); exceptionally to 4,700 m, among the highest tree growth in the world (Wikipedia).
Recorded in Kham, Amdo.
Ecological and cultural significance
Dominant on north-facing slopes of Kham, often with Balfour's spruce; it forms the upper edge of the eastern Tibetan forests.
Threats
The forests of Kham and Amdo were logged on a massive scale after the Chinese invasion for timber sent to China (CTA; Winkler).
Conservation
Listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN.