Analysis on Species Diversity of Pinus tabulaeformis Forest Communities in the Southern Taihang Mountains

Pinus tabulaeformis is an important forestation species not only because of its forestry and industrial value, but also its ecological value in wind prevention, sand fixation, and water and soil forestry conservation. Due to its strong adaptability and tolerance to drought and poor soil, it is distributed widely in the Taihang Mountains. Using random sampling combined with the species richness, Pielou, Simpson and Shannon-Weiner indices, species and community diversities of P.tabulaeformis forests were comparatively studied in the Xiangyuan, Wuxiang, Huguan, Licheng, Pingshun and Tunliu regions of the southern Taihang Mountains. Results showed there were 81 species, belonging to 70 genera and 34 families in the P. tabulaeformis community in the six regions. Among them, there were 4 families, 4 genera and 5 species in the arbor layer, 7 families, 12 genera and 15 species in the shrub layer, and 23 families, 54 genera, and 61 species in the herb layer. The floral composition of genera in the southern Taihang Mountains was diversified, and exhibited some typical characteristics of warm-temperate composition. Species diversity of the different functional groups was herb layer > shrub layer > arbor layer in Xiangyuan, Wuxiang, Huguan, Licheng and Pingshun, but was herb layer=shrub layer > arbor layer in Tunliu. Community diversity of the six regions was in the order of Pingshun > Licheng > Xiangyuan > Wuxiang > Tunliu > Huguan. The community and species diversities of the P. tabulaeformis forests in the southern Taihang Mountains were influenced by many factors, including community succession, geographical and environmental factors and human disturbance.