Vertical patterns of the flora of seed plants in Dawei Mountain in Yunnan Province, Southwest China

Vertical gradients incorporate multiple resources gradients which vary continuously. Therefore, research on mountain flo-ristic patterns along vertical gradients is important to reveal regular patterns of the flora along environmental gradients and to under-stand the changes in biodiversity along these gradients and their biological fitness. This study was designed to explore the character-istics of the floral compositions and ecological significance of floristic patterns along the vertical gradients of the National Nature Reserve of Dawei Mountain, located in the southeast of Yunnan Province. We analyzed the structural characteristics of the flora and the distribution patterns of its floristic components as a function of elevation on the basis of our field investigations along vertical vegetation transects. We carried out a systematic cluster analysis in order to determine the dividing line of floristic changes by eleva-tion along gradients and studied the effects of mountain climate on the vertical variation of floristic composition. The study shows: 1) that the obvious boundary, which differentiates tropical distribution, is located at an elevation of approximately 1,500 m, which separates the tropical rain forests from the evergreen broad-leaved forests; 2) that humid rain forests are found below 700 m elevation, mountain rain forests between 700 and 1,500 m, monsoon evergreen broad-leaved forests between 1,300 and 1,800 m and mountain mossy evergreen broad-leaved forests above 1,800 m. Non-representative mountain mossy dwarf forests (above 2,100 m) in the area are found on the windward sides and barren lands on mountain slopes; 3) that Hopea mollissima is one of the major component species of mountain rain forests, but it should not be considered as the major indicator species in humid rain forests as is generally accepted.     

Forest vegetation of Xishuangbanna, south China

1 Introduction The tropical area of southern China is climatically and biogeographically located at the northern edge of tropical Asia, including southeastern Xizang (Tibet, lower valleys of the southern Himalayas), southern Yunnan, southwestern Guangxi, southern Taiwan and Hainan Island. The largest tropical area still covered by forests is in southern Yunnan. Tropical forests of southern Yunnan were little known until the late 1950s because of poor access except for some brief descrip-…     

南岭植被的研究

本文对我国南岭山地中,西段常绿阔叶林的生态特性、主要植被类型。所包含的热带区系成分及植被的垂直分布等进行了综合研究。对这一植被区中,西段在湖南境内的北部界限作了论述和讨论的同时,分析和比较了南岭东、中、西段的特点和差异。认为南岭各段常绿阔叶林的类型基本相同。因而应是一个自然的植被区,东段和西段的主要区别在于:西段受云贵高原和华中植物区系的影响较大,在植被的种类组成上差异明显;西段中山落叶阔叶树种类和温带植物区系成分比较丰富,常绿落叶阔叶混交林分布范围较广。而越向东移,常绿阔叶林的分布范围愈广,华南区系成分愈多。     

Compression and overlap of unique vegetation system of subtropical mountain resembling tropical and temperate forests along elevation

The purpose of this study was to investigate how forests on subtropical mountains, which resembled tropical and temperate forests, were assembled, and to examine the compression and overlap of vegetations. We established 344 sample plots (400 m²) located at different altitudinal gradients ranging from 16 to 3,500 m above sea level (ASL) in Hsueshan Range northern Taiwan. Vegetation types were classified by TWINSPAN and the results of DCA were used to analyze the changes in vegetation types along elevation. Vegetation I was composed of the species of Euphorbiaceae, Moraceae, and Rubiaceae, which were taxa of tropical floristic elements, and the extent of this vegetation was limited below 1,500 m ASL. Vegetation II was defined into two subtypes, which were distributed from 1,000 to 2,500 m ASL, and were composed predominantly of Chamaecyparis and Tsuga, respectively. Our data also revealed that vegetation II contained co-dominants of species from families Lauraceae and Fagaceae. Moreover, evergreen broadleaved trees similar to tropical mountain forests were found to have narrower altitudinal ranges on subtropical mountains, whereas coniferous forests resembled temperate areas and were characterized by endemic conifer species. Vegetation III, from 2,500 to 3,500 m ASL, was characterized by endemic conifer species, Abies and Tsuga. Interestingly, deciduous forest was almost absent in this area and Fagus was the only tree type on a small mountain ridge. Data obtained from this study will help in raising conservation awareness for subtropical mountains since unique patterns of compression and overlap characteristics of tropical and temperate resembling forests were evident.     

