Vegetation Classification System of Forest in Central West Climatic Region of Taiwan

• Main Authors: Liou Ching-Yu, 劉靜榆
• Other Authors: Horng — Jye Su
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2003
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/19369762004395855662

博士 === 國立臺灣大學 === 森林學研究所 === 92 === A total of 563 sample stands, established by previous investigators and the author herself, have been collected for the synthesis of a regional vegetation classification system in central-west climatic region of Taiwan. The upper levels of the classification hierarchy were delimited by the physiognomy of forest, following the treatment of the U. S. National Vegetation Classification (USNVC) System. The lowest two levels of the hierarchy — the alliance and association were based on floristic composition according to the concept of diagnostic species and floristic-sociological classification of the Braun-Blanquet approach. Forest sample stands involving 392 woody species were subjected to cluster analysis and two-way indicator species analysis (TWINSPAN) for the grouping of samples into composite samples and summarization of species abundance. The composite samples were re-arranged by tabular comparison method for developing a hierarchy of forest vegetation system. The resultant system consists of 22 alliances, characterized respectively by Ficus septica, Phoebe formosana, Pasania konishii, Castanopsis fargesii, Daphniphyllum glaucescens subsp. oldhamii var. oldhamii, Lithocarpus lepidocarpus, Castanopsis cuspidata var. carlesii f. carlesii, Schima superba var. superba, Rhododendron formosanum, Schefflera taiwaniana, Liquidambar formosana, Trema orientalis, Zelkova serrata, Juglans cathayensis, Carpinus kawakamii, Quercus variabilis, Alnus formosana, Euonymus carnosus, Pseudotsuga wilsoniana, Chamaecyparis formosensis, Chamaecyparis obtusa var. formosana, Pinus taiwanensis. Eighty-seven vegetation types representing the associations have been recognized at lowest level of the classification hierarchy. The associations and alliances can be grouped into formations including evergreen broadleaved forest, deciduous broadleaved forest and evergreen coniferous forest.