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Climatic range and distribution of Chinese Fagus species
Author(s) -
Cao Kunfang,
Peters Rob,
Oldeman Roelof A.A.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
journal of vegetation science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.1
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1654-1103
pISSN - 1100-9233
DOI - 10.2307/3236230
Subject(s) - evergreen , beech , range (aeronautics) , temperate climate , geography , altitude (triangle) , fagus crenata , china , ecology , environmental science , forestry , biology , materials science , geometry , mathematics , archaeology , composite material
. The distribution of five Chinese Fagus species was mapped, and their geographical range clarified. Their climate range was characterized following Thornthwaite (1948) for moisture and temperature (Thornthwaite's moisture index ranging from 26 to 320), and Kira (1945) for temperature (mean annual temperature from 5 to 17 °C), and compared with the range of other beeches. Chinese beeches occur only in S. China, mainly between 700 m and 2500 m altitude. They grow abundantly only in perhumid climates. The Northern Hemisphere beeches occur mainly in temperate climates; however, they reach warmer extremes in North America and China than in Europe and Japan. Beech habitats in montane China are more humid than in lowland Europe and North America. Chinese beeches are limited by a moisture deficit in the north, and by high temperatures plus relatively low moisture levels in the south. However, they tolerate a certain water deficit in the growing season. The southern geographical and low altitudinal limits of Chinese Fagus species are probably largely determined by the lack of competition with evergreen dicotyledonous trees, together with human influences.