Evergreen Broad-Leaved Forests

Abstract

In SW China, the subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests are represented by four types, (1) the semi-humid forest dominated only by species of Cyclobalanopsis, Castanopsis and Lithocarpus (Fagaceae), (2) the monsoon forest by species of Castanopsis, Lithocarpus, Cyclobalanopsis (Fagaceae), Machilus, Beilschmiedia, Cryptocarya (Lauraceae), and Schima (Theaceae), (3) the mid-montane moist forest by species of Lithocarpus, Castanopsis, Cyclobalanopsis (Fagaceae), Machilus, Cinnamomum (Lauraceae), Schima (Theaceae), Manglietia, Alcimandra and Michelia (Magnoliaceae) in Yunnan, and (4) the typical humid evergreen broad-leaved forest by Castanopsis, Cyclobalanopsis, Lithocarpus and species of Lauraceae (e.g. Machilus, Cinnamomum, Lindera and Phoebe), Magnoliaceae (Manglietia, Michelia), Theaceae (Schima and Gordonia), and Elaeocarpaceae (Elaeocarpus) in the Sichuan Basin and eastern and central Guizhou. The vertical structures of the forests are multilayered (with emergent, canopy, subcanopy, shrub, and understory layers). The canopy height of the primary forest generally ranges from 23 to 34 m, with umbrella-shaped or rounded crowns. Among the forest types, the monsoon evergreen broad-leaved forest, in mesic-humid sites, exhibits the highest species diversity, followed by the mid-montane moist and humid types, then by the semi-humid type.