Abstract: To explore the taxonomic diversity of Larix principisrupprechtii forests in Shanxi, 40 stands were investigated. In total 219 species were recorded, belonging to 145 genera, 49 families, 34 orders, 5 classes, and 3 phyla. In spite of the great species richness, most species fell within a small number of taxa. The dominant orders were Rosales and Campanulales, and the dominant families Compositae, Rosaceae, and Ranunculaceae, and the compositions of genera and species within families exhibited differences. The average taxonomic difference index (Δ⁺) and the taxonomic difference variation index (Λ⁺) were used to measure the taxonomic diversity of L. principisrupprechtii forests. The results showed that most of the Δ⁺ values and all the Λ⁺ values in the 40 stands were above their theoretical average values, respectively, which suggested that the species in the forests had high taxonomic diversity and were mainly composed of distant relatives, while there was a low evenness in taxonomic hierarchies. The Δ⁺ value was significantly correlated with the environmental factors (P<0.05), such as longitude, slope, slope position, altitude and species number, but the correlation between Δ⁺ and latitude and aspect was not significant (P>0.05). Moreover, the Λ⁺ value had a significant correlation with altitude, longitude, slope and species number (P<0.05), while it had no significant correlation with latitude, aspect and slope position (P>0.05).

Key words: travel cost interval analysis, willingnesstopay, recreational value, Beijing Olympic Forest Park., travel cost model, zonal travel cost model