Chin J Plan Ecolo ›› 1981, Vol. 5 ›› Issue (4): 290-301.

• Research Articles • Previous Articles     Next Articles

A Further Discussion on the Principle and Scheme for Vegetation Regionalization of China

Hsioh-Yu Hou   

  • Published:1981-04-10
  • Contact: Zhou Guangyu

Abstract: The geographical or ecological laws of vegetation are determined mainly by the component factors of temperature expressed by the latitudinal zonation and of moisture expressed by the longitudinal zonation. Thus, these laws are fundamental principles of vegetation regionalization of China. The zonal vegetational types, groups of indicator plants, cropping systems, species or even races of cultural plants and their growth conditions should be considered as the criteria of regionalization. China stands on the west coast of the Pacific Ocean. The summer monsoons coming from the south-east play a great role in dominating the climate of the coastal areas which are humid forest regions. Atmospheric moisture becomes less and less as one goes to westwards. The north-western parts of the country, the arid desert regions, are very shortage of rainfall. The lands lying between the two areas mentioned above are semi-arid grassland regions. As regards the east and south-east parts of the country, the different forest regions correspond respectively to the latitudinal zonation varying from the north to the south, namely, the cold-temperate deciduous needleleaf forest, the temperate deciduous broadleaf forest, the subtropical evergreen broadleaf forest and the tropical seasonal rain-forest. Except the cold-temperate region, the rest three forest regions may be respectively divided into two subregions. The semi-arid grasslands are divided into two regions. One is the temperate steppe region including the one subregion occurring in the plain of China’s northeast and the eastern portion of the Inner Mongolian Plateau, and another subregion occurring on the loess Plateau. The high-cold meadow and steppe region is situated on the east-central and southern portion of the Ching-hai-Tibet Plateau with about 4000m. above sea level. The arid desert lands may be also divided into two regions. One is the temperate desert region including the northern subregion and the southern subregion. Another region is high-cold semi-desert and desert region.