Abstract
Spatial distribution patterns and environmental factors of forests are one of the primary topics of forest ecology. In this paper,the patterns and affecting factors of community structure of mountain coniferous forests in Xinjiang are explored after carrying out the survey of 120 plots of 11 locations in the Altay Mountains (Altay),northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains (NT in abbreviation,the same below),southern slope of the Tianshan Mountains (ST) and the Kunlun Mountains (KL). The results show that the mean stem height (Hm),maximum stem height (Hmax),mean stem diameter at breast height (DBHm),maximum stem diameter at breast height (DBHmax),total basal area (TBA) and stem volume of coniferous forests were the highest in NT,followed by Altay,ST and KL. There was no significant difference of stem density among the four regions. Among different forest types,community structure characteristics of Juniperus centrasiatica and J. jarkendensis forests were all lower significantly than those of other forests. In Xinjiang,Hm,Hmax,DBHm and TBA of mountain coniferous forests decreased significantly with the increase of altitude and mean annual temperature (MAT),but increased significantly with the increase of annual precipitation (AP). A general linear model (GLM) indicated that AP,aspect and moisture of plots were the most important factors affecting community structure of these coniferous forests in Xinjiang.
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