Central Mountain Range

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The Central Mountain Range, also known as the Chungyang or Chung-yang Range, is the principal range of mountains in Taiwan. It runs from the north of the island to the south. Due to this separation, connecting between the west and east is not so convinent. The tallest peak is Yu Shan (Jade Mountain), 3,952 meters (12,966 feet); the second tallest peak is Hsuehshan (Snow Mountain), 3,886 meters (12,749 feet).

[edit] Ecology

The Central Range lies within the Taiwan subtropical evergreen forests ecoregion, and the composition of the forest varies with elevation. The coastal plains and lower elevations are covered by evergreen laurel-Castanopsis forests, dominated by Cryptocarya chinensis and Castanopsis hystrix, with scattered stands of the subtropical pine Pinus massoniana. As elevation increases, the evergreen broadleaf trees are gradually replaced by deciduous broadleaf trees and conifers. At higher elevations, Cyclobalanopsis glauca replaces laurel and Castanopsis as the dominant tree.

Above 3,000 meters, deciduous broadleaf trees like Formosan Alder (Alnus formosana) and maple (Acer spp.) mix with Taiwan Hemlock (Tsuga chinensis). At the highest elevations, subalpine forests are dominated by conifers, including hemlocks (Tsuga spp.), spruces (Picea spp.), and firs (Abies spp.).