Diversity of Woodland Communities and Plant Species along an Altitudinal Gradient in the Guancen Mountains, China

Table 1

Characteristics of environmental variables and community structure of woodland communities in the Guancen Mountains, China.

Communities	Elevation; (m)	Slope (°)	Aspect; (classes)	Litter thickness(cm)	Soils types	Plant cover (%)
						Total	Trees	Shrubs	Herbs
I	1700–1800	15–35	1–3	1.0–3.0	Mt. cinnamon	80–95	5–10	70–85	40–55
II	1600–1700	15–40	1–3	0–2.0	Mt. Cinnamon	80–90	5–10	70–80	35–55
III	1700–1750	8–10	3	1.0–3.5	Mt. cinnamon	80–90	30–50	55–70	45–60
IV	2000–2050	20–40	2–4	2.0–5.0	Brown forest	85–90	5–10	80–90	40–60
V	2150–2350	20–25	1–5	3.0–6.5	Brown forest	90–98	85–95	30–45	50–65
VI	2150–2400	5–25	2–4	3.0–7.0	Brown forest	90–95	80–90	35–45	65–80
VII	2500–2600	2–20	2–6	6.0–9.0	Brown forest	90–95	85–90	30	70–80
VIII	2550–2600	1–2	4–5	6.0–10.0	Brown forest and meadow	100	10	1–5	95–100

Community type: I Comm: Hippophae rhamnoides + Ostryopsis davidiana − Dendianthena chanetii; II Comm: Hippophae rhamnoides + Wikstroemia chamaedaphne − Artemisia sacrorum; III Comm: Larix principis-ruprechtii − Caragana intermedia + Wikstroemia chamaedaphne − Artemisia sacrorum; IV Comm: Spiraea pubescens − Artemisia sacrorum + Oxytropis caerulea; V Comm: Picea wilsonii + Larix principis-ruprechtii + Betula platyphylla − Salix pseudotongii − Carex lanceolata + Roegneria kamoji; VI Comm: Larix principis-ruprechtii + Picea wilsonii −Hippophae rhamnoides − Carex lanceolata; VII Comm: Picea wilsonii + Larix principis-ruprechtii − Lonicera hispida − Carex lanceolata + Sanguisorba officinalis; VIII Comm: Larix principis-ruprechtii − Sanguisorba officinalis + Cymbopogon sp.+ Geranium wibfordii. Aspect classes: 1 (337.6°–22.5°), 2 (22.6°–67.5°), 3 (292.6°–337.5°), 4 (67.6°–112.5°), 5 (247.6°–292.5°), 6 (112.6°–157.5°), 7 (202.6°–247.5°), and 8 (157.6°–202.5°).