The Jiang Nan subtropical evergreen forests
ecoregion
An ecoregion (ecological region) or ecozone (ecological zone) is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than a bioregion, which in turn is smaller than a biogeographic realm. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of ...
(WWF ID: IM0118) covers the mountainous divide between the lower
Yangtze
The Yangtze or Yangzi ( or ; ) is the longest river in Asia, the third-longest in the world, and the longest in the world to flow entirely within one country. It rises at Jari Hill in the Tanggula Mountains (Tibetan Plateau) and flows ...
River and the coastal plain of
South China. The region is also a climatic divide between the temperate valleys of the north and the subtropical forests of the south.
The region is important for biodiversity and endemic species. The rugged limestone karst hills have been relatively protected from conversion to agriculture, and support specialized plant and animal communities.
Location and description
The ecoregion ranges over the
Nanling Mountains
The Nanling (), also known as the Wuling (), is a major mountain range in Southern China that separates the Pearl River Basin from the Yangtze Valley and serves as the dividing line between south and central subtropical zones. The main rang ...
of
Southern China
South China () is a geographical and cultural region that covers the southernmost part of China. Its precise meaning varies with context. A notable feature of South China in comparison to the rest of China is that most of its citizens are not n ...
, from the
Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau
The Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau or Yungui Plateau () is a highland region located in southwest China. The region is primarily spread over the provinces of Yunnan and Guizhou. In the southwest, the Yungui is a true plateau with relatively flatter ...
in the west, to the coast of the
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean. It is bounded in the north by the shores of South China (hence the name), in the west by the Indochinese Peninsula, in the east by the islands of Taiwan and northwestern Phi ...
in the east. The mountains separate the lower Yangtze River watershed to the north from the coastal plain to the south. Parts of the mountains sit on granite, but much of the region is limestone, with distinctive pinnacles and
karst terrain. Elevations range from 500 meters to 1,500 meters.
Climate
The climate of the ecoregion is ''
Humid subtropical climate, hot wet summer'' (
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
(Cfa)). This climate is characterized by large seasonal temperature differentials. No month averages below , at least one month averages above , and four months average over . Precipitation is generally highest in the summer.
Flora
The forests of the region are subtropical, characterized by evergreen chinquapin (''
Castanopsis
''Castanopsis'', commonly called chinquapin or chinkapin, is a genus of evergreen trees belonging to the beech family, Fagaceae. The genus contains about 140 species, which are today restricted to tropical and subtropical eastern Asia. A total o ...
''), oak (''
Quercus
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ...
''), and ''
Schima
''Schima'' is a genus of evergreen trees belonging to the tea family, Theaceae.
The genus inhabits warm temperate to subtropical climates across southern and southeastern Asia, from the eastern Himalaya of Nepal and eastern India across Ind ...
'' (an evergreen member of the tea tree family,
Theaceae
Theaceae (), the tea family, is a family of flowering plants comprising shrubs and trees, including the economically important tea plant, and the ornamental camellias. It can be described as having from seven to 40 genera, depending on the sour ...
); Laurels are common in the understory.
Elevations below 1,000 meters feature semi-deciduous forests dominated by ring-cupped oak (''
Quercus glauca
''Quercus glauca'' ( syn. ''Cyclobalanopsis glauca''), commonly called ring-cupped oak or Japanese blue oak, is a tree in the beech family (Fagaceae). It is native to eastern and southern Asia, where it is found in Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, nor ...
''), ''
Cinnamomum
''Cinnamomum'' is a genus of evergreen aromatic trees and shrubs belonging to the laurel family, Lauraceae. The species of ''Cinnamomum'' have aromatic oils in their leaves and bark. The genus contains approximately 250 species, distributed in ...
'', Chinese elm (''
Ulmus parvifolia''), and ''
Bridelia''. Bamboo is also an important tree in the regional forests. Most of the lowland forests have been cleared.
Fauna
The area supports a number of vulnerable mammals, including the critically endangered
white-headed langur (''Trachypithecus poliocephalus leucocephalus''), the endangered
François' langur (''T. francoisi''), and the near-threatened
mainland serow (''Capricornis milneedwardsii''). Over 400 species of birds have been recorded in the ecoregion.
See also
*
List of ecoregions in China
References
{{reflist
Ecoregions of China
Indomalayan ecoregions
Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests