Download Vegetation Map and Vegetation Monographs of China

BCAS
Vol.24 No.4 2010
Vegetation Map and Vegetation
Monographs of China
GUO Ke
Institute of Botany, CAS, Beijing 100093
Vegetation Map of China
As the most significant component of an ecosystem,
vegetation plays the most important role in maintaining
biodiversity and providing the necessary resources for
human beings. A vegetation map shows the major vegetation
types of a region and their geographic distribution patterns.
Ve g e t a t i o n M a p o f C h i n a i s m a d e u p o f t w o
components: a vegetation type map and a vegetation
regionalization map. The former shows the distribution
of the main vegetation types in this country, and the latter
displays the geographic differentiation of vegetation. Both
of them represent the framework and patterns of geographic
distribution of vegetation in China. At present, they have
had several versions on different scales.
The most up-to-date version so far is the Vegetation
Map of the People’s Republic of China (1:1000,000)
published in 2007. It includes the 60-page Vegetation
Type Atlas (1:1000000) in folio and the Vegetation
Regionalization Map (1:6,000,000) in standard-sized
Larix gmelinii forest.
(Photo by Xie Zongqiang)
240 Bulletin of the Chinese Academy of Sciences
sheet. This Vegetation Type Atlas reflects the situation up
to the 1990s, including the geographic distribution of 11
vegetation type groups, 55 vegetation types, 960 vegetation
formations and sub-formations, and more than 2,000
dominant species of the plant communities and main crops.
The Vegetation Regionalization Map illustrates geographic
differentiation of vegetation in China. It divides the whole
country into eight vegetation regions, 12 vegetation subregions, 25 vegetation zones, 116 vegetation districts,
and 464 vegetation sub-districts (Editorial Committee of
Vegetation Map of China, Chinese Academic of Sciences,
2007a). In addition, the maps have two explanation volumes.
The Volume I first introduces the history of vegetation
mapping, physiographic conditions of China and the flora,
characteristics of vegetation distribution in China, principle
of vegetation classification and the classification system; and
then describes distribution area, habitat condition, species
composition and structure of communities of the vegetation
Pinus tabulaeformis forest. (Photo by Guo Ke)
Vol.24 No.4 2010
Ecosystem Protection
Phyllostachys pubescens forest. (Photo by Xie Zongqiang)
Pinus, Picea, Betula mixed forest. (Photo by Liu Yonggang)
formations and sub-formations. A total of 868 vegetation
photos are attached in plates. The Volume II is mainly
about the vegetation regionalization map. It describes the
geographic position of vegetation regionalization units,
and the physiographic conditions, vegetation combination
feature, rational utilization of vegetation resource and the
protection suggestion of each districts and sub-districts. A
Latin-Chinese and Chinese-Latin checklist of more than
8,700 common plant species names appearing in the maps
and the instruction is appended (Editorial Committee of
Vegetation Map of China, Chinese Academic of Sciences,
2007b). For the convenience of its readers, an accompanying
CD-ROM contains all the maps and instructions in the
publication. Additionally, all maps are digitized and the
related databases are established. A vegetation information
Parashorea chinensis forest. (Photo by Zhu Hua)
manipulation system is developed. By making use of these
databases and the system, readers can splice, cut, zoom,
superimpose, mark or color any figures at will. They can
also retrieve, extract or calculate all kinds of elements such
as points, lines, polygons and fonts; make correlative subject
charts and multivariate analyses with natural and social
factors; and quickly modify and generate new maps.
A technique innovation attempt has been made in
compilation of vegetation map in China. Based on remotesensing information and the field investigative data, the more
rapid and accurate compilation of vegetation maps on a larger
scale is expected to reflect the current vegetation situation
and its recent variation. In future, the vegetation information
manipulation system will further integrate all older versions
of vegetation maps and plant community information.
Vegetation Monographs of China
The compilation of Vegetation Monographs of China
is a major project supported by the State Key Laboratory of
Vegetation and Environment Change at the CAS Institute
of Botany, with the objective of collecting, analyzing,
Bulletin of the Chinese Academy of Sciences
241
BCAS
Vol.24 No.4 2010
Sabina pseudosabina subalpine shrubland. (Photo by Guo Ke)
Sarcozygium xanthxylon desert. (Photo by Guo Ke)
Stipa grandis steppe. (Photo by Guo Ke)
Kobresia alpine meadow. (Photo by Zhao Liqing)
complementing and investigating information of vegetation
types in an all-round way.
This book series elaborates and records the vegetation
information in China based on vegetation formations.
It is expected to document the up-to-date achievements
of vegetation research in an academic, systematic,
comprehensive, innovative and informative manner. For
each vegetation formation, the record will include aspects
of classification systematic position, correlation with
each other, research history and questions, geographic
distribution, species composition of plant community, ecophysiologic characteristics of dominant species, community
structure features, dynamics, functions, main sub-formations
and associations and their distribution characteristics,
benefits in ecology and economy and the rational utilization.
The forthcoming Vegetation Monographs of China will be
made up of different volumes mainly based on the classification
unit of ‘vegetation type’ in the newly-revised Vegetation
Classification System of China. For most complicated types,
such as deciduous broad leaved forests and evergreen broad
leaved forests, sub-volumes will be separately compiled and
published. Some formations with very closed correlations but
belonging to different types may be compiled in one volume.
In the meantime, work on other monographs in this regard,
such as Aneurolepidium chinense Steppe and Meadow, Picea
(Spruce) Forest, Fagus Forest, is also under way.
References
Editorial Committee of Vegetation Map of China, Chinese Academy of Sciences. 2007a. Vegetation Map of The People’s Republic of
China (1:1000000). Beijing: Geological Publishing House.
Editorial Committee of Vegetation Map of China, Chinese Academy of Sciences. 2007b. Vegetation Map of China and Its Geographic
Distribution Pattern: Instructions of Vegetation Map of The People’s Republic of China (1:1000000). Beijing: Geological Publishing
House.
242 Bulletin of the Chinese Academy of Sciences