Altitudinal Patterns of the Plant Fruit Type Spectrum in Wuyishan National Park

Geographical patterns of fruit type largely depend on the environmental conditions during plants' optimum growth period. In this paper, the composition and variation of fruit type in 14 sampled vegetation plots along an altitudinal gradient in Wuyishan National Park were analyzed. The results show that: (1) The proportions of dry and fleshy fruits in Wuyishan National Park were 43.41% and 56.59%, respectively. Among the 13 fruit types, drupes had the highest proportion (31.18%), followed by capsules (22.30%) and berries (15.35%). These characteristics were compatible with the mid-subtropical monsoon humid climates in Wuyishan National Park. (2) For trees, shrubs, herbs, and climbing plants, the proportions of dry fruits were 38.97%, 29.51%, 91.67%, and 30.77%, respectively, while those of fleshy fruits were 61.03%, 70.49%, 8.33%, and 69.23%, respectively. (3) With the increase of altitude, the proportion of dry fruit increased while that of fleshy fruit decreased gradually. At the altitudes of 800 to 1 700 m, the dominant fruit types were drupes, capsules and berries. At the altitude of 1 800 m, the dominant fruit types were drupes, capsules and nuts; the proportion of berries decreased or even disappeared. At the altitude of 1 900 m, the dominant fruit types were drupes, achenes and capsules. At the altitudes of 2 000 to 2 100 m, the dominant fruit types were achenes, capsules and caryopses; the proportions of berries and drupes decreased or even disappeared. (4) Drupes and capsules occurred in all the 14 plots. The proportion of drupes decreased with the rising of elevation, while that of capsules had no obvious trend along the altitudinal gradient. This study is essential for understanding the relationships between the geographical patterns of fruit type and the local climates in the Wuyi Mountains, and the adaptive evolution of terrestrial ecosystems to changes in the natural environment.