[Typical Medicinal Plants Community and Diversity Research in Altay Region of Xinjiang].

Objective: To investigate typical medicinal plants of Rheum altaicum, Glycyrrhiza uralensis, Ferula sinkiangensis, Paeonia sinjiangensis, Ephedra equisetina, and Origanum vulgare in Altay region of Xinjiang, and to clarify their current existing situation under natural condition.

Methods: Based on the 30 sample plots, ecological methods were used for investigating the community structure and species diversity of local medicinal plants.

Results: 39 species belonging to 20 families,36 genera were recorded in the area. Xerophytic shrubs, half shrubs and herbs were dominant plants. The important values of six typical medicinal plants were 0. 32,0. 37,0. 42,0. 50,0. 49 and 0. 34,respectively. Six indexes of species diversity were generally low( 0. 63 ~ 0. 80),in which the species diversity indexes of Paeonia sinjiangensis, Ferula sinkiangensis, and Rheum altaicum were the highest( 0. 80,0. 80 and 0. 76),the species diversity indexes of Ephedra equisetina and Origanum vulgare were lower( 0. 74 and 0. 64),and the species diversity index of Glycyrrhiza uralensis was the lowest( 0. 63).

Conclusion: Composition and community structure of medicinal plant species in Altay region of Xinjiang were relatively simple, which need to be protected urgently.