Current situation, problems and suggestions of ancient and notable tree resources in Gansu Province, China

The diverse natural landscapes and rich historical-cultural heritage have bestowed an abundant resource of ancient and notable trees (ANT) in Gansu Province. Currently, the green economy of ANT has become a pivotal avenue for the construction of ecological civilization in Gansu Province. Based on literature synthesis, we reviewed the current status of ANT resources in Gansu Province. The ANT resources in Gansu are mainly distributed in rural areas and remote mountainous regions. Human activities, pests, and diseases are the main threats to the survival of ANT in residential areas and their surroundings, while climate change, particularly drought, is the primary threat to ANT in remote mountainous areas. The research and management of ANT differ across regions: residential areas and their surrounding areas mainly focus on maintenance and rejuvenation techniques, while remote mountainous areas pay more attention to the development of the scientific value of ANT while neglecting the research on the protection of ANT. There are several challenges, including low accuracy and efficiency in age determination, poor feasibility of management, underdeveloped legal frameworks, and low public engagement. To overcome those challenges, we recommended to promote ANT protection from the following four aspects. 1) Prioritizing the development of tree-ring determination and tree-ring-diameter regression estimation methods. Establishing professional institutions or teams for the ANT protection to enhance the precision and efficiency of age determination. 2) Investigating the population characteristics and biological mechanisms of tree aging of ANT. 3) Deepening our understanding of tree growth patterns of ancient trees at different ages to propose practical conservation measures, and 4) Refining relevant laws and regulations, and increasing public participation.