Forest plant communities of the Baohua Mountains, eastern China

Abstract

In the forest of the Baohua Reserve in the Baohua Mountains, eastern China, six plant communities and 11 subcommunities were described using the Braun-Blanquet method. These communities can be assigned to four already described Chinese vegetation types. Curtis' Compositional Index (CI) and Shannon's diversity index were used to determine the successional stage and species diversity of the communities. The community of Brachystachyum densiflorum and Pinus massoniana and the subcommunity of Fraxinus chinensis and Quercus acutissima with Pueraria lobata had the lowest CI and would be an initial successional stage; the community of Phoebe sheareri and Cyclobalanopsis glauca had the highest CI and would be the final stage. The community of Brachystachyum densiflorum and Pinus massoniana and the subcommunity of Fraxinus chinensis and Quercus acutissima with Pueraria lobata, both pioneer successional stages, had the lowest species diversity. The climax communities had the highest diversity.

Assessment of volatile organic compound emissions from ecosystems of China

“…The successional patterns in the subtropical Ailao Mountains are based on previous studies by Wang [1983], Sheng and Xie [1990], and Young et al [1992], as well as on observed forest structure, peat depth, and gross peat stratigraphy. The successional patterns shown here, to about 500 years, are consistent with successions described from other subtropical forests of China [ Ming , 1987; Zhou et al , 1999; Chau and Marafa , 1999; An et al , 2001]. Wang [1983] further proposes that, in this region, succession occurs from peatland to Populus forest, although no data in support of this pathway are presented.…”

“…[16] The successional patterns in the subtropical Ailao Mountains are based on previous studies by Wang [1983], Sheng and Xie [1990], and Young et al [1992], as well as on [Ming, 1987;Zhou et al, 1999;Chau and Marafa, 1999;An et al, 2001]. Wang [1983] further proposes that, in this region, succession occurs from peatland to Populus forest, although no data in support of this pathway are presented.…”

A generalized algebraic difference approach allows an improved estimation of aboveground biomass dynamics of Cunninghamia lanceolata and Castanopsis sclerophylla forests

“…sclerophylla is another important evergreen and shadetolerant tree species. It is widely distributed across subtropical areas of China from 200 to 1000 m above sea level, and it is one of the dominant and native species in evergreen broadleaved forests (An et al 2001). C. sclerophylla plays a significant role in water and soil conservation (Li et al 2011).…”