Study On Species Diversity Of Plants In Huaping Nature Reserve Of Guangxi, China

The plants diversity compositions and characteristics, endemism, important wild plants for conservation, rare and endangered plants , and wild plants resources in Huaping Nature Reserve of Guangxi were studied on the base of field investigation, literatures checked and specimens collected. After two years investigation, some results were arrived as follows:1. The vascular plants 1505 species (incluing subspecies, varieties and forma) belonging to 689 genera in 208 families in Huaping National Nature Reserve, in which, there are fern plants of 180 species belonging to 84 genera and 42 families, there are 14 gymnosperm species belonging to 11 genera in 7 families, and there are 1311 angiosperm species belonging to 594 genera and 159 families.2. 42 families, 84 genra and 180 species of fern in Huaping National Nature Reserve were recorded, covering 75%, 53% and 21% of fern in Guangxi; 67%, 36% and 7% of fern in China, respectively. The dominant families are Dryopteridaceae, Polypodiaceae, Athyriaceae and Thelypteridaceae, including 34 genera 85 species; The dominant genera are Dryopteris, Pteris, Selaginella and Asplenium, including 35 species. The floristic analyses of families and genera show that tropical and subtropical elements took a large proportion. The fern may be classified into three types respectively used for medicine, ornament and food.3. The gymnosperms take up a very low proportion in the total flora, contained Cathaya argyrophylla, Nothotsuga longibracteata, Pinus kwangtungensis, Pinus fenzeliana, Fokienia hodginsii, Cephalotaxus fortunei, Cephalotaxus3 oliveri, Amentotaxus argotaenia, Taxus wallichiana var. mairei and Gnetum parvifolium.They are antiquity, survived and endemic. 4. The dominant families of angiosperms consist of Rosaceae, Orchidaceae, Compositae, Gramineae, Theaceae, Lauraceae, Cyperaceae, Rubiaceae, Labiatae, Fagaceae, Urticaceae, Ericaceae, Liliaceae, Aquifoliaceae, Caprifoliaceae, Papilionaceae, Araliaceae, Polugonaceae, Ranunculaceae, Celastraceae and Symplocaceae. The tropic-subtropic distribunation type of families are doninant with the proportion of 66%. The important genera include Ilex, Symplocos, Rhododendron, Eurya, Acer, Castanopsis, Lithocarpus, Camellia, Photinia, Polygonum, Impatiens, Illicium, Hydrangea, Rubus and Ardisia. The tropical distribunation type of genera has 285, and the temperate distribunation type of genera has 258, the latter slightly is equal to the former.5. For the fern of Huaping Nature Reserve, the genera number of which each has only one species is 40 with the proportion of 49%; the number of which each has only 2-4 species is 39 with the proportion of 48.5%. Based on the wild seed plants distribution in genera, the number of which each has only one species has 349 with the proportion of 60%; the number of which each has only 2-5 species is 192 with the proportion of 32%. From the the result of statistical analysis, we know that the number of spcies in a majority of genera is lack and the genera with less than 5 species are dominant.6. The phytogeographic components are complex, but the tropical and the subtropical distribution elements have a large number of families and genera in the flora. According to the opinion of Li Xiwen(1996), the distribution type of 163 families are divided into 9 types and 10 subtypes, in which tropical families occupy 66% of the total non-cosmopolitan families, especially the pantropic ones cover the most families. Based on the opinion of Wu Zhengyi(1991), the distribution type of 583 genera are divided into 13 types and 16 subtypes. All of them, 285 genera belong to tropical type, in which, the pantropic ones list the first; 235 genera belong to temperate type, in which, the north temperate ones have the most genera.7. In comparison of Huaping's flora with neighbouring flora, it shows that the Huaping Nature Reserve is similar to Mao'er Mountain flora in family standard. Judging from the generic similarity, they are seem to have close relation with the similarity coefficients of genera being 40%; but the flora of Nonggang is very different to that of Huaping. R/T ratio of the commen genera of Nonggang is the highest (2.62), that of Mao'er Mountain is the last(1.25), the result shows that the Huaping has connection with other four floras by tropical gnera. There are 182 genera belong to five National Nature Reserves, in which, the tropical genera covered 115 , occupying 70% of the total of the non-comsmopolitan genera, it also can be concluded that the Huaping has connection with other four floras by tropical gnera.8. The endemism in the flora in Huaping Nature Reserve is comparatively rich. 4 families are endemic to Eastern Aisa namely Cephalotaxaceae, Actinidiaceae, Stachyuraceae and Toricelliaceae. Sargentodoxaceae is endemic to China and 24 genera are endemic to China, e.g. Phanerophlebiopsis, Cathaya, Nothotsuga, Parakmeria, Asteropyrum, Sargentodoxa, Hilliela, Emmenopterys, Camptotheca. There are 35 species which are endemic to Guangxi in Huaping, Arachniods huapingensis, Cathaya argyrophylla, Cyclosorus parvilobus, Lindera lungshengensis, Saxifraga kwangsiensis, Parnassia longshengensis, Elatostema filipes, Diospyros longshengensis, Lysionotus heterophyllus var. lasianthus, Isometrum lungshengense, Rabdosia lungshengensis, Carex longshengensis and so on. The low percentage of endemism in species probably shows that geological isolation is low in degree and short with respect to time.9. There are 17 which belong to the list of the National Key Protected Wild Plants(1999) in Huaping. All of them, 3 species under first class national protection namely Cathaya argyrophylla, Taxus wallichiana var. mairei, Bretschneidera sinensis. 14 species under second class national protection, Cibotium barometz, Pinus kwangtungensis, Phoebe bourneis, Tonna ciliata, Emmenopterys elata, Rhoiptelen chiliantha and so on. They sparsely distribute in diversity of environment and the number of group is small.10. There are abundant wild plants resources in Huaping National Nature Reserve, which are divided into timber plants, medicinal plants, aromatic plants, fiber plants, food plants, ornamental plants, starch plants and so on.