Beijing’s tree die-off reveals hidden risks of rapid underground water recovery

At a time of year when Beijing’s vegetation should be at its greenest, thousands of trees of various species in a park in the city’s Chaoyang district have withered and died because they were too wet.

Beijing Daily, the Chinese capital’s official newspaper, said on Monday that rising groundwater levels might be to blame.

Jinzhandian Park, a lush flood-storage wetland park nicknamed Beijing’s “Little Lake Baikal” for its lake and extensive woodlands, has drawn large numbers of visitors since opening in September last year.

However, according to the report, thousands of trees – including locust, poplar, willow, ginkgo and pine – have died across just four wooded areas near the water. Most were newly planted, but some were about 20 years old and had previously been thriving.

A staff member from the park’s administrative town told Beijing Daily that the large-scale die-off along the shore was “most likely due to prolonged waterlogging”.

An official at the Chaoyang district water bureau – the body responsible for planting and maintaining the saplings in the park – said the damage was likely to have been caused by rising groundwater levels. “When the groundwater table rises, it can have an impact on tree growth,” the official said.

The official added that the bureau was still assessing the number of dead trees and deciding how to address the issue. For trees showing signs they might survive, the bureau was stepping up maintenance measures, including the use of growth-promoting treatments and drainage.