Vegetation type and vertical zone spectrum on the northern slope of Mt. Laotudingzi in eastern Liaoning Province
辽东山地老秃顶子北坡植被类型及垂直带谱

Based on the data of plots along altitudinal gradient,this paper classified the type of forest communities using TWINSPAN classification,consequently determined vertical zone spectrum and concerned species composition and life-spectrum on the northern slope of Mt.Laotudingzi,which is the highest peak of the middle mountains with a relative height of 867m in eastern Liaoning Province.The results showed that:(1) The vegetation vertical zone spectrum was composed of 8 belts,namely the deciduous broad-leaved forests dominated by Quercus mongolica and Acer mono between 500 to 720m,the deciduous broad-leaved forests dominated by Tilia amurensis and Acer mono from 720 to 820m,the mixed coniferous and broad-leaved forests dominated by Abies nephroleis and Syringa reticulata var.mandshurica along 820 to 920m,the dark coniferous forests dominated by Abies nephrolepis and Picea jezoensis var.microsperma at 920-1080m,the mixed coniferous and broad-leaved forests dominated by Betula costata and Abies nephrolepis at 1080-1190m,the deciduous broad-leaved forests dominated by Betula ermanii and Acer barbinerve at 1190-1280m,shrub dominated by Acer spp.and Corylus mandshurica from 1280 to 1320m and alpine meadow dominated by Calamagrostis angustifolia and Carex spp.from 1320 to 1367m.(2) The species richness of the 8 vegetation layers were 43,27,33,39,54,45,47 and 34,respectively,indicating that the highest value appeared at the mid-altitude zone on the northern slope of Mt.Laotudingzi.(3) The proportion of Phanerophytes in the community became larger obviously and Hemicryptophytes was smaller with increasing elevation from piedmont to 920m,however,the proportion of Phanerophytes obviously became smaller with increasing elevation and nearly disappeared on the peak,while Hemicryptophytes increased from 21.2% to 79.4% significantly from 920m to the top.