Abstract: A survey on four rocky intertidal transects in Quanzhou Bay was carried out from November 2001 to August 2002. A total of 6687 specimens in 216 sampling frames were collected, which yielded 324 species. These include 17 algae, 102 annelids, 96 molluscs, 62 arthropods, 11 echinoderms and 36 other animals. The results suggest that, affected by currents and waves, the number of species in horizontal distribution declines in order from Fushan (206), Xiayang (197), Dazhuidao Island (193) to Antou (166). The vertical distribution of species is affected mainly by tides and waves. A common characteristic of the transects in different intertidal areas is that the middle intertidal area has the greatest number of species (129－156 species), while the high tidal zone has the smallest number of species (9－20 species). The low tidal zone is intermediate, with 87 to 116 species. The number of species varies with change of seasons, demonstrating the adaptability of marine organisms to the temperature of water. The number of species range in a declining order from summer(190), spring(164), autumn(158) to winter(150).

Key words: rare and endangered medicinal plant, Phellodendron amurense, AFLP, genetic diversity, endangered species, conservation