東アジアの照葉樹林の豊富性，気候的位置づけおよび生物地理学的潜在性 : とくに台湾を例として

Laurophyll forests are extra-tropical evergreen broad-leaved forests such as those which are especially well developed in humid warm-temperate to subtropical areas of East Asia and some equivalent but smaller areas on other continents. There are two main types: true laurel forests dominated by Laureaceae and forests dominated by evergreen Gagaceae, which in East Asia also have a mesomorphic, laurophyll character. Laurophyll forests are also known for their taxonomic richness, which is seen well in some mature laurophyll forests of more protected areas in the steep mountains of central Taiwan. Taxonomic richness and biogeographic affinities are described at species, genus and family levels. The laurophyll forests of Taiwan are marginally subtropical. as distinguished from warm-temperate types lacking tropical taxa and tolerating more frost. Underglobal warming (without drying). weedy and other highly mobile species can be expected to migrate more rapidly than mature-forest species. This provides special problems for vegetation stability, but especially on islands and other dissected land areas. The regeneration potential of laurophyll forests appears good, however, suggesting that their potential areas could expand under global warming