Abstract: In China, Tsuga forest had been regarded as one of the intrazonal vegetations for a long time. Through further investigation of the south-west alpine forest regions of China in recent years. We firmly be1ieve that the tsuga forest occupies more important position than the Picea forest in the veltical zones of alpine vegetation. The lower limit of its distribution is usually connected with the subtropical evergreen broad-leaf forest, and the upper limit with the Picea and Abies forests. It is a real kind of evcrgrcen-coniferous forests with adaptation to moist--temperate habitat, by which the characteristics of subtropical mountai-nous vegetation of China may be tated. After studying of the species distri-butions, habitat factors, community characteristics and economic worth of Tsuga forest synthetica11y, it may be classified intQ four forgh4tions and more divi-ding units.

Key words: Geographic, vertical, Tsuga forest