ITTO PPD 28/01 Rev.2 (F) Formulating a Proposal on Demonstration of Integrated Models for Sustainable Tropical Forestry Development Status Report of Forestry Development in Tropical Region of China Chinese Academy of Forestry July, 2004 Beijing Contents 1 Location of China's tropical region ................................................................3 2 Natural conditions in tropical region .............................................................5 2.1 Physiognomy ..........................................................................................5 2.2 Climate ...................................................................................................5 2.3 Soil .........................................................................................................6 3 Tropical vegetation .......................................................................................8 3.1 Distributing characteristics of tropical vegetation ...................................8 3.2 Main forest types and species in the region ............................................8 4 Tropical forest resources ............................................................................10 4.1 General situation ...................................................................................10 4.2 Structure of tropical forest resources ....................................................10 5 The natural, social and economic conditions in tropical area .......................13 5.1 The natural resources in the tropical area .............................................13 5.2 Distribution of industry in tropical region .............................................13 5.3 Characteristics of Social Economy Development ....................................14 5.4 General situation of social and economic development in typical tropical region .........................................................................................................15 6 The current situation forestry development in tropical region .....................19 6.1 Forestry development strategy ..............................................................19 6.2 Forestry policy ......................................................................................20 6.3 Protection of biological diversity ...........................................................21 6.4 Industry of forestry ...............................................................................24 6.5 Problems of forestry development in tropical region .............................26 2 Status Report of Forestry Development in Tropical Region of China 1 Location of China's tropical region China's tropical region, located at the north edge of Tropical Asia, is a zonal region of the southmost part of China, in the south of Nanling Mountains. It has been a joint effort of the scientific community since 1950s to reach a common agreement on the determination of China's topical region, but there are still several different viewpoints. Ren Mei'e and Yang Rengzhang pointed out that, except high mountains, the whole area of South China belongs to the tropical zone, including Guangdong, Guangxi, south part of Fujian, Taiwan Island, Hainan Island and Nanhai Islands. The scientific base for this viewpoint is the natural vegetation with references of the Growth of tropical crops. This determination is close to the characteristics of tropical area described by Zhu Kezhen, i.e. there is no winter all year around, or "summer in all four seasons and autumn only after rain." Hou Xueyu indicated that China's tropical region is in the south of Nanling Mountains. It includes Yunnan, Guangxi, Guangdong, south part of Fujian, Taiwan, Hainan and Nanhai Islands, and southeast edge of Xizang. The base for this viewpoint is there continuous 360-365 days a year with a mean temperature up to 25℃, typical tropical vegetation can be found, and artificial vegetation have normal flowering and fruiting. Prof. Wu Zhonglun thought that the area between Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn is the tropics. This is also used for deteminating the tropical land area and tropical forest area in international community. However, China's north edge of tropical region is not identical to the Tropic of Cancer as of the influence of topography, relief, and cold currents. According to Flora of China, China 's tropical rainforests and seasonal rainforests occur in a region between Jingpu of Taiwan(123°E) at the east and Yadong and Yelamu of the southeast Xizang(86°E) at the west. Its north boundary lines among latitudes from 21°-24°N, and even reaches 28°-29°N at some deep valleys in the southeast Xizang. After the different viewpoints above, with further support of natural vegetation, agricultural vegetation, soils and other factors, China's tropical region covers Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, south Yunnan, Taiwan Island, Hainan Island and Nanhai Islands, lower reach of Brahmaputra River (Cha'ou, Motuo, and Dawang), as well as Yadong and Yelamu in southeast Xizang. China's tropical region is located in south of the Tropic of Cancer. Its north boundary moves southward because of influence of cold current at middle to east parts of Guangdong Province. While at the south of 3 Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, it moves northward to 24°N because the southeast monsoon can reach at northward area. Under the influence of the ocean, the north boundary moves further up to about 26°N in Fujian Province. While with the influence of southwest monsoon from the Indian Ocean and warm current from Bangladesh Bay, it reaches 25°N at Dehong in southwest Yunnan, i.e. from 23°30 ˊ-23°N° in southeastern and southern Yunnan(below 800 m above sea level in basins), to 25°N in southwestern Yunnan. In the southeast part of Xizang, southwest monsoons bring in warm and humid currents from the Indian Ocean under effect of the special topographic feature of the Himalayas, resulting in warm and humid climate, that makes the north boundary of China's tropical region reaches up to 28°-29°N. Above described boundary of China's tropical region keeps consistent with what given in Division of Forestry in China and Flora Map of China. Map 1 shows China's tropical region. Map 1 Location of tropical region in China 4 2 Natural conditions in tropical region 2.1 Physiognomy The physiognomy types in China’s tropical region are of multiplicity and complexity, with which there are high mountains and gorges, typical karst physiognomy, Delta of Pearl River, as well as Leizhou Peninsula, mesa of north bay, zigzag coastline and many harbor, peninsula, islands and islets, Shiwandashan in Guangxi and Himalayas in Tibet. The hills and basins to the north of Yunnan are located in the south and southwest verge of Yunnan tableland with normal altitude of less than 1000 m. The rivers here flow through this area towards the south into the sea outside China from Yunnan tableland and Qingzang tableland, of which Lanchangjiang River is the longest. The physiognomy of Hainan Island is formed by mountains, hills, mesa and plain. It is plain mesa in the north with an altitude of about 200 m. It is hills and mountainous land towards the south of the middle part. The mountainous land concentrated in the south of the middle part with the altitude of over 800 m including Wuzhishan Mountain, Toulieling Mountain, Limuling Mountain, Mihouling Mountain, Yajiadaling Mountain and Jianfengling Mountain. The topography of Hainan Island is high in the central and low around the Island, and the water system is of radiate shape. The total area of mountainous land in the Island occupies about 20%, hills about 15%, mesa and plain about 65%. The total length of coastline is 1617.8 km. The islands of the South Sea are revealed from the deep sea as a group of coral islands of the South Sea including over 100 islands, continent, reef, beach and sand and there are over 10 bigger islands. The mountainous region of Taiwan is not only with high mountain, deep valley, steep slope and dangerous cliff, but also because it is plait structure with strong active movement in the east of the Island with active geologic structure and frequent volcano earthquake. The Island is abundant in terrestrial heat resource with many volcanoes and thermal springs. In the east of the Island, there are mainly schist and in the west, there more argillite, conglomerate and shale, however, landslide and landslide will easily occur because of rainstorm when typhoon comes. 2.2 Climate Although China’s tropical region is located in the north verge of tropical zone, but with quantity of heat, high temperature and multiple rainfall. The mean annual temperature is 20-25℃ and higher(25-26℃)in the south. The mean temperature in January is normally above 10-15℃. The mean temperature in July is 25-28℃. The 5 annual accumulated temperature is 500-9000℃ when≥10℃. The absolute lowest temperature is over 5℃ in average. Basically, there is no frost in the whole year. The tropical vegetation region is the biggest annual rainfall area with over 1500 mm in China. However, the rainfall is somewhat certain differences due to different monsoon types, different sea and land position and the different action of topography. It is rich in topographic rain in the western half part towards southeast of Tibet and the annual rainfall is above 5000 mm; Taiwan, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi located in the eastern half part around the sea and Hainan Island are the most frequent areas for typhoon activities in summer and autumn in China with high intensity of rainfall, of which