Abstract
An ecological survey of a natural Morrison spruce (Picea morrisonicola HAY.) forest on the Salisen watershed, in the central part of Taiwan, was made. Patterns of major tree species distributions and their characteristic features were described along their altitudinal gradients. Quantitative data on trees were obtained by means of the point-centered quarter method conducted at the altitudinal interval of about 100 m between 2, 400 m and 2, 900 m above sea level. A total of 29 tree species were recorded on 24 investigated stands in the study area. Morrison spruce and Taiwan hemlock (Tsuga chinensis PRITZ. ex DIELS.) were the most widespread dominants of the canopy throughout all stands. At low elevational ranges from 2, 400 m to 2, 500 m, a mixed forest commonly was found dominated by conifers (mostly of Formosan red cypress, Chamaecyparis formosensis MATSUM.), evergreen broadleaved species (Neolitsea acuminatissima KANEH. et SASAK., Trochodendron aralioides SIEB. et ZUCC., Daphniphyllum himalaence MUELL.-ARG. subsp. macropodum HUANG) and deciduous broadleaved species such as Acer rubescens HAY., Alnus formosana MAK., and so forth. On the other hand, the forests ranging between 2, 6002, 900 m were dominated thoroughly by Morrison spruce and Taiwan hemlock, as cooltemperate coniferous forests. From comparisions of the elevational distributions of major tree species with those in other mountainous cool-temperate regions of east Asia, the remarkable uniqueness of the Morrison spruce forest and its importance is discussed.
