The highest altitude of plant seed collection in China is 6200 meters

Original title: the highest altitude of plant seed collection in China is 6200 meters
Everest, the top of the world, is on the exposed quickstone beach at high altitude. Although it is regarded as a "restricted area of life" due to extreme cold and hypoxia, there is still life to adapt to the extreme environment.
Recently, the seed collection team of Southwest China Wildlife Germplasm Resource Bank (hereinafter referred to as the germplasm resource bank) of Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences successfully completed the task of "Everest seed collection 2021", and successfully collected Xumi fan leaf mustard, mouse Aspergillus snow rabbit and other plant seeds at about 6200 meters from Everest, breaking the highest altitude record of plant seed collection in China.
After drying, cleaning and counting, the collected seeds will be stored in Southwest China Wildlife germplasm resources bank and national important wild plant germplasm resources bank for a long time.
Since August this year, the germplasm resources bank has launched the action plan for seed collection of plants with the highest altitude in the world, which is also in response to the 15th meeting of the conference of the parties to the Convention on biological diversity (COP15) held in Kunming, China, and shows the world that China has been making unremitting efforts in protecting biodiversity.
"At present, 15 species of plants collected above 6100 meters above sea level have been reported in the world, all of which were collected by foreign scholars." researcher Li Dezhu, director of the germplasm resources bank, introduced that the record of seed plant specimens at the highest altitude was two kinds of plants, namely, mouse Aspergillus snow rabbit and Everest scale stamen mustard, collected by British mountaineers at 6400 meters on the north slope of Everest in China in 1935, Collecting mature plant seeds is more difficult than collecting plant specimens.
After three years of preparation, the collection team of the Germplasm Bank went to Everest twice in August and September this year, which lasted more than 20 days, reaching an altitude of 6605 meters to carry out Plant Diversity Investigation and collection. From August 15 to 28, the first scientific expedition of Everest plants was completed, and the seeds of Everest marginal grass were successfully collected at 5738 meters. But August is not the best time to collect plant seeds on Everest. On September 24, eight collection team members led by Guo Yongjie and Zhao Yanhui, including local guides, climbed up from the 5200 meter Everest base camp again to collect plant seeds with the highest altitude record in China and even the world.
"Previously, the highest altitude seeds preserved by the germplasm resource bank were collected from the 5559 meter high mountain desert shrub in Ali Region, Tibet. This task is a new exploration and attempt for the collection of high altitude plant germplasm resources, which is of great significance for protecting biodiversity, coping with climate change and strengthening the construction of biological security." CAI Jie, director of the germplasm resource bank Preservation Center, said.
Southwest China Wildlife germplasm resource bank is a national major scientific and technological infrastructure built by Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences. By the end of 2020, the bank had preserved 10601 species and 85046 wild plant seeds, laying a solid foundation for protecting China's biodiversity, ensuring the safety of China's strategic biological resources and earnestly implementing the Convention on biological diversity.