缙云山常绿阔叶林种子雨组成及其时空动态

【目的】分析缙云山常绿阔叶林种子雨组成及其时空动态,为常绿阔叶林种子生态学大尺度和长时序的研究提供数据支持,并为受损常绿阔叶林近自然恢复过程中的种源收集和种子撒播提供参考信息。【方法】 2014-01—2016-12,收集缙云山常绿阔叶林1 hm 2标准地中172个种子收集框内的种子,鉴定物种并计数,风干后称质量。根据果实类型及种子特征并结合野外实地观察,确定每个物种种子(果实)的散布方式。【结果】 3年间共收集到成熟种子36 298粒,种子雨密度为140.69粒·m -2 a -1;种子分属于19科21属27种,占群落木本植物物种总数的36.49%;种子雨具有明显的季节动态,在秋季出现高峰,其中有17个物种在干季(1—4和10—12月)成熟并散布,6个物种在湿季(5—9月)成熟并散布,4个物种在干、湿季均有散布;种子雨密度年际变异系数为0.36~1.73,空间变异系数为1.54~15.20。【结论】缙云山种子雨产量在常绿阔叶林中处于较低水平;优势种对群落种子雨产量贡献较大,种子雨物种组成与群落物种组成相似性较低;群落水平种子雨具有明显的季节动态,且存在很大的年际变异和空间变异,反映出亚热带常绿阔叶林种子雨时空动态的典型特征。在区域植被近自然恢复中的种子采集和撒播环节,应当充分参照不同物种的种子雨掉落的时空动态。     

Climate and seasonal rainfall anomalies along an elevational gradient in the El Sira Mountains,Peru, and their impacts on tree radial growth

The explicit purpose of this study was to characterize climate and vegetation along the western slope of the El Sira Mountains(Peru) and evaluate radial tree growth in response to seasonal rainfall anomalies. From May 2011 until September 2015, we monitored radial stem growth of 67 trees using point dendrometers and measured climate within five sites along an altitudinal gradient. The transect extends from lowland terra firme forests, over submontane forests, late and mid successional montane cloud forests up to exposed elfin forests. Monthly rainfall estimates by the TRMM PR satellite(product 3B42) were highly correlated with our rain gauge observations but underestimate rainfall at high altitudes. Different intra-annual tree growth patterns could be identified within each elevational forest type, showing species with strictly seasonal growth, continuous growth or alternating growth patterns independent of the seasons. Stem growth at each site was generally larger during rainy seasons, except for the elfin forest. The rainy season from October 2013 to March 2014 was extraordinarily dry, with only 73% of long-term mean precipitation received, which resulted in reduced radial growth, again with the exception of the elfin forest. This indicates that montane tropical rain forests may suffer from prolonged droughts, while exposed ridges with elfin forests still receive plenty of precipitation and benefit from receiving more solar radiation for photosynthesis.     

Comparison of fractal characteristics of species richness patterns among different plant taxonomic groups along an altitudinal gradient

