Plant Diversity ›› 2004, Vol. 26 ›› Issue (01): 1-3.

• Articles •    

An Adaptive Evaluation of Wild Rhododendron Under Exsitu Conservation

FENG ZhengBo,ZHUANG Ping,ZHANG Chao,SHAO HuiMin   

  1. West China Subalpine Botanical Garden,Institute of Botany,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Dujiangyan 611830,China
  • Online:2004-02-25 Published:2004-02-25

Abstract: The adaptive faculty and tolerance for the ecological factors of 131 species (subspecies or varieties) of Rhododendron which were gathered from different places,belong to 7 subgenera,35 sections (or subsections) respectively and were Exsitu conserved in China Rhododendron Garden,Dujiangyan,Sichuan was investigated by means of semiquantitative method.The result revealed that very adaptive ones accounted for 25%,adaptive ones accounted for 52%,less adaptive ones accounted for 15%,inadaptive ones accounted for 8% of the total.Most species which are inclusive of Subgen.Hymenanthes,SubgenRhododendron or those introduced from Evergreen Broadleaved Forest,Evergreen and Deciduous Broadleaved Mixed Forest,Needleleaved and Broadleaved Mixed Forest,and Cold Temperate Conifer Forest,are found very adaptive or adaptive to the habitat of the Garden.Where as,those rhododendrons introduced from Alpine Shrub,Alpine Meadow and PinusQuercus Mixed Forest on comparatively lower elevation are found less adaptive or inadaptive to the habitat of the Garden.From the evidence mentioned above,we can reasonably inferred that the location of China Rhododendron Garden we chose had basically satisfied the need for Exsitu conservation of rhododendrons.

Key words: Rhododendron