A PRELIMINARY REPORT ON THE SPECIES DIVERSITY OF <em>SHOREA</em> <em>CHINENSIS</em> FOREST IN SOUTHWEST CHINA

Abstract

Shorea chinensis forest is distributed in Xishuangbanna in southwest China which constitutes a part of the northernmost border of tropical southwest Asia and covers about 800 ha of wet valleys and gentle slopes. As an important representative of local rainforests under the prevalence of tropical monsoon climate, Shorea chinensis forest has both ecological similarity and difference in comparison with typical humid rainforests in tropical Asia. The present paper makes up one of the contributions to the systematic study on the tropical rainforests in Xishuangbanna. Several diversity indices of trees (DBH ≥ 110 cm ) in this forest were determined by applying 'minimum programme' to the field survey : Shannon's H'; the complement of Simpson's index, d'; Fisher's α, S ₍₁₀₀₎ and b. A S-N curve showing the species diversity of this forest was also completed. The results demonstrate that the Shorea chinensis: forest in Xishuangbanna is more diversified in the tree species composition than some insular forests in Micronesia and some continental rainforests in Thailand and equatorial Amazon.