This study was done using the non brown fractal model to quantify and compare the variations in the species richness of trees, shrubs, herbs and all plants along an altitudinal gradient and to characterize the dominating ecological processes that determine the variations. Two transects were sampled far away from any anthropogenic disturbances along the shady slopes of the Dongling mountains in Beijing, China. Both transects were continuous and 2 m wide, and every individual tree and shrub was recorded in each of them. Discrete quadrats of 1 m × 1 m were located along the transects A and B for estimation of the herb species richness along the altitudinal gradients. The level interval between the quadrats was 10 m and 25 m respectively. In this study, transects A and B were combined into one transect AB, and 40 m was selected as the optimal quadrat length along the altitudinal gradients for measuring the plant species richness patterns. Species richness in each quadrat was calculated using a program written in Matlab 6.0. Direct gradient analysis was used to describe the overall trends in the species richness of trees, shrubs, herbs and other plants with change in altitude, while the non-brown fractal model was used to detect more accurately their variations at various scales along the gradient. The model assumed that each class of ecological processes affecting the distribution of a variable could be represented by an independent spatial random function. Generally, ecological phenomena are determined not by a single ecological process but by multiple ones. These processes act on ecological patterns within their own spatial scales. In the non-brown fractal model, the spatial random functions are nested within a larger range of spatial scales. The relative contribution of the spatial random functions to the spatial variation of a variable is indicated by a weighting parameter that has to be greater than or equal to zero. In this paper, we reached the following results and conclusions. Firstly, the direct gradient method describes the general trends of trees, shrubs, herbs and all plants along the altitudinal gradient but is unable to provide further details on the altitudinal variations in the species richness. The non-brown fractal model brought out the altitudinal variations in the species richness of trees, shrubs and herbs at various scales and related them to the ecological processes. The sharp changes in the double-log variograms suggest that the non-brown fractal model is suitable for characterizing the altitudinal patterns in the species richness of trees, shrubs and herbs at various scales but is not appropriate for explaining the variations in the plant species richness, since no significant changes were found in the double-log variograms in this case. Secondly, for the trees, the double-log variogram was divided into two scale ranges (0–245 m and 245–570 m), with a fractal dimension of 1.83 and 1.10, respectively, implying that changes in the tree species richness were random at small scales (0–245 m) and almost linear at large scales (245–570 m) along the altitudinal gradients. This suggests that altitudinal variations in the tree species richness are dominated by short-range processes at small scales and by long-range processes at large scales. Thirdly, for shrubs and herbs, the double-log variograms exhibited three ranges (0–101 m, 125–298 m and 325–570 m), and the fractal dimensions were 1.78 and 1.97, 1.56 and 1.43, and 1.08 and 1.25, respectively. The results indicate that, as in the case of trees, species richness of shrubs and herbs are distributed randomly at small scales and change in a linear manner at large scales although variations in the herb species richness is less heterogeneous than shrub species richness at large scales. These results also indicate that species richness of shrubs and herbs change approximately like brown movement at middle scales. The results also suggest that altitudinal variations in the specie richness of shrubs and herbs are dominated by three ecological processes, short-range ecological processes at small scales, long-range ecological processes at large scales, and brown fractal processes at middle scales. Interestingly, comparisons of the variations in the species richness of shrubs and herbs reveal that shrubs and herbs present the same scale range in spatial variation in species richness but display different trends in species richness along the altitudinal gradient, i.e. the shrub species richness decreased with increasing elevation whereas the herb species richness peaked at the mid-high elevation. These patterns suggest that although the scales at which the main processes affect patterns in species richness are the same, the processes are completely different, or the processes are similar but the responses of the shrubs and herbs to the ecological processes are different. Finally, the plant species richness did not show any obvious pattern along the altitude gradient and maintained a constant fractal dimension across all scales, this is perhaps because the processes defining the patterns of plant species richness had similar weights and acted over closely related scales. __________ Translated from Acta Phytoecologica Sinica, 2005, 29(6): 901–909 [译自: 植物生态学报]     

Structure and regeneration dynamics of dominant tree species along altitudinal gradient in a dry valley slopes of the Bhutan Himalaya

