Chinese Journal of Nature ›› 2021, Vol. 43 ›› Issue (6): 459-466.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.0253-9608.2021.06.008

• Natural Forum • Previous Articles    

Plant diversity in Yunnan province

ZHOU Zhekun, CHEN Linlin   

  1. CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xishuangbanna 666303, Yunnan Province, China 
  • Received:2021-10-09 Online:2021-10-25 Published:2021-12-21

Abstract: Yunnan province, which only accounts for 4.1% of Chinese territory area, however, is the most biodiverse province in China. It harbors 19 333 higher plant species, which is more than half of higher plants in China, including 1 906 species of mosses belonging to 499 genera in 126 families, 1 363 species of fern belonging to 193 genera in 61 families, 113 species of gymnosperms belonging to 25 genera in 9 families, and 15 951 species of angiosperms belonging to 2 367 genera in 244 families. In addition to higher plants, there are 1 067 species of lichen belonging to 203 genera in 66 families, and 2 729 species of macro fungi belonging to 599 genera in 124 families distributed in Yunnan. Considering to vegetation diversity, Yunnan is identified with 14 vegetation types, 38 vegetation subtypes, and 474 forms, ranging from tropical rainforests to shrubs in alpine screes. Such high plant diversity of Yunnan attributes to the rich Earth environmental diversity, the varied climate types, and its special geolocation. In recent years, a series of conservation actions has been carried out in Yunnan, such as counting the floral inventory, compiling conservation lists, establishing germplasm resource banks, and saving and protecting plant species with extremely small populations. Thanks to that, the plant diversity of Yunnan has been effectively protected