The tropical rain forest in Xishuangbanna, SW China has a high floristic diversity and is closely related to Malaysian rain forests in flora. This forest would not normally be established in such a climatic region as Xishuangbanna (less precipitation and lower air temperature) compared to those of the lowland moist tropics. The mean annual rainfall is 1487 mm, which is considerably lower than rain forests in other parts of the world. It is believed that the frequent occurrence of radiation fog might play an important role in the water relations of plants and in the hydrological cycle of this type of rain forest. However, the multiple hydrological and ecological effects of radiation fog are not well understood. In this paper, we describe and analyze the significance of radiation fog to this forest, and develop a hypothesis that fog plays an important role in the presence of the tropical rain forest in Xishuangbanna. Suggestions for further research on the significance of fog are offered.
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Research Article|
February 01 2008
The importance of radiation fog in the tropical seasonal rain forest of Xishuangbanna, south-west China
Wen Jie Liu;
1Kunming division, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 88 Xuefu Road, Kunming, 650223, China
E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]
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Ping Yuan Wang;
Ping Yuan Wang
2Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, P. R./Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100039, China
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Jin Tao Li;
Jin Tao Li
2Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, P. R./Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100039, China
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Peng Ju Li;
Peng Ju Li
2Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, P. R./Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100039, China
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Wen Yao Liu
Wen Yao Liu
3Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223, China
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Hydrology Research (2008) 39 (1): 79–87.
Article history
Received:
July 10 2006
Accepted:
June 26 2007
Citation
Wen Jie Liu, Ping Yuan Wang, Jin Tao Li, Peng Ju Li, Wen Yao Liu; The importance of radiation fog in the tropical seasonal rain forest of Xishuangbanna, south-west China. Hydrology Research 1 February 2008; 39 (1): 79–87. doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/nh.2008.031
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