The aim of our study was to characterize the structure and regeneration dynamics of dominant tree species along altitudinal gradient in dry valley slopes of the Bhutan Himalaya. In the typical dry valley slopes of west-central Bhutan, we analyzed forest stratification, tree crown projection, and population structure from lower dry valley bottom (1520 m a.s.l.) to upper humid ridge top (3370 m a.s.l.) across five major forest types: i.e. (1) dry pine forest with Pinus roxburghii as a dominant species; (2) mixed broad-leaved forest with Quercus lanata (evergreen), Quercus griffithii, (deciduous), and Rhododendron arboreum (evergreen) as major canopy species; (3) evergreen broad-leaved forest dominated by Quercus semecarpifolia, Quercus glauca and Quercus oxyodon; (4) cool conifer forest dominated by Abies densa and Tsuga dumosa; (5) cold conifer forest with A. densa and Juniperus recurva as dominants. In general, regeneration pattern of major dominant species shifted from inverse-J (lower altitudes), to sporadic (mid-altitudes), and to uni-modal type (upper altitudes) corresponding to three regeneration trends: (1) invasive at the lower, warm, dry forest under relatively strong human disturbances; (2) stable/balanced at the mid-altitude, in a relatively stable, mature moist evergreen broad-leaved forest with gap regeneration; and (3) poor/low regeneration at the upper, cool, humid conifer forest with a continuously cattle-grazed understory. Overall, regeneration patterns were balanced in all forest types, however care should be taken to prevent excessive exploitation of dry pine forest of lower valley bottom, and to control cattle grazing at higher altitudes. Our findings can be incorporated into management plans for sustainable management and conservation of mountain forests.     

Phytogeographical Affinities of Forest Floras between China and Japan

IntroductionEast~ChinaisoneoftherichestregionsinplantlifeintheeaStAsia,itsfloraistl1emainpartofSino-JapanesenOristicedon.whichhasattractedtheat-tenhonofmanybodristsbothathonleandabroad,suchasHu,H.H.,Li,H'L.,St6ward,A.N.Wang,J.X.,Wang,W.T.,Wu,S.G.,Wu,Z.Y.a…     

关帝山次生林区典型植物群落物种多样性垂直分布研究

为了分析和探讨海拔对植物多样性的影响,沿海拔梯度(1600–2600m),设定14个样地,对每个样地内对植物物种进行调查。结果表明:随海拔升高,群落优势种变化依次为:辽东栎、油松、白桦、红桦、华北落叶松和云杉。群落内乔木树种的平均树高和胸径表现为先增大后减小,最大树高和胸径表现为单峰变化。群落内不同生活型树种(针叶树和阔叶树)的最大树高表现为先增大后减小.阔叶树最大胸径无明显变化规律,针叶树最大胸径不断减小。中海拔群落内,针叶树种的最大树高和胸径高于阔叶树种。群落的Shannon-wiener指数和Margalef指数均表现为单峰变化,中海拔群落(1900–2200m)植物多样性最高,高于低海拔群落(1600–1900m)和高海拔群落(2200–2600m)。Shannon-wiener指数和Margalef指数反映出的植物α多样性变化与海拔高度显著相关。在研究地区,植物多样性变化与群落所处的海拔显著相关,此外,还与群落结构、物种组成、树种特性和人为干扰有关。图8表3参13。     

Management pattern of ecological public welfare forests in South China

The characteristics and actualities of ecological public welfare forests in South China are studied in this paper, including common and special management patterns. The restoration and reconstruction pattern of subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests, zonal vegetation in the key eco-zone, and the transformation pattern of coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forests in the general eco-zone with multi-forms are discussed in detail. The authors also point out, based on ecological transformation and utilization, that ecological public welfare forests should be oriented to multiple benefit utilization to maintain sustainable management. __________ Translated from Journal of Nanjing Forestry University, 2007, 31(2): 97–100 [译自: 南京林业大学学报]     

不同经度天山云杉林分因子随海拔梯度的变化

选择新疆天山山脉从西到东处于不同经度的昭苏、巩留、乌苏、乌鲁木齐和哈密的天山云杉林进行垂直样带调查:将各地点划分为低、中和高3个海拔范围,比较不同范围内主要林分因子的差异;分析主要林分因子随海拔梯度(50 m间隔)的变化.结果表明:各地点3个海拔范围内主要林分因子呈现出不同的变化规律;天山云杉林分平均胸径和最大胸径随海拔梯度的变化差异不显著,而平均树高、最大树高、林分密度、胸高断面积和蓄积量随海拔的增加总体上呈现单峰型的变化趋势;尽管不同经度位置天山云杉林分布的海拔上下限范围不同,但各个位置天山云杉林分的平均树高、最大树高、林分密度、胸高断面积和蓄积量随海拔梯度的变化都可以用二次曲线方程进行描述.     

