Symbol system design and standardized drawing paradigm for vegetation scientific illustrations—A case of the vertical structure illustration of forest community

doi:10.17521/cjpe.2025.0069

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims The vertical structure illustration can comprehensively express the structure, habitat characteristics and ecological relationships of plant communities. It is irreplaceable in vegetation research because of its high information capacity, and the efficiency of visualization and communication. However, previous vertical structure illustrations of community are short of symbol systems, and bear strong subjectivity in drawing and incomplete information expression, which hinders their effective utilization and in-depth exploration of the scientific value. Here, we propose a set of symbol systems and standardized drawing paradigms for the vegetation scientific illustrations based on the forest communities, which integrates vegetation ecology, art design and digital technology. It aims to precisely visualize the spatio-temporal characteristics of community structure and habitats.

Methods Based on the quadrat survey of typical subtropical vegetation types and the double narrow-band drawing method of facing and parallel slope surfaces, a multi-level symbol system, including six major element modules and 21 types of graphic symbols, was designed and innovatively introduced the workflow of Chinese painting realistic techniques and digital drawing tools to form a standardized process from field sketches to digital drawings.

Important findings A set of symbol systems, composition parameters and drawing techniques of the vertical structure illustration for forest community profiles was proposed, including three major symbol libraries of terrain, vegetation and soil. It brings about the quantitative expression of community vertical stratification (trees, shrubs, herbs), individual morphology (diameter at breast height, crown width, branching angle) and habitat factors (slope, soil texture, litter thickness), and clearly shows the spatial (vertical stratification and relative position of plant individuals) and non-spatial (species composition, individual size and density, etc.) structures, interspecific relationships and habitat information of the community. The universality across vegetation types has been verified through the drawing practices of 11 associations and 33 sub-graphs. This study begins at the composition and design of elements, standardizing the composition, symbol and expression techniques of the vertical structure illustration of forest community, optimizes the traditional schematic paradigm, and promotes the vertical structure illustration of community to bear both scientific accuracy and artistic expression, which provides standardized drawing tools for the compilation of Vegetation of China.

Key words: scientific illustration, vegetation ecology, community profile, community structure, habitat characteristics, expression techniques

LI Jia-Xiang, LIU Wen-Qian, JIANG Guo-Ping, ZHAO Li-Juan, XU Yong-Fu, WU Lei, YU Xun-Lin. Symbol system design and standardized drawing paradigm for vegetation scientific illustrations—A case of the vertical structure illustration of forest community[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2025, 49(6): 897-910.

Add to citation manager EndNote|Ris|BibTeX

URL: https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/10.17521/cjpe.2025.0069

https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/Y2025/V49/I6/897

Figures/Tables 12

Fig. 1 Plate style for the vertical structure illustration of community.

Table 1 Comparison sizes of the groups of line width (b) for the vertical structure illustration of community

线宽比 Ratio of line width	线宽组 Group of line width (mm)
参考图幅 Illustration size	A1	A2	A3	A4
b	1.4	1.0	0.7	0.5
0.7 b	1.0	0.7	0.5	0.35
0.5 b	0.7	0.5	0.35	0.25
0.25 b	0.35	0.25	0.18	0.13

Table 2 Lines styles and their application scopes in the vertical structure illustration of community

线型 Line style	粗细 Size	线宽 Line width	用途 Application
实线 Solid line	粗 Thick	b	主要用于轮廓线、标注线的绘制 Be mainly used for the drawing of contour lines and marking lines
	中粗 Medium thick	0.7 b
	中 Medium	0.5 b
	细 Thin	0.25 b
虚线 Broken line	粗 Thick	b	主要用于截面剖切线以及图例填充 Be mainly used for the section cutting lines and legend filling
	中粗 Medium thick	0.7 b
	中 Medium	0.5 b
	细 Thin	0.25 b
点划线 Dash-dot line	粗 Thick	b	主要用于图例填充 Be mainly used for the legend filling
	中粗 Medium thick	0.7 b
	中 Medium	0.5 b
	细 Thin	0.25 b

Fig. 2 Symbol groups and drawing instructions for the vertical structure illustration of community. A, Basic information of the illustration. B, Size marking. C, Section symbol. D, Elevation symbol. E, Slope symbol. XXX represents a plant community.

