The biogeographical distribution of tree species-abundance and its relation to climatic factors in mass islands

Tree species-abundance in forests is a function of geographical area and climate, although it is not clear whether such relationships apply to mass islands. We examined the spatial pattern of tree species in mass islands along the coast of Zhejiang, East China Sea using the Preston model, to identify the relationships between tree communities and climatic conditions. The results show that: (1) the biogeographical distribution of tree species-abundance conformes to Preston’s log-normal pattern, and is in accordance with the findings in both tropical rainforests and estuarine forests; (2) the climatic factors related to tree communities in mass islands are similar to that of the subtropical zone, including the major species of evergreen needle-leaf, broad-leaf and deciduous broad-leaf forests. We conclude that the Preston model can be applied to the trees of mass islands and thus facilitate the systematic ecological researches of vegetation species’ composition in subtropical zone.