湖北恩施二蹬岩林麝、猕猴自然保护区维管植物区系及植被群落分析

二蹬岩林麝、猕猴自然保护区位于湖北省恩施市,是1个以保护林麝、猕猴为主的省级专类保护区。保护区共有维管植物121科309属504种。其中:包含国家级保护植物6种。保护区植物区系成分复杂,维管植物属的分布类型有14个。其中:温带属144种、热带属115 种。植物区系具温带特性,具有热带向温带过渡的性质。多心皮、古老孑遗植物的存在表明, 该植物区系起源古老。保护区的植被群落可以划分为5种类型:常绿阔叶林、落叶阔叶林、常绿针叶林、灌草丛林及竹林,植物群落的多样性给林麝、猕猴的生存提供了良好的条件。     

Application of GIS in Biodiversity Appraisal—A Case Study of Solan Forest Division (HP), India

The study was conducted in the Solan Forest Division with an area of 57,158 ha in Himachal Pradesh to study spatial distribution of plant biodiversity. The forest division has an altitudinal gradient from 600–2,260 m amsl. The contours on the Forest Survey of India (FSI) topo sheets (1:25000 scale) for this division were digitized to generate its Digital Elevation Model (DEM). It was stratified into five elevation classes (600–900, 900–1,200, 1,200–1,500, 1,500–1,800, 1800 m and above). A stock map of the division was digitized and superimposed on stratified DEM to know the distribution of vegetation at different elevations. Eight types of land use covers recorded in this division are: (a) chir pine (Pinus roxburghii) forests, (b) bamboo (Dendrocalamus strictus) forests, (c) khair (Acacia catechu) forests, (d) ban oak (Quercus leucotricophora) forests, (e) deodar (Cedrus deodara) forests, (f) broad leaved forests, (g) cultivation, and (h) culturable blank. Around 16.50% of the division's area was estimated to be under different land uses. Total biomass of vegetation in different land uses of the division is estimated as 63.80?×?10⁴ tons. Total carbon stock of the division was 11.71?×?10⁵ tons. Biomass density and carbon density were found to increase with elevation.     

广西猫儿山不同海拔天然阔叶林物种多样性与相异性的研究

在自然状态下，广西猫儿山的天然阔叶林在海拔1300～1500m的范围物种多样性指数发生了变化；分别不同海拔梯度对处于原生状态的天然阔叶林取样进行物种多样性和性异性的研究，结果表明，物种在1300～1500m范围的间断也是非常明显的。这个结果与以往对猫儿山植被垂直分布的划分基本一致，在广西猫儿山，海拔1300m是常绿阔叶林和常绿、落叶阔叶混交林的分界线。     

高黎贡山自然保护区西域青荚叶的植物群落学特征

西域青荚叶是亟待开发的一种珍稀野生花卉种质资源。通过对高黎贡山自然保护区西域青荚叶植物群落多项特征所作的样地调查,在该保护区西域青荚叶的分布地带共收集到维管束植物57科96属128种。对其生境植物群落区系植物成分的分析表明,该植物区系成分较为复杂,其作为东亚古老植物区系的一部分,与古热带、泛北极植物区系有密切关系,而与古地中海植物区的联系较为缺乏,热带和温带区系交错十分明显,属于从热带向温带过渡的亚热带性质;其群落成分分析表明,植物组成种类十分丰富,类型多样;生活型谱显示该群落以高位芽植物为主,地面芽植物次之。高黎贡山自然保护区所分布的西域青荚叶种群,生活于该保护区的针阔混交林或中山常绿阔叶林以及竹林中水湿条件较好的地段,生活力强,以分蘖繁殖为主。其生存环境属于从热带向温带过渡的亚热带性质。温暖湿润的气候,中或弱的光照;高或中的土壤湿度、微酸性或酸性的土壤,高或中等的土壤肥力是适合该种植物生存的生境。     

