Fig 1.
Topographic map of study area.
Different degrees of black colour show elevations from 106 m to 3092 m in Shanxi Province. DEM (Digital Elevation Model) data source is USGS EROS (Earth Resources Observatory and Science Center): http://eros.usgs.gov/.
Table 1.
Natural features of the study area.
Fig 2.
Basal diameter and height of trees at different latitudes in the Lvliang Mountains.
A, B and C show the basal diameter and height of all trees, evergreen trees and deciduous trees, respectively; 38.5° N, 37.5° N and 36° N are the latitudes of Guancen Mountain, Guandi Mountain and Wulu Mountain, respectively.
Fig 3.
Variations of tree basal diameter and height at different altitudes.
The altitude of 1586 m is on Wulu Mountain; 1740 m, 1892 m and 2610 m are on Guancen Mountain; and 1950 m and 2270 m are on Guandi Mountain. Capital and small letters show ANOVA results of height and basal diameter, respectively, at different altitudes.
Fig 4.
Variations of tree basal diameter and height at different altitudes.
The altitude of 1586 m is on Wulu Mountain; 1892 m is on Guancen Mountain; and 1950 m and 2270 m are on Guandi Mountain. Capital and small letters show ANOVA results of deciduous trees and evergreen trees, respectively, at different altitudes. * indicates ANOVA results of deciduous trees and evergreen trees at the same altitude.
Fig 5.
Species diversity indices of shrubs (D) and herbs (E) at different latitudes in the Lvliang Mountains.
The latitudes of 38.5° N, 37.5° N and 36° N are for Guancen Mountain, Guandi Mountain and Wulu Mountain, respectively.
Table 2.
Important values of shrubs and herbs at different latitudes in the Lvliang Mountains.
Table 3.
Species diversity indices of herbs at different latitudes in the Lvliang Mountains.
Fig 6.
Variations of shrub and herb species diversities at different altitudes.
Altitudes of 1370 m and 1586 m are on Wulu Mountain; 1800 m and 1950 m are on Guandi Mountain; and 2675 m is on Guancen Mountain. H′ is the Simpson index, H is the Shannon index, and E is the Pielou index.
Fig 7.
Variations of herb important values at different altitudes.
Altitudes of 1800 m and 2460 m are on Guandi Mountain, and 2100 m and 2675 m are on Guancen Mountain. Capital and small letters show ANOVA results of perennial herbs and annual herbs, respectively, at different altitudes. * indicates ANOVA results of perennial herbs and annual herbs at the same altitude.