Community Structure of the Rare and Endangered Plant Monimopetalum chinense in Nanshan area of Jinhua

Monimopetalum chinense, species of ClassⅡstate key protected wild plant in China, was discovered in 2018 in Nanshan area of Jinhua, marking a new distribution record for Zhejiang Province. Unraveling the community structure of M. chinense in this area provides a scientific basis for its conservation. Based on quadrat surveys conducted in the community where M. chinense grows in Nanshan, Jinhua, number of individuals, species composition, vertical structure and species diversity, etc. were analyzed. The results showed that a relatively large number of individuals was found and distributed more abundantly both in low-altitude secondary shrublands and in forests of Phyllostachys edulis, with a total of 186 plants identified across three distribution points. The community contained 84 species of plants, with a higher number of species belonging to the families Theaceae, Poaceae and Lauraceae. The vertical structure of the M. chinense community was not very distinct. The dominant species in tree layer included Cunninghamia lanceolata, P. edulis and Toxicodendron succedaneum, ones in the shrub layer were Loropetalum chinense and Indocalamus latifolius, ones in herbaceous layer covered Lopha therum gracile and Dryopteris fuscipes. The diversity indices of community followed the pattern: herbaceous layer > shrub layer > tree layer. Overall, M. chinense mainly distributed in roadside secondary shrublands and bamboo forests in the Nanshan area of Jinhua is in a transitional stage under the significant human disturbance, with relatively low species importance values. The population of M. chinense may gradually decline as the community develops towards evergreen broad-leaved forest. It is recommended that the priority of conservation should be placed upon in situ conservation, with ex situ measures and reintroduction as compatible choices.