哀牢山植物多样性垂直分布格局

以设于哀牢山各植物群的样地调查材料为依据,分析了哀牢山东、西坡不同海拔高度地带性植物群落乔木层林木的高、径垂直分布特征,植物群落生物多样性指数的垂直分布态势。结果表明:该山地植物群落乔木层和灌木层的植物物种多样性沿海拔梯度呈单峰型分布格局,以中山湿性常绿阔叶林乔木层林木的最大和平均树高、最大胸径值和物种多样性指数最大;而灌木层植物物种多样性指数最大值出现在中山湿性常绿阔叶林带下的季风常绿阔叶林和半湿性常绿阔叶林带内;而草本层植物的物种多样性指数则沿海拔梯度上升呈整体减小的趋势;累加其植物群落乔、灌、草3层植物的物种多样性指数,哀牢山东、西坡植物群落的Shannon-Weiner指数和物种丰富度最大值出现在海拔高度2000 m左右。在相同海拔高度处,西坡植物群落的植物物种多样性高于东坡,季风常绿阔叶林的物种多样性大于半湿性常绿阔叶林,而山顶苔藓矮林的植物物种多样性最小。     

南滚河国家级自然保护区珍稀濒危植物的分布特征

采用样地调查、线路调查的方法,对云南省南滚河国家级自然保护区珍稀濒危植物的资源状况及分布特征进行了研究。结果表明,（1）南滚河国家级自然保护区珍稀濒危植物共计206种,隶属于44科108属。其中,国家重点保护野生植物21种,云南省重点保护野生植物36种, IUCN红色名录植物17种, CITES附录植物143种。（2）发现新分布种长蕊木兰、水青树和逸生种喜树。（3）珍稀濒危种子植物区系联系广泛,属级水平上具有极强的热带性质;种级水平上具有热带成分向温带成分过渡的特征,且特有现象突出,与滇西南、滇南分布联系密切。（4）海拔510～2977 m,珍稀濒危植物的丰富度随海拔的增加呈先增后减的趋势,集中分布在海拔1000～1500 m的季风常绿阔叶林中。该保护区珍稀濒危植物面临的主要威胁是人为破坏,并针对所受威胁提出了保护建议。     

贵州麻江森林健康经营项目示范区森林植被类型初步分析

项目示范区的森林属于次生林,调查分析结果表明该示范区的植被类型比较齐全,有西南米槠-黄连木-锈鳞苔草常绿阔叶林、漆树＋美脉琼楠＋大花枇杷-蚊母树＋高丛珍珠梅＋鸢尾常绿落叶阔叶林、白栎＋麻栎＋枫香-芒箕落叶阔叶林、马尾松＋白栎＋枫香＋油桐-白栎针阔混交林、马尾松和杉木针叶林、白栎-金星厥灌丛.     

Spatial pattern and regeneration dynamics in a temperate Abies–Tsuga forest in southwestern Japan

This article reports the regeneration dynamics of a temperate Abies–Tsuga forest in Kirishima Yaku National Park, southwestern Japan, and examines the influence of species coexistence mediated by gap disturbances on biomass production. All trees taller than 2 m in a 1-ha plot were monitored over four growing seasons. Three growth-form groups occupied different vertical layers. Evergreen conifers and deciduous broad-leaved trees tended to be spatially segregated from evergreen broad-leaved trees, which formed thickets in the understorey. The regeneration of understorey evergreen broad-leaved trees was affected by canopy gaps. The recruitment of conifers and deciduous broad-leaved species was not observed during the four growing seasons. This suggests that regeneration is sporadic and the present environmental conditions are not favorable for these canopy species. The mortality and unsuccessful recruitment of conifers and deciduous trees appeared to cause fluctuations in the productivity of the stand. However, an abundance of canopy gaps accelerates the regrowth of shorter species, and the fluctuation of productivity resulting from the population dynamics of canopy species would be partly mitigated by the regeneration of evergreen understorey species. The horizontal and vertical heterogeneity of the temperate mixed forest was a result of the patch structures of the three growth-form groups. The different regeneration patterns among the three groups, which were driven by interactions of species-specific regeneration niches and disturbance regimes, might be an important factor in maintaining the aboveground productivity in a transitional mixed forest between warm-temperate and cool-temperate zones.