Table 3 Symbols of soil textures in the vertical structure illustration of community

序号 No.	类型 Type	说明 Instruction
1	枯枝落叶层 Litter layer	由新凋落的叶、细枝、树皮、果实等凋落物及动物残体所组成 Litters such as recently fallen leaves, thin twigs, barks, fruits, and animal remain
2	腐殖土层 Humus layer	用于细节图土壤剖面森林中枯枝残叶腐烂发酵而形成的部分 It shows the parts that are formed by the decay and fermentation of the branches and fallen leaves in the forest in the detailed drawing of the soil profile
3	砂土 Sandy soil	砂砾含量≥50%的土壤 Soil with a gravel content ≥50%
4	砂壤土 Sandy loam	砂砾居多但含有黏粒和粉粒, 具有结合性的土壤 Soil consists of mostly gravel, less clay and silt particles, which bears cohesiveness
5	壤土 Loam	介于黏土与砂土之间的土壤 The property of the soil located between those of clay and sandy soil
6	黏土 Clay soil	含砂粒很少、有黏性的土壤 Soil with very few sand grains and has viscosity

Fig. 3 Drawing instructions of individual tree for different species.

Fig. 4 Schematic diagram of vertical stratification of community modified from Wang et al. (2020). ① mature trees of the tree stratum; ②, ③, ④ and ⑤ are bamboos, woody vines, parasitic plants and large shrubs that appear in the tree stratum, respectively; ⑥ a plant having the shrub growth the shrub stratum; ⑦ tall herbs; ⑧, ⑪ and ⑫ are samplings and bamboos that appear in the shrub and herb stratum, respectively; ⑨ herb plants of the herb stratum; ⑩ mosses.

Fig. 5 Expression techniques of light, shadow and volume.

Fig. 6 General workflow for the vertical structure illustration of community.

Fig. 7 Schematic diagram for selecting narrow bands for the vertical structure illustration of community. A-F represent different sample subplots.

Fig. 8 Schematic diagram of in situ sketch drawing for the vertical structure illustration of community.

Fig. 9 Composition of elements in the vertical structure illustration of community. A, Schematic plan. B, Scientific illustration facing the slope of plant community. C, Scientific illustration along the slope of plant community. D, Detailed illustration.

