PLANT DIVERSITY OF FOREST COMMUNITY IN ZHUWEIGOU OF LISHAN MOUNTAIN NATURE RESERVE

The relationships between species diversity and the community types, environmental variables and community structure, were studied using the richness indices, diversity indices and evenness indices. 1) Although species diversity within a community varied, there was a greater variation in species diversity among different communities. However, we found that this variation was not always statistically significant, indicating that these communities not only have heterogeneity, but also continuity. 2) It was the altitudinal gradient which determined the patterns of species diversity. With the increase of elevation, all diversity indices increased, and the relationships between diversity indices and altitude were positive correlated. 3) The order of sensitivity in terms of the responses of species diversity to altitude in forest communities was herb layer shrub layer tree layer. Richness indices of the tree layer and evenness indices of herb layer were significantly positive correlation to elevation, while diversity indices of the former and richness indices of the latter had a significantly negative correlation to it. 4) In order to measure community diversity as a whole, weighting parameter was used.