臺灣的生物地理：1.背景

The Biogeography of Taiwan: 1. Background

沈中桴(Chung-Fu Shen)

《臺灣省立博物館年刊》 39卷 (1996/12) Pp. 387-427

https://doi.org/10.6548/ATMB.199612_39.0013

摘要

構成本文主體之七節分別呈現若干或多或少與臺灣之生物地理（研究）有關之背景性觀察與討論。這七節分別摘要如下：一、關於生物地理與植物地理的一些基本理論：本節中簡要地討論了生物相、生態群聚、生態系、與森林的本質、以及四者間的內在緊密關係，並略述生物地理研究的本質以及這類研究如何俐落地整合了分類學，生態學，與古生物學的有關研究成果，最後特別指出傳播生物學在種子植物地理研究上的重要性。二、關於一些重要的生物學術語：本節中討論並建議了下列術語之適當中文翻譯、並及於各術語之若干與生物地理研究有關之重要意義：evolution（演化）、population（族群）、vegetation（植群）、species（生物種/植物種/動物種），biota / flora / fauna（生物相/植物相/動物相）。三、關於生物區系/植物區系/動物區系（biont / Phytont / zoont）：我把biota / flora / fauna這一組詞抽象意味特別明顯的用法抽離出來，並進一步把它發展成二組抽象程度極高的觀念、稱之爲biont / phytont/zoont（生物/植物/動物區系）：“在某地質時間跨距內存在於某多少穩定的地理範圍內而通常包含夠多的種（不含）以上特有實體而且其種（不含）以上層級的特有情況多少穩定的某生物相的系統性發展的結果或過程”; biota / flora / fauna同時被限定爲一組遠較具象的有關術語。“廣義東亞植物區系”與“巽他（大陸棚）植物區系”經特別論及。四、關於溫度氣候帶：我論證並支持Jack A. Wolfe（1969，1979）提出的 ＂Paratropical＂ 溫度氣候帶，但建議將其改稱爲 ＂Subequatorial（亞赤道帶）＂；而 ＂Tronical＂ 一詞因此成爲包括 ＂Equatorial＂ 及 ＂Subequa-torial＂ 的總稱。我同時建議改變通行於近代中國大陸的若干中文溫度氣候帶名制。五、關於回歸帶森林的分類：在簡短地評述了一些主要的回歸帶森林分類（包括名制）方式之後，我建議在分類全球森林時以形相系統取代雨林-季節林系統。六、關於第四紀研究：臺灣島是研究“第四紀自然史”最合適的地方之一。關於臺灣島的木本植物相與森林植群的起源與演化的研究在相當大的意義上就是第四紀研究中以臺灣島植物爲主的研究。七、關於第四紀內的植物遷徙：我認爲在廣義東亞植物區系地理範圍的東南緣客觀自然條件允許北半球低/中緯度地區的第四紀木本植物相史與第四紀森林植群史的研究能深入到探索某植物種在小地理範圍內“迅速”消亡的生態成因。木本植物及森林植群在第四紀內經由冰期陸橋的大規模遷徙經特別提及。一個第四紀植物族群的地理範圍變動以及這個族群隨後在某地的“命運”可以在四個基本第四紀氣候階段/類型（入冰過渡，盛冰，退冰過渡，氣候最適）更迭循環的時間脈絡中研究。我最後討論了關於第四紀（森林）植群遷徙的一些基本理論狀況。

關鍵字

第四紀 ； 第四紀植物遷徙 ； 回歸帶森林 ； 生物地理 ； 生物區系 ； 臺灣 ； 溫度氣候帶 ； 亞赤道帶 ； 植群 ； 植物地理

並列摘要

The seven sections constituting the proper of this article each presents some observations and discussions that concern more or less the biogeography of or the biogeographic studies of Taiwan and are of background nature. They are individually summarized as follows. 1. On some basic theories of biogeography and phytogeography: The following were briefly addressed on: the nature of and the intimate relationships among biota, ecoassemblage, ecosystem, and forest; the nature of biogeographic studies and how these undertakings well integrate the inter- related knowledge of taxonomy, ecology, and paleobio-logy: and the importance of dispersal biology in the biogeographic studies of seed plants. 2. On some critical biological terms: The proper Chinese-language translations of the following terms were discussed and suggested, along with comments on some of their salient and relevant meanings in biogeographic studies: evolution, population, vegetation, species, and biota/flora/fauna. 3. On biont/phytont/zoont: The more abstract usage of ＂biota/flora/fauna＂ was extracted out and further developed as a highly abstract concept called ＂biont/phytont/zoont＂: ＂the result or process of the system- atic development of a biota/flora/fauna existent within a more or less stable geographic range within a geological time-span, usually containing sufficiently numerous higher-than-species-rank endemic entities, and maintaining a more or less stable higher-than-species-rank endemic condition＂. The term biota/flora/fauna was simultaneously limited to its original, rather concrete usage. The ＂East-Asian Phytont s.l.＂ (EAP; geographic range including Taiwan, Hainan, southern Guang- dong, southern Guangxi, the northern, mountainous region of Indo-Chinese Peninsula, etc.) and ＂Sunda(-Shelf) Phytont＂ were especially discussed. 4. On tempera- ture-climate zones: The ＂Paratropical＂ temperature-climate zone proposed by Jack A. Wolfe (1969, 1979) was supported after discussion, but its calling was suggested to be changed as ＂Subequatorial＂; the term ＂Tropicał＂ thus becomes a collective term embracing Equatorial＂ and ＂Subequatorial＂. Some prevailing Chinese terms of temperature-climate zones were also suggested to change. 5. On the classification of Tropical forests: Following a concise commentary on some major classifications (including nomenclatures) of Tropical forests I suggested to adopt a physiognomy-based system to replace the rain forest-seasonal forest system for a global forest classification. 6. On Quaternary studies: Taiwan Islandis among the most suitable places of the world for conducting researches on ＂Quaternary natural history＂. The studies on the origin and evolution of the woody flora and forest vegetation of Taiwan Island are in a considerable sense that part of Quaternary studies centering around the plants that appeared on the Island. 7 On the Quaternary plant migration: It was argued that on the southeastern margin of the geographic range of EAP the objective, natural conditions seem to allow our studies on the Quaternary history of woody floras and forests in the low/mid-latitudinal Northern Hemisphere to delve into the ecological causes of acertain plant species' ＂rapid＂ disappearance/extinction within a small area. The large-scale migrations of woody plants and forest vegetations in the Quaternary by way of glacial land-bridges were particularly mentioned. A Quaternary plant population's range-change and its subsequent ＂fate＂ in a certain area can be studied within the temporal context of the switchover of four basic Quaternary climatic stages/patterns (Cooling Transition, Full Glacial, Warming Transition, Climatic Optimum). I finally discussed some basic theoretical conditions about the migration of Quaternary (forest) vegetations.

並列關鍵字

Biogeography ； biont ； phytogeography ； Quaternary ； Quaternary plant migration ； Subequatorial ； Taiwan ； temperature-climate zones ； Tropical forests ； vegetation