Final Report - Asian Development Bank

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TA 4721-PRC: Preparing the Shaanxi-Qinling Mountains Integrated Ecosystem Management Project
Final Report Appendix 5
The narrow scale Qinling Mountains cover only the mid section of the Qinling Mountains, which lie
in southern Shaanxi Province in the mountainous region between the Wei River and the Han River.
Its eastern boundary is Ba River and Dan River, and its western boundary is Jialing River.
The Shaanxi Qinling Mountains make up most of the broad scale Qinling Mountains, and lie
between the Guanzhong plateau and the Han River valley. The Shaanxi Qinling Mountains have four
apices, one whose north point is south of Tongguan County seat, a south point at Xunyang County
seat, an east point at Fushui of Shangnan County and the west point is Guojiaba of Lueyang County.
The geographic coordinates are 32°40’–34°35’N and 105°30’–110°05’E. The acreage is 55,000 km 2 ,
account for about 25% of the total area of Shaanxi Province and including all of 13 counties and part
of 22 counties in Shangzhou City, Hanzhong City, Ankuang City, Baoji City, Xianyang City, Weinan
City and Xi`an City (Table 2). The population is about 5,000,000, accounting for 1/7 of the total
population of Shaanxi Province.
City
Shangzhou
Table 2: City and County in Shaanxi Qinling Mountains
Whole area of county
in Shaanxi Qinling Mountains
Shangxian, Luonan, Shanyang, Danfeng,
Zhenan, Zhashui and Shangnan
Part area of county
in Shaanxi Qinling Mountains
Hanzhong Lueyang, Liuba and Foping
Mianxian, Hanzhong, Chenggu, Yangxian,
Xixiang and Ningqiang
Ankuang Ningshan Ankuang, Xunyang, Hanyin and Shiquan
Baoji Fengxian and Taibai Weibin, Baoji, Meixian and Qishan
Xi’an
Zhouzhi, Huxian, Changan, Lintong and
Lantian
Weinan Linwei, Huaxian, Huayin and Tonggua
Sum 13 23
2 Vegetation in Qinling Mountains
The vegetation in the northern Qinling Mountains is deciduous-broadleaf forest in the warm temperate
zone and the vegetation in the south is the northern sub-tropic type or evergreen broadleaf. Because
the hypsography of Qinling Mountain is rising, there is evidence of peak distributions of forest
vegetation.
The vegetation of Qinling Mountains has a unique character. For example, red birch forest can form a
distinct forest zone, the species and genus of red birch are relatively complex and the peak altitude
zone flora is relatively rich in the mountain region. Besides the character of the flora, the nature of
vegetation transition is marked. For example, Pinus tabulaeformis, Quercus liaotungensis and
Quercus aliena in Chinese north flora have a wider distribution, but many evergreen broadleaves,
Pinus massoniana, Cunninghamia lanceolata, Vemicia fordii and Sapium sebiferum in subtropical
latitudes are very abundant. Otherwise, there are vegetation component in southwest mountain
region of China also.
There are many similar things in the peak distribution law of vegetation between the south and north
slopes in the Qinling. But because of the influence of the warmer and wetter climate on the south
slope, the breadth height of vegetation zone on south slope is lower than on the north slope, a
discrepancy of about 100-150m. The basal zone is controlled by level distribution of climate
vegetation. There is the deciduous-broadleaf forest and arborvitae forest at 500–800m on the north
slope, but there is the deciduous-broadleaf forest with evergreen broadleaf at 500–800m on the south
slope.
According to the vertical distribution of vegetation in Taibaishan, the vertical distribution law of
vegetation in Qinling Mountain is as shown in Figure1.