Kenting Karst Forest Dynamics Plot - Taiwan

The plot was located in a monsoon forest. The area’s climate is clearly divided into dry and wet seasons. According to data collected by the Hengchun Weather Station, Central Weather Bureau, in the years between 2000 and 2010, the average annual precipitation is 2,000 mm. About 87% of the rainfall occurs between June and November due to Mei-Yu season and typhoons, while the months of October to April are drier with strong northeast monsoon (so-called katabatic wind). The mean annual temperature is 25.4°C and the difference between the average temperature of the coldest and hottest months is small, from 20.9°C in January to 28.4°C in August. On average, 2.3 typhoons invaded the Hengchun Peninsula every year from 1897 to 2007 (Data source: Central Weather Bureau), and the forests and vegetation covers had often suffered mechanical damage and heavy rainfall.