Analysis of the characteristics and floristic elements of communities containing Taxus contorta Griffith in Zhumulangmafeng National Nature Reserve, Tibet

Based on a survey of 15 community sample species, we studied the age structure, community structure, species diversity, and floristic elements of communities containing Taxus contorta Griffith in Zhumulangmafeng National Nature Reserve, Tibet. Results showed that: (1) There were 154 vascular species belonging to 116 genera and 53 families in all plots. Families such as Rosaceae, Ranunculaceae, Asteraceae, and Liliaceae dominated in the communities. Furthermore, based on analysis of family and genus, tropical components accounted for 46.2% and 18.0% and temperate components accounted for 53.8% and 82.0%, respectively. (2) The dominant species in the communities included Pinus wallichiana A.B. Jackson, Tsuga dumosa (D. Don) Eichler, and Abies spectabilis (D. Don) Spach. Taxus contorta was the accompanying or dominant species in the secondary arbor layer. (3) The Margalef and Simpson indices were the highest in the herb layer, indicating that herbaceous plants were dominant in terms of diversity and quantity in all communities. The Margalef index values were the highest for the shrub and herb layers but the lowest for the arbor layer in the Pinus wallichiana communities. (4) Taxus contorta showed abundant seedlings in the three communities. However, the development of young seedlings into young trees was impacted by the environmental pressures experienced in the Tsuga dumosa and Abies spectabilis communities.