[Population characteristics of Coptis chinensis var. brevisepala in Anhui Province and its endangering mechanism].

The study on the distribution pattern, population size, and age structure of C. chinensis var. brevisepala in Anhui Province showed that C. chinensis var. brevisepala mainly distributed in the southern mountain areas such as Mts. Jiuhuashan, Guniujiang, Huangshan and Qingliang Peak. The habitats had two kinds, i.e., under woods and beside water ditches, both of which were shady and humid, with loose and acidic soils containing abundant organic matter. The shading degree surpassed 70%, air humidity reached 70% approximately 90%, and soil water content was more than 30%. The distribution pattern of existing C. chinensis var. brevisepala populations was clustering, with illogical age structure and small population size. It was suggested that the populations of C. chinensis var. brevisepala in Anhui Province were in an unsteady stage. Serious destroy of natural habitat and excessive digging and gathering adult individuals were the main causes of the rapid decrease of the individuals in some populations, which threatened the existence of C. chinensis var. brevisepala populations seriously.