Chinese pine: a symbol of Chinese character

Conifers are the backbone of the forest ecosystem in the northern hemisphere, occupying 39% of the world's forests. They are also the main body of the world's artificial forests. More than 70% of my country's annual imported wood is coniferous. The genus Pinus is the largest genus of conifers, containing 130 species, and is considered the most important genus of forest trees in the world. We usually refer to these tree species as "pine trees". Wang Anshi's "Zi Shuo" says, "Pine is the leader of all trees, just like Gong. Therefore, the character is derived from Gong." If this sentence is translated into modern scientific language, it means that the ancestors of conifers are more ancient in evolution. They dominated the earth nearly 200 million years earlier than the rise of broad-leaved trees. Other trees are veritable juniors in front of pine trees.

In China, pine trees are often famous in longevity halls and poems. They have been used for thousands of years in royal gardens, official roads, mausoleums and temples. In addition to being imprinted in poems such as "How can a pine tree live past a hundred years" and "There are countless pine trees that are ten thousand years old", there are still many living ancient trees and famous trees in existence, such as the "Nine-pole Flag" in Lingkong Mountain, Shanxi, which is more than 600 years old, the "Panlong Pine" in Anshan, Liaoning, which is more than 700 years old, the "Shading Marquis" in Beihai, Beijing, which is more than 800 years old, and the "Pinus Tabulaeformis King" in Ordos, Inner Mongolia, which is more than 900 years old. Pine trees have become a special image in Chinese culture, a part of Chinese culture, and rooted in the genes of every Chinese. Regardless of age, most Chinese people can fluently answer the second line of "Happiness is like the long flowing water of the East China Sea".

Chinese pine (Pinus tabuliformis) is a native coniferous tree species unique to my country. It is widely distributed in 14 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions in North my country, Northwest China and parts of Northeast China. Its ecological suitable habitat is 3 million square kilometers. Its natural populations are distributed between 102.0°E-124.7°E, 32.4°N-43.3°N and at altitudes of 100-2700 meters. This adaptability is unmatched among all pines in China, so it is called "Chinese pine".

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Biological characteristics of Chinese pine | Illustration by Hu Dongmei

The main distribution area of ​​"Chinese pine" spans the Yellow River Basin and flourishes in the nine provinces. Since ancient times, it has been widely distributed in "China" (the word "China" has appeared in the Western Zhou Dynasty, referring to the Central Plains, see the national first-class cultural relic, the Han Dynasty brocade arm guard "Five stars rise in the east, benefit China"), providing building materials and firewood for the ancestors of the Chinese people for thousands of years, and witnessed the budding and development of Chinese civilization (Yellow River civilization). Today, Chinese pine has become a "keynote" tree species for northern ecology, timber, and afforestation, especially as part of the capital's urban culture. Beijing still preserves thousands of ancient and famous Pinus tabulaeformis trees.

As a widely distributed pioneer tree species, Chinese pine has always been known for its excellent adaptability to adversity. The pine character it represents, "fearless of adversity, indomitable, steadfast and upright, and self-improvement", has become a symbol of "Chinese character". Beijing Forestry University has long been committed to the genetic improvement and improved variety cultivation research of Chinese pine. In 2022, using Chinese pine as the material, it took the lead in breaking through the international difficulty of super-large genome analysis and wrote "Chinese pine" into the title of the world's top academic journal, providing China's contribution to the development of the academic frontier of conifers. The study found that 3,623 gene families in the huge genome of Chinese pine have undergone significant expansion, and their functions are extremely significantly enriched in biotic and abiotic stress response pathways. The gene redundancy brought about by gene duplication gives conifers stronger adaptability, among which the large accumulation of stress resistance-related genes provides a genetic basis for the excellent stress resistance of conifers.

The Pinus tabulaeformis forest in Ma'anshan, Kalaqin Banner, Inner Mongolia, thrives on the barren rocky mountains | Photo by Professor Jia Liming

"Pine and cypress are solitary and upright, and it is difficult for them to be like peach and plum trees." "The heavy snow presses down on the green pine, but the green pine stands straight." Behind this nobleness and tenacity, there is actually a deep genetic foundation as support. At present, the world is experiencing a major change that has not been seen in a hundred years, but just like the Chinese pine, the cultural gene of not fearing adversity that has been passed down since ancient times has given the Chinese nation a strong strategic determination. As Su Shi said, "Those who do not change with the times are pine and cypress." Thousands of blows and blows are still strong, no matter which direction the wind blows.

Author: Niu Shihui, professor and doctoral supervisor at the School of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University

Scientific review: Hu Dongmei, Senior Laboratory Technician, College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University