References 39

[1]	Barbour MG, Burk JH, Pitts WD (1987). Terrestrial Plant Ecology. 2nd ed. Benjamin/Cummings Publishing Company, Menlo Park, USA. 54-90.
[2]	Braun-Blanquet J (1932). Plant Sociology: the Study of Plant Communities. McGraw-Hill, New York.
[3]	Cao YW (2014). Discuss the Science and Artistry of the Scientific Illustration. Master degree dissertation, Shanghai University, Shanghai.
	[曹宇文 (2014). 论科学绘画的科学本质与艺术魅力. 硕士学位论文, 上海大学, 上海.]
[4]	Clements FE (1916). Plant Succession: an Analysis of the Development of Vegetation. Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington D.C.
[5]	Dansereau P (1951). Description and recording of vegetation upon a structural basis. Ecology, 32, 172-229.
[6]	Duan YX, Li NN, Sun QF, Li Y (2018). A method of vectorization of oil reservoir geological profile. Computer Technology and Development, 28(8), 170-174.
	[段友祥, 李宁宁, 孙歧峰, 李钰 (2018). 一种油藏地质剖面图矢量化方法. 计算机技术与发展, 28(8), 170-174.]
[7]	Ellenberg H, Mueller-Dombois H(1967). A key to Raunkiaer plant life forms with revised subdivisions. Berichte des Geobotanischen Institutes ETH Stiftung Rübel, 37, 56-73.
[8]	Fang JY, Wang XP, Shen ZH, Tang ZY, He JS, Yu D, Jiang Y, Wang ZH, Zheng CY, Zhu JL, Guo ZD (2009). Methods and protocols for plant community inventory. Biodiversity Science, 17, 533-548. DOI
	[方精云, 王襄平, 沈泽昊, 唐志尧, 贺金生, 于丹, 江源, 王志恒, 郑成洋, 朱江玲, 郭兆迪 (2009). 植物群落清查的主要内容、方法和技术规范. 生物多样性, 17, 533-548.] DOI
[9]	Fang JY, Guo K, Wang GH, Tang ZY, Xie ZQ, Shen ZH, Wang RQ, Qiang S, Liang CZ, Da LJ, Yu D (2020). Vegetation classification system and classification of vegetation types used for the compilation of vegetation of China. Chinese Journal of Plant Ecology, 44, 96-110.
	[方精云, 郭柯, 王国宏, 唐志尧, 谢宗强, 沈泽昊, 王仁卿, 强胜, 梁存柱, 达良俊, 于丹 (2020). 《中国植被志》的植被分类系统、植被类型划分及编排体系. 植物生态学报, 44, 96-110.] DOI
[10]	Fang ZJ, Qu Z (1999). Research on general purpose software for columnar section drawing. Journal of China University of Mining & Technology, 28(1), 89-92.
	[方志江, 曲政 (1999). 通用柱状图绘图软件系统的研究. 中国矿业大学学报, 28(1), 89-92.]
[11]	Jia NX, Guo K, Song CY, Liu CC (2021). Principles of color and symbol design for vegetation mapping and a scheme of national vegetation map legends. Chinese Journal of Plant Ecology, 45, 809-817.
	[贾宁霞, 郭柯, 宋创业, 刘长成 (2021). 植被制图色彩和符号设计原则与全国植被图图例方案. 植物生态学报, 45, 809-817.] DOI
[12]	Jordan C (2020). The Adventures of Alexander von Humboldt. By Andrea Wulf and Lillian Melcher. Environmental History, 25, 440-442.
[13]	Körner C (2007). The use of ‘altitude’ in ecological research. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 22, 569-574.
[14]	Li HP, Wang X, Hua LF (2015). Discussion on the design method of symbol library of historical atlas based on GIS. Geospatial Information, 13(1), 171-173.
	[李海萍, 王欣, 华林甫 (2015). 基于GIS的历史地图集符号库设计方法探讨. 地理空间信息, 13(1), 171-173.]
[15]	Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of the People’s Republic of China(2017). GB/T 50001—2017 Unified Standard for Building Drawings. China Architecture & Building Press, Beijing.
	[中华人民共和国住房和城乡建设部(2017). GB/T 50001—2017房屋建筑制图统一标准. 中国建筑工业出版社, 北京.]
[16]	Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of the People’s Republic of China(2010). GB/T 50103—2010 Standard for General Layout Drawings. China Architecture & Bulding Press, Beijing.
	[中华人民共和国住房和城乡建设部(2010). GB/T 50103—2010总图制图标准. 中国建筑工业出版社, 北京.]
[17]	Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of the People’s Republic of China(2015). CJJ/T 67—2015 Standard for Drawing of Landscape Architecture. China Architecture & Building Press, Beijing.
	[中华人民共和国住房和城乡建设部(2015). CJJ/T 67—2015风景园林制图标准. 中国建筑工业出版社, 北京.]
[18]	National Standardization Administration(2009). GB/T 17296—2009 Classification and Codes for Chinese Soil. Standards Press for China, Beijing.
	[国家标准化管理委员会(2009). GB/T 17296—2009中国土壤分类与代码. 中国标准出版社, 北京.]
