Abstract:

Ex situ conservation is considered to be one of the most important ways for biodiversity conservation. Probe into introduced plants pecies that are to be conserved can provide some essential references for ex situ conservation. Here, we compared introduced and native plant species in Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden in terms of the patterns of 4 phenophases — leaf flushing, leaf shedding, flowering and fruit ripening. We also analyzed the influence of climatic factors to illustrate the adaptability of these plants. The introduced species had a longer flushing period than the native ones , but their percentage of leaf shedding in the dry season was higher because of their higher sensitivity to low temperature and drought. With the increase in temperature in March and April, all plant species enter a flushing period before the rainy season. Flowering and f ruit ripening patterns of both the introduced and native species showed both a weak seasonality and regularity because of their low susceptibility to climatic factors. In general, the introduced species develop proper growth and reproductive strategies to adapt to the environment in Xishuangbanna.

Key words: phenology, tropical introduced plant species, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden