| South china karst region represents outstanding geomorphologicvalue to karst landfrom development and evolution in tropics andsubtropics. The South China Karst (SCK) is a serial Nomination forWorld Natural Heritage to the World Heritage Committee of UNESCOby the State Party, China. It comprises by Shilin Karst, JinfoshanKarst, Wulong Karst, Shibing Karst, Libo Karst, Huanjiang Karst andGuilin Karst. In order to study systematically south china karstgeomorphology and geomorphological world heritage value, duringOctober2011to December2013, base field investigation, lab andliterature analysis, and comparision, this paper made researchabout geomorphology to SCK region and SCK, geomorphologicevolutionary history, global karst heritage lists, globalgeomorphic comparision, geomorphic value to South China Karst andmorphological spectrum integrity. Conclusions are as follow:(1)SCK region is located in advantageous karst developmentenvironment, comprising by superior karst rocks and spatialdistribution conditions, multi-stage tectonic movements andcomplex crustal uplift and tropical-subtropical metching hot-humidmonsoon climate. This region develops almost all karst landforms,and cone karst and tower karst are the most typical. Since TertiaryPeriod, south china karst region develops largely influenced byrejuvenation, because of neotetonic, which shaped plateau-gorge geomorphologic macrostructure and had effects on geomorphologicprocess of karst types of south China karst. It had formed differentkarst evolution zones, characterized by intensive massive, intenselinear uplift, moderate uplift and gentle uplift. Futher studys ondevelopment mechanism of different karst need to be established.(2)There is no rejuvenation effect on Yunnan-Guizhou plateausurface, and where pinnacle karst in Shilin has developed from microto macro karren, and it made Shilin a representative inheritedpinnacle karst development zone. Jinfoshan Karst, with intenseheadward erosion, is located on the edge of Yunnan-Guizhou plateau.Residual plateau planation surface, deep gorges, giant cliffs andlarge-scale underground river tunnels made it a plateau-gorgemorphological structure development zone. Wulong, Shibing, Liboand Huanjiang have been rejuvenating remarkably and located indeeper karst development zones, and both have developed own typicalgorge karst, dolomite karst and cone karst. Guilin is located atlow hill and mountain area without obvious rejuvenation,characterized by inherited tower karst landform.(3)Karst rocks in south china karst region represent twosediment cycles in Yangtze plate from Sinian to Silurian andSouthern China plate from late Palaeozoic to Triassic.South chinakarst region have experienced four tectonic stages, including thecontinental block formation (1,700Ma BP), plate movement stage (1,700-400Ma BP), plate activity board (400-210Ma BP) andintracontinental convergence stage (210Ma BP), which had recordedkarst evolution history from Cambrian. However, it needs futherdetailed study, such as stalagmite paleoclimate records, onevolution processes and history of south china karst.(4)SCK region could be divided into different karst developmentregions, including Tibet plateau karst zone, Hengduan-Mountainkarst zone, Yunnan-Guizhou plateau surface karst zone, threetransition zones from YunnanGuizhou plateau to Sichuan basin, Hunanbasin and Guilin basin, and Guilin and Vietnam alluvial plain zone.Different karst development zone has developed different karstlandforms, and they together constitute south china karstmorpholpgical spectrum.(5)The evolutionary sequence of SCK is characterized by upliftdevelopment of tropicsl and subtropics, and the development processis complex with a developmental succession and multigenerationwhich is rare in the world. SCK represents the unique physicalgeographic features, and comprehensively shows the topography,landforms, climate, hydrology, vegetation, ecology and otherfeatures of the landscape as a whole. SCK shows the most typicalkarst geomorphological spectrum with tectonic evolution genesisand different tropical and subtropical karst landforms in differentkarst development zone in SCK region. Phase I and phase II of SCK make examples of tropical and subtropical karst landform evolutionby different space distributions, different evolution stages,different karst landforms, different sequence, and is to become oneof the world’s two important evolution mode sites.(6)SCK region represents significant on-going geologicalprocesses in the development of landforms, or significantgeomorphic or physiographic feature of karst in tropics andsubtropics. SCK shows the most distinctive pinicle, table-mountain,gorge, dolomite, cone and tower karst landforms. It is the karstlandform development mode site in tropics and subtropics, not onlyillustrates the ongoing karst process and stage from childhood,youth, middle and old period, but also record the evolution historyfrom Cambrian period.The travertine karst, high-mountain karst andcoastal tower karst in Huanglong, Jiuzhaigou protected area, Threeparallel rivers of Yunnan protected areas and Ha Long Bay are thebest example of this type of karst, and they are important part ofsouth china karst morpholpgical spectrum. And more, we suggest, atthe appropriate time, developing world heritage criterion viii toHuanglong, Jiuzhaigou protected area by travertine karstgeomorphology.(7)People know poorly to three karst geomorphology left in thesouth china karst morpholpgical spetrum about theirgeomorphological world heritage value, including Tibet karst, Underground river systems karst and South China Sea karst, each werecharacterized by different driving progress by glacier andfreeze-thaw weathering, underground corrosion or erosion process,and modern carbonate sedimentary process. We suggest, on theappropriate time, China government putting forward SCK phase IIIworld heritage, including Tibet Karst, Underground River SystemKarst and South China Sea Karst, to make perfect to the south chinakarst morpholpgical spetrum. |
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