Distribution Changes of a Rare Tree Species, Mesua ferrea, in Guangdong in Ming and Qing Dynasties

Mesua ferrea , one of the rare tree species unique to tropical rain forests, has always been regarded as an important forest resource because of its excellent material. It has been widely used in the manufacture of "Guangdong ships" because of its "hard" texture. Historically, M. ferrea was widely distributed in Guangdong, especially in the western mountainous area of Guangdong Province. It is also found in northern Guangdong and the Pearl River Delta. But in eastern Guangdong, there are almost no M. ferrea distributed around the east of longitude 115°. Since the middle of the 16th century, the quantity and grade of M. ferrea in Guangdong have been gradually declining. Due to the logging caused by the social demand such as shipbuilding, construction, furniture making and imperial wood purchasing, the high quality resources of live M. ferrea have been sharply reduced. After the 18th century, the destruction of habitat and the disappearance of suitable forest land caused by large-scale mountain development are the fundamental reasons for the depletion of M. ferrea in Guangdong area.