After losing 86 old trees over a period of six years, Shenzhen has turned to the Global Positioning System (GPS) to preserve the remaining old trees.

From last September, Shenzhen forestry authorities began defining positions of old trees using the system and, so far, the positions of more than 400 old trees had been determined by means of the positioning system, said Chen Lizhong, an official of the municipal forestry office.

“These 400 trees are all within the boundaries of the special economic zone and we have yet to locate the old trees outside the special economic zone,” Chen said. The special economic zone excluded the districts of Bao’an and Longgang and a tree older than 100 years was regarded as an old tree, he said. Chen said they would soon start recording old trees in Bao’an and Longgang.

A forestry official surnamed Song said that when an old tree was found, its longitude and latitude were determined by satellite.

Song also said that the positions of the old trees would be recorded in a book and also marked on a map of Shenzhen.

“We’ll formulate more detailed regulations and stricter penalties to preserve Shenzhen’s old trees. Responsibilities in this regard will also be clearly defined,” said Ding Shaojiang, head of the forestry office.

He said that while Shanghai had an agency that specialized in protecting old trees, Shenzhen did not.

Ding said the demise of the 86 old trees was partly due to natural causes and partly attributed to Shenzhen’s urban construction. City development had helped deteriorate the environment of the old trees, which eventually led to them dying.

(Shenzhen Daily February 23, 2005)