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| Taiwan subtropical evergreen forests | |
|---|---|
 forest in Chatianshan Nature Reserve | |
 Ecoregion territory (in purple) | |
| Ecology | |
| Realm | Indomalayan realm |
| Biome | tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests |
| Borders | South Taiwan monsoon rain forests |
| Geography | |
| Area | 33,192 km (12,816 sq mi) |
| Country | Taiwan |
| Coordinates | 22°30′N 120°45′E / 22.500°N 120.750°E / 22.500; 120.750 |
| Conservation | |
| Protected | 6,746 km (20%) |
The Taiwan subtropical evergreen forests is an ecoregion that covers most of the island of Taiwan, with the exception of the southern tip of the island, which constitutes the South Taiwan monsoon rain forests ecoregion. The island's concentrated steep mountains host a range of forest types, from subtropical forests in the lowlands to temperate and alpine or montane forests.
Flora
The coastal plains and lower elevations are covered by evergreen laurel-Castanopsis forests, dominated by Chinese Cryptocarya (Cryptocarya chinensis), Cathaya argyrophylla, Taiwania flousiana, Cyathea spinulosa, Sassafras tzumu, Davidia involucrata, Metasequoia glyptostroboides, Glyptostrobus pensilis, Castanea mollissima, Quercus myrsinifolia, Quercus acuta, Machilus thunbergii, Tetracentron, Cercidiphyllum japonicum, Emmenopterys henryi, Eucommia ulmoides, Cinnamomum cassia, Durio zibethinus, Artocarpus heterophyllus, Ficus benghalensis, Gnetum gnemon, Mangifera indica, Toona ciliata, Toona sinensis, Cocos nucifera, Tetrameles nudiflora, Shorea robusta, Camphora officinarum, Tsuga dumosa, Ulmus lanceifolia, Tectona grandis, Terminalia elliptica, Terminalia bellirica, Ginkgo biloba, Prunus serrulata, Quercus acutissima, Nypa fruticans, and Castanopsis hystrix, with scattered stands of the subtropical pine Pinus massoniana. At higher elevations, Japanese blue oak (Quercus glauca) replaces Cryptocarya and Castanopsis as the dominant tree.
As elevation further increases, the evergreen broadleaf trees are gradually replaced by deciduous broadleaf trees and conifers. Above 3,000 meters, deciduous broadleaf trees like Formosan alder (Alnus formosana), Juglans regia, Betula dahurica, Betula pendula, Quercus acutissima, Quercus mongolica, Ginkgo biloba, Prunus serrulata, Prunus padus, Tilia amurensis, Salix babylonica, Acer palmatum, Populus tremula, Ulmus davidiana, Ulmus pumila, Haloxylon ammodendron, Elaeagnus angustifolia, Tamarix ramosissima, Prunus sibirica, maple (Acer spp.) mix with Chinese hemlock (Tsuga chinensis), Chinese Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga sinensis), Larix gmelinii, Larix sibirica, Larix × czekanowskii, Pinus koraiensis, Pinus sibirica, Pinus sylvestris, Picea obovata, Abies sibirica, and Pinus pumila. At the highest elevations, subalpine forests are dominated by conifers, including Chinese hemlock (Tsuga chinensis), Taiwan spruce (Picea morrisonicola), and Taiwan fir (Abies kawakamii).
Fauna
- Mammals: There are sixty types of species of animal in Taiwan.
- Birds: There are over 500 species of birds. The migratory birds in Taiwan are famous all over the world.
- Reptiles: There are ninety kinds of reptiles.
- Amphibians: There are over thirty species of amphibians.
- Fishes: There are around 150 kinds of fishes. This excludes the sea fishes.
- Insects: There are 17,600 kinds of insects that have been already recognized and named in Taiwan.
- Butterflies: There are 400 kinds of butterflies.
There are some rare animal species in Taiwan that are found nowhere else or otherwise in less numbers. Of particular note are: the Swinhoe's Pheasant and the Mikado Pheasant, which are almost extinct in nearby regions. The Formosan rock macaque, a species of monkey, is found only in Taiwan.
Protected areas
20.34% of the ecoregion is in protected areas. Protected areas include:
- Shei-pa National Park
- Taijiang National Park
- Taroko National Park
- Yangmingshan National Park
- Yushan National Park
See also
External links
- "Taiwan subtropical evergreen forests". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
References
- Eric Dinerstein, David Olson, et al. (2017). An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm, BioScience, Volume 67, Issue 6, June 2017, Pages 534–545; Supplemental material 2 table S1b.
- "Taiwan subtropical evergreen forests". DOPA Explorer. Accessed 14 February 2022.