Environmental Features of the Micro-landforms of the Spatial Distribution of the National Rare Species of Firmiana danxiaensis on the Danxiashan Mountain
The core areas Shiziyan-Yangyuanshan of Danxiashan of Guangdong Province are selected to study the spatial distribution of Firmiana danxiaensis which are the national rare and endangered plants. The mi-cro-landforms environmental features of spatial distribution of Firmiana danxiaensis are summarized through the data (longitude, altitude, slope and aspect) which obtained by the investigation on-the-spot, and the space analysis on the DEM terrain data with 1 m resolution by using ArcGIS10.0. From the spatial distribution and slope morphology of Danxia, the Firmiana danxiaensis in the study areas are mainly distributed at the Danxia cliffs with vertical joints or horizontal beddings and the altitude of 180 m or so and the 60oslope with relative barren soil where always can be found some plants such as Osteomeles subrotunda, Lycoris aurea, Selaginella (re?vive grass), etc. They all belong to drought to lerant plants. The spatial distribution of Firmiana danxiaensis is not restricted by the factor of the aspect, but the slope and the altitude are the two important influencing fac-tors. According to the above distribution rules, the Firmiana danxiaensis presumably distribute at the cliffs of the Danxiashan outside of the study areas with the altitude of 180 m and the slope 60o. We actively recomned that it is necessary to establish the important protected belt for the Firmiana danxiaensis of the national rare and endangered plants in the southeast of Shiziyan of Danxiashan as early as possible. Our study is useful for comparing with the other five China Danxia World Natural Heritage sites (Taining of Fujian Province, Chishui of Guizhou Province, Longhushan-Guifeng of Jiangxi Province, Langshan of Hunan Province, Jianglangshan of Zhejiang Province). We can analyze and summarize the spatial distributions and environmental characteris-tics of micro landforms related to the national rare and endangered plants, and establish China Danxia World Natural Heritage key protection belts in the future.
Firmiana danxiaensisspatial distributionDanxia landformsDanxiashan of Guangdong