The vegetation development in north Ziwulin forest region in last fifty years

Abstract

North Ziwuling forest area had the character of loess hilly and gully landform. The vegetation succession sequence in this regions is vest land→herbage→shrub→early forest community of Populus davidiana or Betula platyphylla and Platycladus orientalis, then changed to forest community such as Quercus liaotungensis or Pinus labulaeformis. In last 50 years, Pinus labulaeformis and Platycladus orientalis were developed towards the Quercus liaotungensis, however the Populus davidiana or Betula platyphylla and Platycladus orientalis became the interim. They climate climax was Quercus liaotungensis and the Pinus labulaeformis was likely a sub-climax in the succession sequence, meanwhile the Ziwuling forest area showed its regional development of succession with most original woods of Populus davidiana replaced by Quercus liaotungensis. The Platycladus orientalis growing in the steep rock on the down solar slopes became soil-dominated climax.