Abstract:

Based on twenty-three sample plots' survey data on the lowland rain forest, Vatica mangachapoi communities from varied latitudes in Jianfengling National Nature Reserve of Hainan Island, interspecific association among thirty-two dominant species were analyzed. Then the ecological species groups and functional groups division were discussed. The results showed that the dominant populations had general positive interspecific association, but the species pairs with significant positive associations were only ten percent of the total 496 species pairs, and most of the species pairs showed weak interspecific association or without interspecific association. That is, the investigated forest populations had characteristics of relatively independent distribution. Finally, through the interspecific association coefficients and species cluster analysis, thirty-two dominant species were divided into four ecological species groups and ten functional groups, and recognition characters of these ten functional groups were proposed.

Key words: tropical lowland rain forest, interspecific association, ecological species groups, functional groups, Jianfengling in Hainan Island