erc us ▁s pp .) ▁and ▁horn be am ▁( C arp inus ▁s pp .). ▁From ▁ ▁elev ation , ▁these ▁mid - e lev ation ▁for ests ▁give ▁way ▁to ▁a ▁sub al pine ▁for ests ▁of ▁fir ▁( Ab ies ▁f arg es ii , ▁A . ▁ch ens i ensis ), ▁C unning ham ia , ▁and ▁bir ch ▁( B et ula ▁s pp .), ▁with ▁rh od od end ron ▁( R hod od end ron ▁fast ig iat um ) ▁abund ant ▁in ▁the ▁under story . ▁ ▁The ▁region ▁is ▁home ▁to ▁a ▁large ▁number ▁of ▁rare ▁plants , ▁of ▁which ▁around ▁ 3 , 0 0 0 ▁have ▁so ▁far ▁been ▁documented . ▁Plant ▁and ▁tree ▁species ▁native ▁to ▁the ▁region ▁include ▁G ink go , ▁thought ▁to ▁be ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁oldest ▁species ▁of ▁tree ▁in ▁the ▁world , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁Hu ash an ▁or ▁Arm and ▁p ine ▁( P inus ▁arm and ii ), ▁Hu ash an ▁sh en ▁( Ph y so ch la ina ▁inf und ib ular is ), ▁A cer ▁m ia ota ien se ▁and ▁Chinese ▁fir . ▁Tim ber ▁har vest ing ▁reached ▁a ▁peak ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century ▁in ▁the ▁Q in ling ▁Mountains . ▁ ▁Home ▁to ▁the ▁Q in ling ▁pandas , ▁a ▁sub - species ▁of ▁the ▁giant ▁p anda , ▁which ▁are ▁protected ▁in ▁the ▁region ▁with ▁the ▁help ▁of ▁the ▁Ch ang q ing ▁and