Tallest tree on Chinese mainland found in Tibet

A tree measuring 76.8 meters has been discovered in Metog county of the Tibet autonomous region, becoming the tallest tree found on the Chinese mainland, according to the county's forestry and grassland bureau.

The 76.8-meter Bhutan pine, found in Jeling village of Metog, displaced a Taiwania flousiana (Taiwan cedar) measuring 72 meters tall in Southwest China's Yunnan province as the mainland's tallest known tree.

The tree was measured by a joint surveying team set up in April, which was commissioned by Metog's forestry and grassland bureau to conduct surveys on Bhutan pines in the county.

A large-scale surveying and mapping project using a drone-mounted lidar system discovered 11 trees that could potentially measure over 70 meters. The joint team then entered the forests with backpack lidar scanners and did a fine surveying of the 11 trees in the field.

Lidar is an internationally recognized and advanced technology in measuring tree height. Especially in measurement of super tall giant trees, it is safer and more accurate than using height finders or climbing to the top.