Vegetation geography of evergreen broad-leaved forests in Yunnan, southwestern China

doi:10.17521/cjpe.2020.0302

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims Yunnan in southwestern China supports an extremely rich biodiversity and various vegetation types dominated by evergreen broad-leaved forest. Of these, three major types—monsoon evergreen broad-leaved forest (MEB), semi-wet evergreen broad-leaved forest (SWEB) and middle-montane wet evergreen broad-leaved forest (MMEB)—have not had a detailed scientific comparison. This article compares their floristic composition, species diversity, physiognomy, biogeography, and possible historical evolution, and gives suggestions for their conservation priorities.
Methods Six 1 hm² sampling plots, representing the three evergreen broad-leaved forests in Yunnan, were set up based on the present distribution of primary forest. All trees in each plot were identified and their diameter at breast height (DBH)(minimum 5 cm) and height measured. In four plots, all plants, including understory shrubs, herbs, lianas, and epiphytes, were surveyed for life forms and biogeographical element analyses at plot level. Importance value indices (IVI) of tree species were calculated for each plot. At the vegetation level, all seed plants for the three major vegetation types were inventoried to compare their floristic composition and biogeography.
Important findings At plot level, the three forest types differ considerably in species composition, diversity, physiognomy, and biogeography, although they are commonly dominated by species of the families Fagaceae, Lauraceae and Theaceae. The MEB in southern Yunnan is extremely rich in species and is characterized by a tropical physiognomy. It is dominated by tropical Asian species, which is similar to the tropical lower montane evergreen forest in southeast Asia. The SWEB on plateaus and the MMEB in central and northern Yunnan are characterized by a subtropical physiognomy and are dominated by Sino-Himalayan and Chinese endemic species, which are unique in southwestern China. At the vegetation sub-type level, the three forest types commonly have species-rich families, which tend to have cosmopolitan distributions, but the families with fewer species exhibit other distribution types. The SWEB and the MMEB showed similar biogeographical patterns in the proportions of tropical (44.91% and 44.04%, respectively) and temperate (46.29% and 48.19%) elements, with northern temperate distributions comprising the highest percentage (18.36% in the SWEB and 19.95% in the MMEB) of total genera. In MEB, tropical elements comprised 78.05% of the total genera, with elements with tropical Asian distributions contributing the highest percentage (29.02%). Similarity between SWEB and MMEB was high at species level, but lower similarities were shown between MEB and both of the SWEB and MMEB with 17.1% and 15.4% respectively at species levels. These results indicate divergence of the three forest floras, possibly from events in the geological history of Yunnan. The SWEB and the MMEB should be given high conservation values due to their uniqueness and abundant Chinese endemic species. Especially, the SWEB should be given the highest protection.

Key words: evergreen broad-leaved forest, species composition, physiognomy, biogeography, Yunnan

ZHU Hua. Vegetation geography of evergreen broad-leaved forests in Yunnan, southwestern China[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2021, 45(3): 224-241.

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Figures/Tables 11

References 51

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森林类型 Forest type	主要分布区域 Main distribution area	分布海拔 General altitude distribution (m)	年平均气温 Mean annual air temperature (℃)	年降水量 Mean annual precipitation (mm)
季风常绿阔叶林 Monsoon evergreen broad-leaved forest	云南南部及西南部低山 Lower montane in southern and southwestern Yunnan	900-2 000	18-20	1 350-1 600
半湿润常绿阔叶林 Semi-wet evergreen broad-leaved forest	云南中部高原 Plateau in central Yunnan	1 500-2 600	14-17	900-1 200
中山湿性常绿阔叶林 Middle montane wet evergreen broad-leaved forest	云南中部和北部山地 Montanes in central and northern Yunnan	2 000-2 900	10-12	1 800-2 000

森林类型 Forest type	主要分布区域 Main distribution area	分布海拔 General altitude distribution (m)	年平均气温 Mean annual air temperature (℃)	年降水量 Mean annual precipitation (mm)
季风常绿阔叶林 Monsoon evergreen broad-leaved forest	云南南部及西南部低山 Lower montane in southern and southwestern Yunnan	900-2 000	18-20	1 350-1 600
半湿润常绿阔叶林 Semi-wet evergreen broad-leaved forest	云南中部高原 Plateau in central Yunnan	1 500-2 600	14-17	900-1 200
中山湿性常绿阔叶林 Middle montane wet evergreen broad-leaved forest	云南中部和北部山地 Montanes in central and northern Yunnan	2 000-2 900	10-12	1 800-2 000

