Floristic Composition and Quantitative Classification in Tai Lam Country Park, Hong Kong
香港大榄郊野公园的植物组成与植被数量分类

The vegetation in Tai Lam Country Park, Hong Kong, was investigated in 35 sampling plots. Unw eighted pair-group method with arithmetic averages (UPGMA) and detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) were used to classify the forest communities into 7 types (Acacia confusa Merr. Comm., Lophostemon confertus (R. Br.) Peter G. Wilson ex J. T. Waterh Comm.,Schima superba Gardner ex Champ. Comm., Eucalyptus citriodora Hook. Comm., Pinus elliottii Engelm.+ Schefflera octophylla (Lour.) Harms . Comm., Aquilaria sinensis (Lour.) Spreng. and Eucalyptus torelliana F. Muell. Comm.) and shrub communities into 4 types (Acronychia pedunculata (L.) Miq.+ Phyllanthus cochinchinensis (Lour.) Spreng., Li tsea rotoundifolia (Nees) Hems l. var.oblongifolia (Nees) C. K. Allen + Rhodomyrtus tomentosa (Alton) Hassk. Comm., Gordonia axillaris (Roxb ex Ker Gaw l.) D. Dietr.,and Rhodomyrtus tomentosa (Alton) Hassk.+Dicranopteris dichotoma (Thunb.) Bernh. Comm.). DCA ordination revealed a weak relation between altitude and spatial distribution of species. The first axis of the DCA ordination indicated the humidity gradient and correlated with the diversity index scores of species. The diversity index showed that the species in most plantations had some tolerance to shade. Tristania conferta R. Br. plantations and a few Acacia confuse Merr. plantations had light-demanding species. The investigation showed that the east region in the park is more suitable for plant growing. In the west part of the park, the plants are mainly composed of plantation species and shrubs, with the diversity and richness indices of the plant community in this area lower. Because of poor soil and repeated fire, most shrub communities were at their pioneer succession stage.