Chin J Plant Ecol ›› 2011, Vol. 35 ›› Issue (2): 137-146.DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1258.2011.00137

• Research Articles • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Environmental characteristics of tropical cloud forests in the rainy season in Bawangling National Nature Reserve on Hainan Island, South China

LONG Wen-Xing1, DING Yi1, ZANG Run-Guo1,*(), YANG Min2, CHEN Shao-Wei2   

  1. 1Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of State Forestry Administration, Beijing 100091, China
    2Administration Bureau of Hainan Bawangling National Natural Reserve, Changjiang, Hainan 572722, China
  • Received:2010-07-21 Accepted:2010-11-29 Online:2011-07-21 Published:2011-01-21
  • Contact: ZANG Run-Guo

Abstract:

Aims Tropical cloud forest, a seldom-studied but important type of tropical forest vegetation, is usually distributed around mountaintops and is characterized by unusual environmental conditions that determine its unique biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Our objective was to explore the characteristics of solar irradiance, air temperature, air relative humidity, soil conditions and topographic conditions during the rainy season in two tropical cloud forest communities: tropical montane evergreen forest (TMEF) and tropical montane dwarf forest (TMDF).
Methods Based on surveyed environmental data of TMEF and TMDF in Bawangling National Natural Reserve in Hainan Island of South China, we assessed differences in environmental conditions between the two cloud forests, and examined correlations among the environmental conditions, using principal component analysis and Pearson’s correlation analysis.
Important findings Daily photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) showed a unimodal curve both in TMEF and TMDF, but PAR in TMEF was significantly lower than in TMDF. From May to October, mean daily air temperature differed significantly between TMEF and TMDF and showed a unimodal curve in the two forests, with average values of (21.76 ± 2.44) °C and (19.33 ± 1.03) °C, respectively. Additionally, mean daily relative humidity differed significantly between TMEF and TMDF and showed an inverse “S” curve; average values were (88.44 ± 2.90)% and (97.71 ± 0.80)%, respectively. TMEF had higher total nitrogen, total phosphorous, available nitrogen, organic matter, pH and soil thickness, but lower total potassium and available phosphorous than TMDF. Slope, cover of exposed rock and altitude were lower in TMEF than TMDF, and were significantly correlated with other ecological factors. Principal component analysis and Pearson’s correlation analysis indicated that air temperature, available phosphorous, total potassium, total nitrogen and the three topographic factors were predictors of distribution of these tropical cloud forests.

Key words: air temperature, photosynthetically active radiation, relative humidity, soil factor, topographic factor, tropical montane dwarf forest, tropical montane evergreen forest