生活型 Life form	季风常绿阔叶林样地1 MEB plot 1		半湿润常绿阔叶林样地 SWEB plot		石灰岩山半湿润常绿阔叶林样地 SWEB on limestone plot		中山湿性常绿阔叶林样地1 MMEB plot 1
生活型 Life form	种数 Species number	种数比例 Percent of species number (%)	种数 Species number	种数比例 Percent of species number (%)	种数 Species number	种数比例 Percent of species number (%)	种数 Species number	种数比例 Percent of species number (%)
大高位芽 Megaphanerophytes	22	6.11	0	0.00	0	0.00	1	0.60
中高位芽 Mesophanerophytes	59	16.39	27	15.52	20	13.89	43	25.90
小高位芽 Microphanerophytes	108	30.00	35	20.11	20	13.89	13	7.83
矮高位芽 Nanophanerophytes	33	9.17	16	9.20	10	6.94	9	5.43
地上芽及草本高位芽 Chamaephytes and Herbaceous phanerophytes	42	11.67	36	20.69	26	18.06	30	18.07
地下芽 Geophytes	19	5.28	4	2.30	5	3.47	7	4.22
地面芽 Hemicryptophytes	16	4.44	16	9.20	25	17.36	21	12.65
藤本植物 Liana	54	15.00	35	20.11	32	22.22	18	10.84
附生植物 Epiphytes	7	1.94	5	2.87	6	4.17	24	14.46
总种数 Total species	360	100.00	174	100.00	144	100.00	166	100.00

生活型 Life form	季风常绿阔叶林样地1 MEB plot 1		半湿润常绿阔叶林样地 SWEB plot		石灰岩山半湿润常绿阔叶林样地 SWEB on limestone plot		中山湿性常绿阔叶林样地1 MMEB plot 1
生活型 Life form	种数 Species number	种数比例 Percent of species number (%)	种数 Species number	种数比例 Percent of species number (%)	种数 Species number	种数比例 Percent of species number (%)	种数 Species number	种数比例 Percent of species number (%)
大高位芽 Megaphanerophytes	22	6.11	0	0.00	0	0.00	1	0.60
中高位芽 Mesophanerophytes	59	16.39	27	15.52	20	13.89	43	25.90
小高位芽 Microphanerophytes	108	30.00	35	20.11	20	13.89	13	7.83
矮高位芽 Nanophanerophytes	33	9.17	16	9.20	10	6.94	9	5.43
地上芽及草本高位芽 Chamaephytes and Herbaceous phanerophytes	42	11.67	36	20.69	26	18.06	30	18.07
地下芽 Geophytes	19	5.28	4	2.30	5	3.47	7	4.22
地面芽 Hemicryptophytes	16	4.44	16	9.20	25	17.36	21	12.65
藤本植物 Liana	54	15.00	35	20.11	32	22.22	18	10.84
附生植物 Epiphytes	7	1.94	5	2.87	6	4.17	24	14.46
总种数 Total species	360	100.00	174	100.00	144	100.00	166	100.00

叶特征 Leaf feature		季风常绿阔叶林样地1 MEB plot 1		半湿润常绿阔叶林样地 SWEB plot		石灰岩山半湿润常绿阔叶林样地 SWEB on limestone plot		中山湿性常绿阔叶林样地1 MMEB plot 1
叶特征 Leaf feature		种数 Species number	种数比例 Percent of species number (%)	种数 Species number	种数比例 Percent of species number (%)	种数 Species number	种数比例 Percent of species number (%)	种数 Species number	种数比例 Percent of species number (%)
叶级¹⁾ Leaf size¹⁾	大叶 Macrophyll	14	10.14	0	0.00	0	0.00	1	2.44
	中叶 Mesophyll	81	58.70	30	56.60	21	52.50	23	56.10
	小叶 Microphyll	41	29.71	23	43.40	17	42.50	17	41.46
	微叶 Nanophyll	2	1.45	0	0.00	2	5.00	0	0.00
叶型 Leaf type	复叶 Compound leaf	29	20.29	3	5.66	6	15.00	4	9.80
叶型 Leaf type	单叶 Single leaf	109	78.99	50	94.34	34	85.00	37	90.20
叶缘 Leaf margin	全缘 Entile	122	88.41	36	67.92	23	57.50	20	48.78
叶缘 Leaf margin	非全缘 None entile	16	11.59	17	36.08	17	42.50	21	51.22
总种数 Total species		138	100.00	53	100.00	40	100.00	41	100.00