Classification of plant functional types based on dominant shrub species in Maolan Karst forests

The communities and the shrub species at different topography sites in Maolan National Nature Reserve were investigated. Based on the calculation of importance values,24 shrub dominant species were selected. They were classified into five functional types according to interspecific associations. The results showed that the functional type 1( F1) mainly distributed in funnel terrian with the Sinosideroxylon wightianum as dominant species,the functional type 2( F2) mainly distributed in funnel terrian with the Euonymus dielsianus as dominant species,the functional type 3( F3) mainly distributed in valley terrian with the Brassaiopsis glomerulata as dominant species,the functional type 4( F4) mainly distributed in valley terrian with the Viburnum propinquum as dominant species,the functional type 5( F5) mainly distributed on hillside terrain with the Distylium chinense as dominant species. Based on the interspecific associations of communities,a conclusion could be drawn as that the loose interspecific relationship might be one of the coexistence mechanisms of Karst forests species.