CENTRAL MOUNTAIN RANGE

The 'Central Mountain Range', also known as the 'Chungyang' or 'Chung-yang Range', is the principal range of mountains in Taiwan. It runs from the north of the country to the south.
Due to this separation, connecting between the west and east is not so convinent. The tallest peak is Yu Shan (Jade Mountain), 3,952 meters (12,966 feet); the second tallest peak is Hsuehshan (Snow Mountain), 3,886 meters (12,749 feet).

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Ecology

Reference and external link

Ecology

The Central Range lies within the Taiwan subtropical evergreen forests ecoregion, and the composition of the forest varies with elevation. The coastal plains and lower elevations are covered by evergreen laurel-''Castanopsis'' forests, dominated by ''Cryptocarya chinensis'' and ''Castanopsis hystrix'', with scattered stands of the subtropical pine ''Pinus massoniana''. As elevation increases, the evergreen broadleaf trees are gradually replaced by deciduous broadleaf trees and conifers. At higher elevations, ''Cyclobalanopsis glauca'' replaces laurel and ''Castanopsis'' as the dominant tree.
Above 3,000 meters, deciduous broadleaf trees like Formosan Alder ''(Alnus formosana)'' and maple ''(Acer'' spp.) mix with Taiwan Hemlock ''(Tsuga chinensis).'' At the highest elevations, subalpine forests are dominated by conifers, including hemlocks ''(Tsuga'' spp.), spruces ''(Picea'' spp.), and firs ''(Abies'' spp.).

Reference and external link

★ Taiwan subtropical evergreen forests (World Wildlife Fund)