中国热带森林植被类型研究历史和划分探讨

Study history and discussion on classification of the tropical forest vegetation types in China

关键词:  热带森林, 热带雨林, 植被型划分, 系统性监测, 热带人工林

Key words:  tropical forest, tropical rainforest, classification of vegetation types, systematic monitoring, manmade tropical forests

摘要:

热带森林是我国森林植被的重要组成部分,明确其森林植被类型分类对于生物多样性维持机制研究和保护管理等都具有重要意义。该文以中国热带森林植被分类研究中存在的问题为出发点,通过阐述我国各省区植被类型分类的研究历史,在综合考虑多种生物和非生物影响因素的基础上,提出一个新的热带森林植被类型分类框架以供探讨。结果表明:(1)尽管针对我国热带森林的分布范围和群落特征等都已开展了诸多研究,但对我国热带森林植被类型的划分依据和分类体系仍存在争议。(2)尽管我国的热带森林都处于季风气候区带内,但许多热带地区的森林植被类型并不只是受季风影响,而是气候带、关键气候因子、地形、土壤反馈和物种适应等多种因素共同作用的结果。(3)我国的热带森林植被包括5个植被型,即非典型性热带雨林、热带季雨林、热带山地雨林、热带山顶苔藓矮林(热带云雾林)和热带针叶林,其中热带季雨林植被型包含4种植被亚型[热带落叶季雨林、热带半落叶(半常绿)季雨林、热带常绿季雨林和热带石灰岩(石山)季雨林]。(4)阐明了上述热带森林植被型和植被亚型在我国各省区的分布情况,并提出未来有必要对人工恢复后的热带森林进行评估和植被类型划分。综上所述,该文提出一个新的热带森林植被类型分类框架,以期为今后基于不同地区开展热带森林比较研究提供参考。

Abstract:

Tropical forest, as an important component of forest vegetation in China, is of great significance to the maintenance mechanism research and biodiversity protection. Based on the problems and research history of tropical forest vegetation classification, a new vegetation classification system with five tropical forest vegetation types was proposed for further discussion, by considering the biotic and abiotic influential factors. The results were as follows:(1)Although many studies have been carried out to describe the distribution range and community characteristics of tropical forests in China, debates still existed on the classification reasons and systems of tropical forest vegetation types.(2)The tropical forests in China are located in the monsoon climate zone, but the forest vegetation types in many tropical areas are not only affected by the monsoon, but are the result of many factors such as the climatic zone, key climatic factors, topography, soil feedback, and species adaptation.(3)The tropical forest vegetation in China has five tropical forest vegetation types including atypical tropical rain forest, tropical monsoon forest, tropical mountain rain forest, tropical mountain moss forest(tropical cloud forest)and tropical coniferous forest. The tropical monsoon forest has four vegetation subtypes including tropical deciduous monsoon forest, tropical semi-deciduous(semi-evergreen)monsoon forest, tropical evergreen monsoon forest and tropical limestone(rocky mountain)monsoon forest.(4)By further illustrating in detail the distribution of main tropical forest vegetation types and subtypes in China, suggestions about the necessaries to define the vegetation types of the artificial recovered tropical forests were also proposed. Special attention should be paid to the fact that there is no clear statistics and description on the distribution boundary and areas of the primary forest and the secondary forest in tropical region with good authenticity and integrity. In conclusion, the proposed new vegetation classification system with five tropical forest vegetation types about the tropical forest vegetation in China will provide a systematic reference for tropical forest comparative research in different regions in the future.