Tropical deciduous forest in Yunnan, southwestern China: Implications for geological and climatic histories from a little-known forest formation.

ABSTRACT: In the southern mountain ranges of Yunnan province, China, deep valleys of several large rivers create rain shadows with hot dry summers, and are locally designated tropical; towards the north, notably in the Lancang (Upper Mekong) valley, these regions may experience frost during winter. The woody forest canopy of these valleys is predominantly deciduous, with evergreen elements in the north, where the canopy is open and the forest savanna-like. However, we here present tall forest with a closed deciduous canopy and semi-evergreen subcanopy observed in hot dry valleys of these rivers and their tributaries in the tropical south. The structure and physiognomy of these forests resemble the tall (moist) deciduous forest formation widespread in South Asia and Indo-Burma. Furthermore, these for

SUBMITTER: Zhu H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8720685 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature