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Investigation of temperature and aridity at different elevations of Mt. Ailao, SW China

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Abstract

Our current understanding is that plant species distribution in the subtropical mountain forests of Southwest China is controlled mainly by inadequate warmth. Due to abundant annual precipitation, aridity has been less considered in this context, yet rainfall here is highly seasonal, and the magnitude of drought severity at different elevations has not been examined due to limited access to higher elevations in this area.

In this study, short-term micrometeorological variables were measured at 2,480 m and 2,680 m, where different forest types occur. Drought stress was evaluated by combining measurements of water evaporation demand (E p) and soil volumetric water content (VWC). The results showed that: (1) mean temperature decreased 1 °C from 2,480 m to 2,680 m and the minimum temperature at 2,680 m was above freezing. (2) Elevation had a significant influence on E p; however, the difference in daily E p between 2,480 m and 2,680 m was not significant, which was possibly due to the small difference in elevation between these two sites. (3) VWC had larger range of annual variation at 2,680 m than at 2,480 m, especially for the surface soil layer.

We conclude that the decrease in temperature does not effectively explain the sharp transition between these forest types. During the dry season, plants growing at 2,680 m are likely to experience more drought stress. In seeking to understand the mountain forest distribution, further studies should consider the effects of drought stress alongside those of altitude.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by Key of the Yunnan Natural Science Foundation of Yunnan Province, China (No. 2011FA025), the Development Program in Basic Science of China (No. 2010CB833501), the Strategic Priority Research Programs of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (No. XDA05050601, No. XDA05050502) and the Knowledge Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (No. KZCX2-YW-Q1-05-04). We thank the Ailaoshan Station for Subtropical Forest Ecosystem Studies (ASSFE) for providing long-term data and accommodation. Three anonymous reviews are appreciated for their kind suggestions for improving this manuscript. We also thank Prof. Yong Tang, Prof. Zheng Zhen, Dr. Yongjiang Zhang, Dr. Zhenghong Tan, and Dr. Lu Qiao for engaging in insightful and useful discussions. Yugang Yao, Mingda Zhang, Pengchao Zhang, Linhui Li, Zenghe Bai, and Fengxiang Qu provided assistance with field measurements and data analyses. Jiafu Wu provided his help in figure drawing with Geographic Information Systems.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, Mengla, Yunnan, 666303, China

    Guangyong You, Yiping Zhang, Yuhong Liu, Douglas Schaefer, Zhiyun Lu, Qinghai Song, Junbin Zhao, Chuansheng Wu & Lei Yu

  2. Ailaoshan Station for Subtropical Forest Ecosystem Studies, Chinese Ecosystem Research Network, Jingdong, Yunnan, 676209, China

    Yiping Zhang, Yuhong Liu, Zhiyun Lu & Chuansheng Wu

  3. National Forest Ecosystem Research Station at Ailaoshan, Jingdong, Yunnan, 676209, China

    Yiping Zhang, Yuhong Liu, Zhiyun Lu & Chuansheng Wu

  4. Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Guangyong You, Jinbo Gao, Qinghai Song, Junbin Zhao & Lei Yu

  5. Faculty of Ecotourism, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, Yunnan, 650224, China

    Hede Gong

  6. Institute of the Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, Fujian, 361021, China

    Jinbo Gao

  7. Jingdong Bureau of National Nature Reserve, Jingdong, Yunnan, 676209, China

    Youneng Xie

  8. Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (Kunming Section), Chinese Academy of Sciences, 88 Xuefu Road, Kunming, Yunnan, 650223, China

    Yiping Zhang

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  1. Guangyong You
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  2. Yiping Zhang
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  3. Yuhong Liu
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  4. Douglas Schaefer
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  5. Hede Gong
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  6. Jinbo Gao
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  7. Zhiyun Lu
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  8. Qinghai Song
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  9. Junbin Zhao
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  10. Chuansheng Wu
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  11. Lei Yu
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  12. Youneng Xie
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Correspondence to Yiping Zhang.

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You, G., Zhang, Y., Liu, Y. et al. Investigation of temperature and aridity at different elevations of Mt. Ailao, SW China. Int J Biometeorol 57, 487–492 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-012-0570-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-012-0570-6

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