Taiwan subtropical evergreen forests
forest in Chatianshan Nature Reserve
Ecoregion territory (in purple)
Ecology
RealmIndomalayan realm
Biometropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests
BordersSouth Taiwan monsoon rain forests
Geography
Area33,192 km2 (12,816 sq mi)
CountryTaiwan
Coordinates22°30′N 120°45′E / 22.500°N 120.750°E / 22.500; 120.750
Conservation
Protected6,746 km² (20%)[1]

The Taiwan subtropical evergreen forests is an ecoregion that covers most of the island of Taiwan, with the exception of the southern tip of the island, which constitutes the South Taiwan monsoon rain forests ecoregion. The island's concentrated steep mountains host a range of forest types, from subtropical forests in the lowlands to temperate and alpine or montane forests.

Flora

The coastal plains and lower elevations are covered by evergreen laurel-Castanopsis forests, dominated by Chinese Cryptocarya (Cryptocarya chinensis) and Castanopsis hystrix, with scattered stands of the subtropical pine Pinus massoniana. At higher elevations, Japanese blue oak (Quercus glauca) replaces Cryptocarya and Castanopsis as the dominant tree.

As elevation further increases, the evergreen broadleaf trees are gradually replaced by deciduous broadleaf trees and conifers. Above 3,000 meters, deciduous broadleaf trees like Formosan alder (Alnus formosana) and maple (Acer spp.) mix with Taiwan hemlock (Tsuga chinensis). At the highest elevations, subalpine forests are dominated by conifers, including Taiwan hemlock (Tsuga chinensis), spruces (Picea spp.), and firs (Abies spp.).

Fauna

  • Mammals: There are sixty types of species of animal in Taiwan.
  • Birds: There are over 500 species of birds. The migratory birds in Taiwan are famous all over the world.
  • Reptiles: There are ninety kinds of reptiles.
  • Amphibians: There are over thirty species of amphibians.
  • Fishes: There are around 150 kinds of fishes. This excludes the sea fishes.
  • Insects: There are 17,600 kinds of insects that have been already recognized and named in Taiwan.
  • Butterflies: There are 400 kinds of butterflies.

There are some rare animal species in Taiwan that are found no where else or otherwise in less numbers. Of particular note are: the Swinhoe Pheasant and the Mikado Pheasant, which are almost extinct in nearby regions. The Formosan rock macaque, a species of monkey, is found only in Taiwan.

Protected areas

20.34% of the ecoregion is in protected areas. Protected areas include:[2]

See also

  • "Taiwan subtropical evergreen forests". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.

References

  1. ↑ Eric Dinerstein, David Olson, et al. (2017). An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm, BioScience, Volume 67, Issue 6, June 2017, Pages 534–545; Supplemental material 2 table S1b.
  2. ↑ "Taiwan subtropical evergreen forests". DOPA Explorer. Accessed 14 February 2022.
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