Biodiv Sci ›› 2011, Vol. 19 ›› Issue (1): 63-70.  DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1003.2011.08262

• Special Issue • Previous Articles     Next Articles

An analysis of the ecological value of Wudalianchi, Heilongjiang Province, China

Zhiqiang Zhou1, Lijiao Xu1, Yuhong Zhang1, Chunmei Xia2, Hongguang Li3, Tong Liu2,*(), Keping Ma4   

  1. 1 The Key Laboratory of Forest Plant Ecology, Ministry of Education, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040
    2 The School of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040
    3 Wudalianchi Scenic Area and Nature Reserve Management Committee, Wudalianchi, Heilongjiang 164155
    4 State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093
  • Received:2010-10-30 Accepted:2011-01-09 Online:2011-01-20 Published:2011-04-01
  • Contact: Tong Liu

Abstract:

Wudalianchi is located within the ecotone between the Great Hinggan Mountains, the Less Hinggan Mountains and the forest steppes of the Songnen Plain. As a result of seven volcanic eruptions in the past 2.1 million years, Wudalianchi contains the most well-preserved intra-continental volcanic remains in China, and was nominated in 2010 as a World Heritage Property. In order to state “the outstanding universal values” of the nominated property in terms of biodiversity and ecological processes, we analyzed data from field investigations and scientific literature under the lens of the Operational Guidelines provided by the World Heritage Committee, compared this data with data from other related Word Heritage Properties in order to analyze the ecological value of the site. We found the following: the property exhibits intersecting geographic characters of vegetation and extensive floral components; high relative species richness; special adaptations shown by dwarf poplar forests that developed under harsh climatic conditions and poor substrate; two distinct sequences of terrestrial and aquatic vegetation succession that has developed in this area, and patch dynamic succession model on block lava and pahoehoe lava was more random and efficient than the normal succession model. All of the above-mentioned characteristics show the on-going biological and ecological process and the outstanding ecological values of the property. We hope that our results will promote further scientific research and protection in this area.

Key words: Wudalianchi, ecological value, vegetation succession, ecotone, adaptation