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
2.1 Alpine Shrub Meadow Zone
Above 3,400 m elevation in the Qinling, the shrub-meadow vegetation replaces forest. There is
generally meadow vegetation above 3,500 m. There is a mosaic distribution of shrub and meadow at
3,400-3,500 m. There is obvious glacier relic vegetation above 3,400 m. Falling rock has caused a
rubble surface in some areas and riprap sands are the main physiognomy feature of this zone. The
soil is alpine meadow soil and annual precipitation is 750-800 mm. The height of shrubs is less than
50 cm and the shrubs display mainly prostrate growth forms. The most frequent species are
Rhododendron fastlgiatum, Salix cupularis and Salix fructuosa; and the other species are Spiraea
alpine and Rhododendron fortunei. The distribution of meadow vegetation is even and frequent
species are Kobresia spp., Carex spp., Rhodiola spp., and so on. There are Stephanachne
nigrescens, Deyeuxia langsdorffii, Poa spp. and Ranuanculaceae species distributed evenly
throughout the region. Exclusion phanerogam, there are many lichen species that are used as
medicinal plants including Cladoia vermiculata, Cladoia alpestris and others. The primary plant
communities are Form. Rhododendron capitatum and Form. Salix cupularis. There is the distribution
of Form. Spiraea mongolica at lower elevations. There is Form. Kobresia graminifolia and Form.
Polygonum sphaerostuchyum in flat areas.
2.2 Taibaishan larch (Larix chinensis) forest zone
Taibaishan larch (Larix chinensis) forest is found mostly at 3000-3400 m. The soil is sub-alpine
meadow-forest soil; the soil layer is barren and 20-30 cm. Annual precipitation is 800-900mm. The
larch grow slowly, the height of plants of 150-200 years in age is only a few meters and the diameter
at breast height is 10-18 cm. The plant growth is fine at the lower edge of the forest zone, the height
of plants 140 years old is 10-12 m and the diameter at breast height is 20-25cm.
There are ten additional shrubs in the forest which have sprawl, mat-shape or upright growth forms but
all plants are dwarf forms. The familiar shrubs are Spiraea mongolica, Lonicera webbiana, Lonicera
hispida, Salix cupularis, Acanthopanax giraldii, Potentila arbuscula var. veitchii, Lonicera szeshuanica,
Ribes glaciale, Rosa tsinglingensis, Salix wangiana, Sabina squamata var. wilsonii, Rhododendron
capitatum, Berberis sp. and Rubus flosculosus. The familiar families are Compositae and Cyperaceae
which account for 30% of all plant species. They are Carex capoliformis, C. schneideri, Kobresia
graminifolia, Saussuria iodostegia, Anaphalis aureopunctata, Polygonum sphaerostachyum, Allium
prattii, Pedicularis muscicola, Galium var. hoffmeisteri and Fragaria gracilis.
2.3 Fir (Abies fargesii) forest zone
The basic species is Bashan fir (Abies fargesii). The distribution of the fir forest is at elevations of
2,800-3,000 m on the north slope and 2,650-3,000m on the south slope. Because the landform is
strongly wind-eroded and denuded by movement of sand and rock, the glacial physiognomy is not
evident, and the soil is hilly ash-palm soil.
Fir forest occurs in a belt around the hillside and its distribution is wide. There are wildwoods in many
places which are over-mature forests. Taibaishan larch forest is found above the fir forest and the
distribution of both forests frequently overlap. There is red birch (Betula albo-sinensis), spruce (Picea
sp.) and Huashan pine (Pinus armandii) in the lower limit of the fir forest zone.
The fir forests are nearly mono-specific, single-age forests with little variation in age and few other
species. The numbers of species vary with altitude change. Arrow bamboo (Sinarundinaria nitida)
only occurs below 2,800 m. The familiar shrub species are Rebis glaciale, Fraxinus mafeisii, Lonicera
saccata, Rhododendron clementinae subsp. aureodorsale, Lonicera webbiana, Abelia dielsii and
Lonicera trichantha in the highest elevation fir forests. The familiar shrub species are Sinarundinaria
nitida, Malus teringoides, Prunus polytricha, Rosa xanthina, Sorbus koekneana, Spiraea capcscoeme
var. myrtifolia in lower forest.
2.4 Cowhide birch (Betula albo-sinensis var. septentrionalis) forest zone
The cowhide birch forest zone occurs mostly at elevations of 2,400-3,100 m on south slope and is a
type of deciduous broadleaf forest at the highest elevation for this type. The forest meets the fir (Abies
fargesii) forest zone at upper elevations forest and the red birch (Betula albo-sinensis) at lower