Species Diversity and Altitudinal Gradient Patterns of Evergreen Broad-leaved Forest in Meihuashan National Natural Reserve, Fujian Province

Abstract

: In China, evergreen broad鄄leaved forests (EBLFs) is one of the most important vegetation types which was widly distributed in subtropical area, and it plays a very important role in the global biological diversity and nat鄄 ural environment conservation also. In order to reveal species diversity and altitudinal gradient patterns of evergreen broad鄄leaved forest in Meihuashan National Natural Reserve, Fujian Province. Five altitude transects were set up at a vertical interval of 200 m between 375 m and 1 300 m above sea level in the EBLFs distribution areas, and twenty鄄 four quadrats (14 400 m 2 ) had been surveyed. Species richness ( S ), species richness index ( d Gl ), Simpson in鄄 dex ( D ), Shannon鄄Wiener index ( H忆 ), Pielou evenness index ( J ) had been used for analysis of species diversity and altitudinal gradient pattern of EBLFs. The average value of S , d Gl , H忆 , J and D were 64. 42, 10. 75, 5. 75, 3. 50, 0. 58 respectively. The difference of community species diversity index ( S , d Gl , D , H忆 , and J ) was ex鄄 tremely significant between transects, and the altitudinal gradient patterns of species diversity presented the unimodal variable trend, with a peak in the mid鄄altitude (700 m-900 m). The species richness and Shannon鄄Wiener index of different layer were ranked as shrub layer (include young tree and the plants between layers)>arbor layer>herb lay鄄 er. The species richness of tree and shrub layer, and Shannon鄄Wiener index of tree layer were significantly different between at layer and herb layer, and the species richness of herb layer did not change significantly along elevation gradient. Therefore, plant species diversity distribution pattern presented a unimodal variable trend along an elevation gradi鄄 ent, and supported “mid鄄domain model冶 in EBLFs of Meihuashan National Nature Reserve.