Nanmu Floristic Community at Houhe Nature Reserve

Geographical distribution, habitat conditions, as well as quantitative and comprehensive characteristics of the nanmu population at Houhe Nature Reserve were surveyed. The community composition, population structure, life-form spectrum and areal-types of the forest were analyzed using ecological approaches through field investigation and statistical analysis. Three nanmu varieties, Machilus pingii Cheng ex Yang, Phoebe chinensis Chun and P. zhennan S. Lee, were found for the first time in Wufeng county. The community composition at Sample Lot No. 1 was rich in species that included 28 families, 32 geniuses, and 38 vascular plants. The population structure of nanmu was generally in a growing trend, but not for all varieties. For plant height, the greatest proportion was in the dominant forest, which was classified into 6 distributions and 3 variant floristic types mostly of pantropic, north temperate and south temperate life-form spectra. Among them, the phaenerophyte plants were most prevalent in the region, followed by chamaephyte and therophyte. Abundant varieties of nanmu were found in thereserve, but limited in quantity. It was recommended that an effective protection program be implemented timely to ensure an appropriate growing population of nanmu.