Monsoon Rainforests in Low Mountains

Altingia excelsa(by Li Bosheng)

Tropical plants in Medog - Fishtail sunflowers (Taken by Guan Zhihua)

　　After we say good-bye to the katus, we will soon enter the monsoon rainforests in low mountains and river valleys. The monsoon forests here are different from the tropical forests near the equator. It is a rainforest biological system that has obvious seasonal changes formed under the condition of the tropical marine monsoon. The tops of the trees here are quite irregular and their formation is quite complicate. To some extent, we can say that the monsoon rainforests here have high canopy closure degrees. It's quite dark and humid in the forests. The vines mingle with one another and orchid flowers are gently spreading its sweet smell all over. The environment here is quite similar with those of Hainan Island and Xishuangbanna of China. High arbors, such as T.myriocarpa，Altingia excelsa, Homalium zeylanicum, and Alnus nepalensis grow as tall as 30-40 meters; the base of some tree trunks often have board-like roots. Among these high arbors, there are also short arbors such as Cotoneaster, Acer, Solix etc. growing in the forests. People can also see some wild plantains, gomuti palm and fishtail palms or primitive Alsophila spinulosa there. Under the gentle breeze of the tropical monsoon and the bright sunlight shining through the white clouds, the dark green leaves of the fishtail palm swing its fishtail-like leaves gently; and the feather-like leaves of Alsophila spinulosa stand straightly like open umbrellas; with the dripping of the seasonal tropical rains, the secondary wild plantains on the slope of the valleys will make common viewers to sense the atmosphere of tropical rainforests.

　　The vines under the monsoon rainforests climb here and there. White vines can climb to the top of the trees by making use of the thorns in the tip of its leaves; the shoulder pole vines also twist its flat and pole-like body to climb upward. Their vines can grow as long as dozens of meters. The local Ba and Lhoba people often use them to weave house wares; they even weave a vine bridge across the Great Canyon, which is a matchless example in his history of bridge building.