[19]	Packer S (2017). The invention of nature: the adventures of Alexander von Humboldt, the lost hero of science. Biodiversity, 18, 235.
[20]	Pei LN, Qi JM, Liu ZH, Hou QB, Liu H (2019). Accurate drawing algorithm and realization of arc geological section based on AutoCAD. Yangtze River, 50(7), 123-127.
	[裴丽娜, 齐菊梅, 刘振红, 侯清波, 刘灏 (2019). 基于AutoCAD的弧段地质剖面精确绘制算法与实现. 人民长江, 50(7), 123-127.]
[21]	Qi CJ (1990). Hunan Vegetation. Hunan Science & Technology Press, Chansha.
	[祁承经 (1990). 湖南植被. 湖南科学技术出版社, 长沙.]
[22]	Reeves HM, Hodges ERS (1991). The guild handbook of scientific illustration. The Journal of Wildlife Management, 55, 56-58.
[23]	Song YC (2001). Vegetation Ecology. East China Normal University Press, Shanghai.
	[宋永昌 (2001). 植被生态学. 华东师范大学出版社, 上海.]
[24]	State Administration for Market Regulation(2018). GB/T 36501—2018 Soil Mapping—Specifications for Color and Legend of Soil Maps of China at the Scale of 1:25 000 1:50 000 and 1:100 000. Standards Press for China, Beijing.
	[国家市场监督管理总局(2018). GB/T 36501—2018土壤制图1:25 000 1:500 00 1:100 000中国土壤图用色和图例规范. 中国标准出版社, 北京.]
[25]	Sun RY (2002). Foundations in Ecology. Higher Education Press, Beijing.
	[孙儒泳 (2002). 基础生态学. 高等教育出版社, 北京.]
[26]	Sun YB (2012). Drawing method of the black line chart in botanical scientific illustration. Guihaia, 32(2), 173-178.
	[孙英宝 (2012). 植物科学绘画中墨线图的绘画方法. 广西植物, 32(2), 173-178.]
[27]	Tansley AG (1935). The use and abuse of vegetational concepts and terms. Ecology, 16, 284-307.
[28]	The Editorial committee of Vegetation of China(1980). Vegetation of China. Science Press, Beijing.
	[中国植被编辑委员会(1980). 中国植被. 科学出版社, 北京.]
[29]	Wang GH, Fang JY, Guo K, Xie ZQ, Tang ZY, Shen ZH, Wang RQ, Wang XP, Wang DL, Qiang S, Yu D, Peng SL, Da LJ, Liu Q, Liang CZ (2020). Contents and protocols for the classification and description of vegetation Formations, Alliances and Associations of vegetation of China. Chinese Journal of Plant Ecology, 44, 128-178. DOI
	[王国宏, 方精云, 郭柯, 谢宗强, 唐志尧, 沈泽昊, 王仁卿, 王襄平, 王德利, 强胜, 于丹, 彭少麟, 达良俊, 刘庆, 梁存柱 (2020). 《中国植被志》研编内容与规范. 植物生态学报, 44, 128-178.] DOI
[30]	Wang JF (2016). Trees in China. Guangdong Southern Daily Publishing House, Guangzhou.
	[王军峰 (2016). 中国树木. 广东南方日报出版社, 广州.]
[31]	Wang SY (2016). An unspeakable history of science—The essence and function of scientific painting. Journal of Natural Science Museum Research, 1(S1), 71-79.
	[王思宇 (2016). 不可“言传”的科学史——科学绘画的本质与功能. 自然科学博物馆研究, 1(S1), 71-79.]
[32]	Wen CJ, Cui GS, Wang M (2010). Restrictive factors and principles of seabed sediment elements symbols’ design. Science of Surveying and Mapping, 35(S1), 66-68.
	[温朝江, 崔高嵩, 王沫 (2010). 海洋底质要素符号设计的制约因素和原则. 测绘科学, 35(S1), 66-68.]
[33]	Whittaker RH (1975). Communities and Ecosystems. Macmillan Company, Cambridge, UK.
[34]	Xu JH, Xie YL, Li K (2015). Geology. Metallurgical Industry Press, Beijing.
	[徐九华, 谢玉玲, 李克 (2015). 地质学. 冶金工业出版社, 北京.]
[35]	Yang H, Fu JH, Yuan XQ (2011). Geological Profile Atlas of the Western Margin and Peripheral Basins of the Ordos Basin. Petroleum Industry Press, Beijing.
	[杨华, 付金华, 袁效奇 (2011). 鄂尔多斯盆地西缘及外围盆地地质剖面图集. 石油工业出版社, 北京.]
[36]	Yuan YX, Liu XJ, Yuan XY (2020). Discuss the design of symbol system for thematic map. Geomatics & Spatial Information Technology, 43(2), 200-203.
	[袁月欣, 刘秀军, 袁晓妍 (2020). 浅谈专题地图符号系统的设计. 测绘与空间地理信息, 43(2), 200-203.]
[37]	Zhai J (2015). Landscape analysis and research based on cross-sections. Chinese Landscape Architecture, 31(6), 45-50.
	[翟俊 (2015). 基于剖面图的景观分析研究. 中国园林, 31(6), 45-50.]
[38]	Zheng ZQ (2019). Principles of garden pen-and-ink painting creation. Art Observation, (12), 152-153.
	[郑志强 (2019). 园林钢笔画创作之原则. 美术观察, (12), 152-153.]
[39]	Zhuang CY, Huang QL, Ma ZB, Luo F, Zhang Y (2014). Review on defining methods for canopy stratification. World Forestry Research, 27(6), 34-40.
	[庄崇洋, 黄清麟, 马志波, 罗芬, 张寅 (2014). 林层划分方法综述. 世界林业研究, 27(6), 34-40.]