Guizhou Plateau broadleaf and mixed forests

Guizhou Plateau broadleaf and mixed forests
300px Broadleaf and mixed forests on karst topography in Wulingyuan
Ecology
Biome	Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Geography
Country	China

The Guizhou Plateau broadleaf and mixed forests are a subtropical forest ecoregion in the Yungui Plateau of China.

Geography

The Guizhou Plateau broadleaf and mixed forests occupy the eastern portion of the Yungui Plateau. The forests are found throughout most of Guizhou province, extreme northeastern Yunnan, southeastern Sichuan, southeastern Chongqing, southwestern Hubei, and western Hunan.

The geology in this part of the Yungui Plateau is composed of mostly paleozoic limestone where there are poor quality soils and extreme karst topography. Human development is this part of China has been limited due to the nature of terrain where large pits, caves, natural arches, and disappearing rivers are not uncommon.

Biodiversity

While much of the original subtropical evergreen broadleaf forests in this ecoregion has been extirpated, secondary forests, seasonal tropical forests, and conifer forests now dominate. Despite the high level of precipitation, flora in this ecoregion display drought-resistant characteristics because soils here do not retain water. In the northern parts of the Guizhou Plateau ecoregion, Chinese red pine is a major species while Yunnan pine dominates in the south. Broadleaf taxa are made up of Rhododendron, Quercus, Sterculia, Erythrina, Ficus, Eugenia, Helicia, and others.

First-class protected plant species in the Guizhou Plateau broadleaf and mixed forests forests include Cathaya argyrophylla, Taiwania flousiana, Cyathea spinulosa, and the revered Davidia involucrata.

The Guizhou snub-nosed monkey is endemic to this ecoregion and other important animal species include the Assamese macaque, Francois’ leaf monkey, clouded leopard, leopard, tiger, Sika deer, and red goral.