Flora
Due to its unique geography and entrancing landscape, Yushan National Park is well known for its diverse climate zones and rich biodiversity. The plants found in the Park spans from subtropical at its foothills to alpine at its summits.
A wide difference in altitudes, precipitous cliffs, and plunging valleys in the Yushan National Park lend to the park highly unstable weather conditions. Temperatures can vary from warm to cold at the same time at places relatively close. Therefore, the diversity of plants found here is truly remarkable. While accounting for merely 3% of Taiwan’s total land area, the park has fully half of Taiwan’s native plant species growing within its boundaries. In surveys, there are 2,522 different kinds of plants found in the park.
With increasing elevation, there are the following six vegetation zonations in the park:
| Altitude | Characteristics | |
|---|---|---|
| Broadleaf Forest Zone | Below 1,800 metres (5,906 ft) | The broadleaved forest is mainly dominated by trees of the Lauraceae and Fagaceae and forms the mixed forest zone. The second tree layer is composed of members of the Fagaceae, such as Cyclobalanopsis morii, Castanopsis carlesii 小红栲 and Lithocarpus amygdalifolius 杏叶柯. The ground layer plants are also plentiful and include ferns and bracken. |
| Chamaecyparis Zone | 1,800 metres (5,906 ft) — 2,500 metres (8,202 ft) | In this zone, it grows some precious Chamaecyparis pure forests. |
| Tsuga Chinensis Zone | 2,500 metres (8,202 ft) — 3,500 metres (11,483 ft) | In this zone,the coniferous trees are represented by Chamaecyparis formosensis,Chamaecyparis obtusa var. formosana (台湾扁柏), Taiwan cryptomerioides Hayata, Chunninghamia konishii Hayata and Pseudotsuga wilsoniana Hayata;and the deciduous tree by Acer morrisonensis Hayata and Acer serriulatum Hayata.Chamaecyparis formosensis and Chamaecypairs obtusa var. formosana are commonly called cypress. |
| Abies Kawakamii Zone | About 3,530 metres (11,581 ft) | Groups of Abies kawakamii grow on the western slope of Yushan. |
| Subalpine Shrub Zone | 3,500 metres (11,483 ft) — 3,800 metres (12,467 ft) | Dwarf plants, which grow prostrate and leeward, are the dominant vegetation types of this area. |
| Alpine Herbaceous Zone | Above 3,800 metres (12,467 ft) | When summer comes, herbaceous plants,such as Adenophora uehatae Yamamoto (高山沙參),Leontopodium microphyllum Hayata, Sedum morrisonensis and Gentiana arisanensis Hayata, give rise to colorful flowers in this area, |
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Famous quotes containing the word flora:
“A man’s interest in a single bluebird is worth more than a complete but dry list of the fauna and flora of a town.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)