Satellite view of the forest in Jilin Province, China Photograph by USGS   Southern Asia, in China Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests   89,800 square miles (232,500 square kilometers) -- about twice the size of Pennsylvania Critical/Endangered

· Land of the Manchus
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
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Land of the Manchus

This region, sometimes called Manchuria, was named after the Manchu tribe that ruled in the 1600s. It is rich with minerals and oil, and is one of three places in China that supports extensive natural forests, especially in the hilly areas. The Northeast China Plain Deciduous Forests contain diverse tree species that grow on low mountains. Low basins support China's largest wetlands, where many birds breed, including the endangered red-crowned crane.

Special Features

The Northeast China Plain stretches from the Bay of Bohai along the Liao and Songhua Rivers until it reaches the Amur River and Russia. Deciduous forests here have been largely replaced by agriculture, but patches of the original deciduous forest can be seen in places where they have been protected for religious reasons, or where the land is difficult to reach. The mouth of the Liao River nourishes extensive wetland, reedbed, and sand and mudflat areas. Here, the Shuangtai Hekou Nature Reserve protects breeding habitat for the red-crowned crane and Saundersâ gull. The mudflats are important to shorebirds on the Siberian-Australiasan flyway.

	Red-crowned cranes have many skills. They perform a complicated, elegant dance that helps males and females bond. And the "crown" on top of their heads is actually a blood-filled cap, which cranes swell to communicate anger and other messages. Approximately 1,500 of these beautiful birds remain in the wild.

Wild Side

In the southern lowlands of this ecoregion, the forests contain mostly oak trees, together with a mix of hardwoods like maple, elm, and ash. Stands of Chinese red pine, and scrub oak also grow in some places. Mongolian oak, Daurian birch, and bushclover and hazel shrubs thrive on narrow plains in the northern parts of the ecoregion. Thorny shrubs such as Daurian buckthorn, hawthorn, and Daurian rose fill scrubland and the forest's understory. Along the coast, Saundersâ gull can be seen flying over sandy shores.

Cause for Concern

Many people live on the Northeast China Plain, including around the Shuangtai Hekou Nature Reserve. Agriculture and development, especially along the coasts of rivers, have destroyed most of the original forest. Hunting, water pollution, the cutting of reeds, and a nearby oil industry also threaten habitat and wildlife.

For more information on this ecoregion, go to the World Wildlife Fund Scientific Report.