Chin J Plan Ecolo ›› 1996, Vol. 20 ›› Issue (6): 549-560.

• Research Articles • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Analysis of Relationships between Vegetation and Climate in Shanxi Plateau

Mi Xiang-cheng, Zhang Jin-tun, Zhang Feng, Shangguan Tie-liang, Zheng Feng-ying   

  • Published:1996-06-10
  • Contact: Zhang Feng

Abstract: Relationships between vegetation and climate,numerical regionalization of vegetation in Shanxi Plateau were studied using the detrended canonical correspondence analysis (DCCA) and two-way indicator species analysis (TWlNSPAN). It is shown that the first DCCA axe expresses the variation of vegetation and climate along latitude in Shanxi plateau. The vegetation types and their distribution along latitude were mainly correlated with the thermal and water-condition gradients. The second DCCA axe expresses the variation of vegetation and climate along longitude in Shanxi Plateau. The vegetation types and their distribution in this direction were mainly related with the annual precipitation and the evapotranspiration. In the plateau the changes in vegetation and climate along altitude are much greater than those along longitude because it extends longer from south to north than from east to west. Shanxi Plateau was divided into 17 vegetation districts using TWlNSPAN and DCCA. Three poles and a canter were recognized in the figure of DCCA ordination plot.