Abstract: Abstract Picea brachytyla var. complanata and Abies georgei are main dominant of subalpine dark coniferous forest in Zhongdian. The light saturation point of both species are lower, but the adaptive ranges of P. brachytyla var. complanata for light intensity is higher than that of A. georgei, and the photosynthetic rate of the former (3.74 CO2mgg-1 DWh-1) is higher than that of the latter (3.24 CO2mgg-1 DWh-1) too. The types of diurnal changes in photosynthetic rates of two species at an altitude of 3300 metres above sea level all show double peaks curves, and their seasonal changes in photosynthetic rates exhabit the forms of single peak. The rates of photosynthesis of both species in the cutting blank decrease obviously as compared with that of under the canopy and fall range of photosynthtic rates of A. georgei is higher.

Key words: Kunming Institute of Ecology, Academia Sinica, Kunming 650223