The Global Outstanding Universal Value Of Plant Diversity In Altai Mountains, Xinjiang

The global outstanding universal value is means that whose cultural and(or) natural value is so rare, beyond the national boundaries, anf has universal significance for the present and the future of mankind. It is the core of the world heritage values, and the main basis that whether a heritage can be included in the World Heritage list.The Altai mountain is stretched across China, Russia, Kazakhstan and Mongolia, and located in the Altai-Sayan ecoregion. It is one of the important centers of biodiversity, one of the habitat and shelter for threatened and endemic species, and also has great value for the study of the origin and evolution of vegetation in Central Asia.Xinjiang Altai mountain represented the major part of southern slope of Altai, which have unique characteristics of plant diversity. Based on the wild plants and vegetation of Altai mountain,Xinjian as the research object, the global outstanding universal value was assessed from the aspects of floristic composition, species diversity and spatial distribution pattern of vegetation type. The results are as follows:(1)The plant species of Altai mountain in Xinjiang are rich. There are 1494 species vascular plants belonging to 530 genera and 105 families which accounting for 72.9% of the total number of vascular plants of the Altai. It is the distribution center of plant diversity in the Altai Mountains.(2)Minor-species of family and one-species of genera has absolute advantage of the plants in Altai mountain of Xinjiang. The ratios of genera and species to this region are about 62.7% and 51.4% in the 10 kind of dominant family which contain over 50 species of Compositae, Gramineae and Leguminosae and so on.(3)The areal type of family and genera are the most abundant in Altai mountain, Xinjiang. It is the area of various flora collection, mix and transition in Altai. Compared with other slopes in Altai, it’s floristic component is more complex and diverse, and has a distinct transitional because of there is not only wet and cold resistance of South Taiga, as well as mesophyte of temperate.(4)There are 102 endemic species in Altai mountain of Xinjiang, some of them are not available in the other region of Altai, which plays an irreplaceable role in the composition of plant diversity.(5)Similarity coefficient of seed flora in Altai mountain of Xinjiang, Russia, Mongolia and Kazakhstan at family and genus levels is more than 50%, which meant the high similarity of seed plant flora between each other. The similarity relation of seed flora at family and genus between Altai mountain of Xinjiang and others slopes is more closely than other slopes between each other. It is processes from the Altai Mountains Siberian species to Junggar Desert species. It is the only area of intersection of Siberia, the arctic, Europe and Asia, arctic-mountains and Mongolia and other floras.(6)A variety of vegetation types have developed in Altai mountain of Xinjiang, there are 8 vegetation types, 18 vegetation subtypes and 13 formations.Among of them, the Form. Calligonum rubicundum and Form. Seriphidium borotalense、Festuca valesiaca is only in the distribution of Altai mountains, Xinjiang, which is unique of the rich vegetation types in Altai mountain.(7)The Altai Mountains of Xinjiang is located at the junction of three major vegetation types(a global dark coniferous forests, temperate broadleaf forest, desert). It has a distinctive feature of staggered and transition for the mountainous boreal taiga and temperate desert. Therefore, it has uniqueness and irreplaceability on the spatial distribution pattern of vegetation in the Altai mountain.(8)From west to east, a series of typical natural altitudinal zones have developed on the south slope of the Altai Mountains in Xinjiang. The altitudinal zones are as follows: ice and snow, alpine tundra, alpine sparse vegetation, alpine meadow, subalpine meadow, forest steppe, mountain steppe, and the desert steppe zone. The natural altitudinal zones in Altai mountain of Xinjiang and in the north slope of Altai mountain, they constitute the complete vertical natural spectrum of Altai mountain. So it is indispensability to throughout the vertical landscape of Altai mountain.