Chin J Plant Ecol ›› 2020, Vol. 44 ›› Issue (3): 236-247.DOI: 10.17521/cjpe.2019.0268

• Research Articles • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Association classification of a 30 hm2 dynamics plot in the monsoon broad-leaved evergreen forest in Pu’er, Yunnan, China

LI Shuai-Feng1,LANG Xue-Dong1,HUANG Xiao-Bo1,WANG Yan-Hong1,LIU Wan-De1,XU Chong-Hua2,SU Jian-Rong1,*()   

  1. 1Research Institute of Resource Insects, Chinese Academy of Forestry, The Pu'er Forest Ecosystem Research Station, National Forestry and Grassland Administration of China, Kunming 650224, China
    2Taiyanghe Provincinal Nature Reserve, Pu’er, Yunnan 665000, China
  • Received:2019-10-15 Accepted:2020-01-07 Online:2020-03-20 Published:2020-04-03
  • Contact: SU Jian-Rong
  • Supported by:
    Fundamental Research Funds of Chinese Academy of Forestry(CAFYBB2017ZX002-4);Forestry Industry Research Special Funds for Public Welfare Projects(201404211);Applied Basic Research Foundation of Yunnan Province(2019FB058)

Abstract:

Aims The monsoon broad-leaved evergreen forest is a typical zonal vegetation of south subtropical China, where forest dynamics plot is a study platform of mechanisms of biodiversity maintenance and community assembly. Our objectives were to obtain plant association types in a 30 hm2 forest dynamic monitoring plot in the Pu’er City, Yunnan Province.
Methods We identified typical association types by the methods of multivariate regression trees, importance value, principal component analysis and indicator species based on 750 subplots (20 m × 20 m), and analyzed the differences of topography factors and community characteristics among different plant associations.
Important findings The results showed that the specie richness of woody species (diameter at breast height (DBH) ≥ 1 cm) was 271, which belonged to 78 families and 178 genera in the forest dynamic plot. The community formation was Formation Castanopsis echidnocarpa. Forest was divided into four associations: (1) Lyonia ovalifolia + Aporosa villosa - Castanopsis echidnocarpa + Lithocarpus fenestratus Association, (2) Tapiscia yunnanensis + Lithocarpus grandifolius - Castanopsis echidnocarp + Schima wallichii Association, (3) Elaeocarpus sikkimensis + Polyspora chrysandra - Castanopsis echidnocarp + Schima wallichii Association, and (4) Betula alnoides + Alnus nepalensis - Castanopsis echidnocarp + Castanopsis calathiformis Association. There were many transitional overlaps in the distribution of associations, while indicator species was the main reference for distinguishing the types of associations. In addition, altitude and slope aspect had a great influence on the plant association types, while slope per se had a relatively weak impact on the association types.

Key words: vegetation classification, species composition, topography factor, multivariate regression tree, importance value, indicator species, monsoon broad-leaved evergreen forest