Vegetation types and climate conditions reflected by the modern phytolith assemblages in the subalpine Dalaoling Forest Reserve, central China

作     者：Djakanibe Desire TRAORE Yansheng GU Humei LIU Ceven SHEMSANGA Jiwen GE 

作者机构：State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology China University of Geosciences Wuhan 430074 China Hubei Key Laboratory of Wetland Evolution & Eco-Restoration (WEER) China University of Geosciences Wuhan 430074 China 

出 版 物：《Frontiers of Earth Science》 (地球科学前沿（英文版）)

年 卷 期：2015年第9卷第2期

页      面：268-275页

核心收录：

学科分类：07[理学] 0708[理学-地球物理学] 09[农学] 0903[农学-农业资源与环境] 0704[理学-天文学] 0713[理学-生态学] 

基　　金：国家留学基金委员会(CSC)项目 the State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences 国家自然科学基金 

主　　题：central China subalpine surface soil phytolithrecords vegetation and climate change 

摘      要：This research describes modern phytolith records and distributions from subalpine surface soils in the Dalaoling Forest Reserve, and reveals its implications for local climate conditions with respect to the altitude gradient. Well-preserved phytolith morpho-types, assem- blages, and climatic indices were used to study the relationship between local vegetation and climate condi- tions. The phytolith classification system is mainly based on the characteristics of detailed morpho-types described for anatomical terms, which are divided into seven groups： long cells, short cells, bulliform cells, hair cells, pterido- phyte type, broad-leaved type, and gymnosperm type. Phytoliths originating from the Poaceae are composed of Pooideae （rondel and trapeziform）, Panicoideae （bilobate, cross, and polylobate）, Chloridoideae （short/square sad- dle）, and Bambusoideae （oblong concave saddle）. Based on the altitudinal distribution of the phytolith assemblages and the indices of aridity （Iph）, climate （Ic）, and tree cover density （D/P）, five phytolith assemblage zones have revealed the five types of climatic conditions ranging from 1,169 m to 2,005 m in turn： warm-wet, warm-xeric to warm-mesic, warm- xeric to cool-mesic, cool-xeric, and cool-mesic to cool-xeric. The Bambusoideae, Panicoideae, and Chloridoideae are the dominant vegetation at the lower-middle of the mountains, while Pooideae is mainly distributed in the higher mountains. The close relationship between phytolith assembleages and changes of altitude gradient suggest that vegetation distribution patterns and plant ecology in the Dalaoling mountains are controlled by temperature and humidity conditions. Our results highlight the importance ofphytolith records as reliable ecoclimatic indicators for vegetation ecology in subtropical regions.