Major Types of Vegetation

Woodlands

The majority of the vegetation in Hong Kong belongs to evergreen broad-leaved forest of the subtropical flora of Southeast Asia. Dominant families include the Euphorbiaceae, Sapotaceae, Moraceae, Sterculiaceae, Myrtaceae, Fagaceae, Lauraceae and Theaceae.

Based on the characteristics of eco-physiognomy and species composition, 4 types of plant communities can be classified as follows:

• River-bank woodland

  commonly seen along rivers and low-lying areas, where Cleistocalyx operculatus, Syzygium jambos, Bischofia javanica, and Glochidion hongkongense

• Lowland woodland

  mainly distributed in the hilly area and valleys below 300 - 400 m, where the Euphorbiaceae, Moraceae, Sapotaceae and Myrtaceae are the dominant families and Ficus microcarpa, ENdospermum chinense, Syzgium levinei, Antidesma bunius, Psychotria asiatica and Aquilaria sinensis

• Low-hill forests

  mainly distributed on uplands between 300- 800 m, where the Lauraceae, Fagaceae and Theaceae are dominant families and Machilus thunbergii, Machilus breviflora, Machilus chekiangensis, Cinnamomum porrectum, Schima superba, and Castanopsis fabri

• Montane forests

  found on the hilly reliefs at 700 - 1000 m, where the Fagaceae, Theaceae, Magnoliaceae and Hamamelidaceae are the dominant families and Cameilia kissi, Temstroemia gymnanthera, Manglietia fordiana and Pentophyfax euryoides are some examples of the dominant species

Shrublands

Shrublands are widely distributed in Hong Kong. The most common one is the Baeckea frutescens - Rhodomyrtus tomentosa - Gordonia axillaries community

Grasslands

Include the Arundinella setosa - Cymbopogon caesius - Dicranopteris pedata community and the Miscanthus sinensis - Ischaemum indicum community