South China-Vietnam subtropical evergreen forests


The South China-Vietnam subtropical evergreen forests ecoregion covers the mountainous coastal region of southeastern China and northeastern Vietnam. The ecoregional also covers the coastal plain along the South China Sea and Hainan Island. The area has significant biodoversity and ecological importance, with high levels of both endemic and threatened species. Rapid urban expansion is reducing biologically-rich forests and wetlands. Ecologically, the suptropical forests are at the northeastern extent of the Indomalayan realm.

Location and description

The ecoregion stretches from the northeastern corner of Vietnam, across the lower half of southeastern China, and down into coastal Hainan Island. To the north is the watershed of the Pearl River, to the south is the South China Sea. The terrain is mountainous for the most part, except along the coasts and around the Leizhou Peninsula. The ecoregion runs across the southern half of Guangxi and Guangdong Provinces, with the major Guangzhou/Shenzhen/Hong Kong urban area in its east.

Climate

The climate of the ecoregion is Dry-winter humid subtropical climate. This climate is characterized as having no month averaging below, at least one month averaging above, and four months averaging over. Precipitation in the wet summer months is ten time or more the average of the winter months. The ecoregion is mostly below 23d 30m latitude, and below the frost line.

Flora and fauna

Tropical genera represent 80% of the flora of the ecoregion. The forests of the area are under pressure from the increase in rubber and pulp plantations, and commercial agricultural crops in the understory As of 2012, the region supported 117 threatened species, 28 of which were endemic.