Zhanjiang, also known as "City of Mangroves", has the largest distribution area of mangroves among all the prefecture-level cities in China. The Guangdong Zhanjiang Mangrove National Nature Reserve has a total area of approximately 20,000 hectares, making it the largest mangrove nature reserve in China. It's worth noting that one in every three mangrove trees in the country can be found in Zhanjiang.

Because of their significant ecological and economic value, mangroves are commonly referred to as the "forests of the sea" or the "guardians of the ocean". Currently, the Guangdong Zhanjiang Mangrove National Nature Reserve is home to 25 species of true mangroves and semi-mangroves from 15 families, as well as 21 species from 14 families of associated plants, making it the region with the most diverse types of mangroves on the mainland coast of China. The reserve also boasts 306 species of birds, including 66 listed under national key protection, making Zhanjiang an important international pathway for bird migration and a key bird area in Guangdong province.

Currently, there are only 136,000 square kilometers of mangrove forests left globally, and this area is decreasing year by year. However, the mangrove forests in Zhanjiang are increasing in size, thanks to the protection and restoration efforts that began in 1990. In 2021, Zhanjiang was the first city to propose the concept of being the "City of Mangroves", and its outstanding achievements have been recognized by international wetland experts as "a successful example of wetland ecological restoration in the world".

According to the National Mangrove Protection and Restoration Special Action Plan, Guangdong province aims to create and restore the largest mangrove forest in China by 2025, with Zhanjiang playing a key role in this effort by creating 2,813 hectares and restoring 1,370 hectares of mangrove forests.

【视频】中国每3棵红树林植物，就有一棵在湛江

湛江又称“红树林之城”，红树林分布面积在地级市中位居全国第一。广东湛江红树林国家级自然保护区总面积约2万公顷，是我国面积最大的红树林自然保护区，全国每3棵红树林植物就有1棵在湛江。

红树林素有“海上森林”“海洋卫士”之称，具有极其重要的生态和经济价值。目前，湛江红树林国家级自然保护区有真红树和半红树植物15科25种，主要的伴生植物14科21种，是我国大陆海岸红树林种类最多的地区。保护区内共监测到鸟类306种，其中列入国家重点保护名录的66种，湛江也因此成为国际候鸟迁徙重要通道、广东省重要鸟区之一。

当前，全球仅剩13.6万平方公里的红树林，而且面积正在逐年递减，但湛江红树林面积却逆势递增。这主要归功于湛江自1990年便开始保护和修复行动。2021年，湛江率先提出建设“红树林之城”，因其突出成绩而被国际湿地专家誉为“世界湿地生态恢复的成功范例”。

根据国家红树林保护修复专项行动计划，到2025年，广东将营造和修复中国面积最大的红树林，其中湛江占据半壁江山，营造2813公顷、修复1370公顷。

文|羊城晚报全媒体记者 全良波 袁增伟
图、视频｜全良波 袁增伟 梁喻 黎杰文
翻译|刘佳慧
部分素材来源｜湛江市委网信办 央视新闻

责编 | 戚美青