Abstract: Biodiversity assessment is the basis for biodiversity conservation, while the application of biodiversity surrogate is one of the important means for quick biodiversity assessment in environmental impact assessment. This paper introduced the conception of biodiversity surrogate, analyzed the correlations widely existed among biological groups, and summarized the large scale experimental proportions among the species of  mammals,  birds and vascular plants (1:5:50). The existing biodiversity surrogates were classified into two categories, i.e., bio-surrogates (indicator group, functional group, and rare and endangered group) and habitat-based surrogates (environmental factors, landscape features, and sacred natural sites). Also, the surrogating mechanisms, effectiveness, use methods, and use scope of different indicators were summarized, and the potential ways to improve the surrogates’ performance were discussed. This paper provided references for conservation site planning, biodiversity monitoring, environmental impact assessment, and improvement of China’s biodiversity impact assessment system.

Key words: Pinus elliottii, Mixed stand, Soil nutrient, Microorganism, Enzyme activity