Abstract: To explore the key environmental factors suitable for the distribution of climbing bamboo in tropical lowland rain forests, we examined 32 environmental factors including soil physicochemical properties, stand structure, site conditions and the relationships between the distribution of two climbing bamboo species (Dinochloa orenuda and Bonia levigata) and dominant species in a tropical lowland rain forest of Ganshiling, Hainan Island, using the methods of plot investigation, redundancy analysis and detrended correspondence analysis. Results showed that: (1) The cluster densities of D. orenuda and B. levigata were (258.75±99.10) and (81.25±78.64) clumps·hm^-2. The average plant individuals per cluster were (19.56±8.34) and (12.00±2.65). The plant individial density were (2027.50±547.69) and (558.75±521.19) plants·hm^-2. The mean DBH were (20.45±0.55) and (6.18±0.66) mm, respectively. (2) The environmental factors influencing the distribution of the two climbing bamboo species were in the order of: slope position > litter thickness > rock bareness > soil bulk density > slope > field water-holding capacity. The cluster densities of two climbing bamboo species were positively affected by minimum soil water-holding capacity and slope. Bulk density was the limiting factor for the distribution of two climbing bamboo species. Rock bareness and litter thickness were the key factors promoting the number of bamboo clumps in D. orenuda and B. levigata, respectively. (3) D. orenuda and B. levigata had a relatively distant relationship with dominant species in the community. D. orenuda tended to distribute in the tropical rain forest with large tree species, while B. levigata tended to distribute in the rain forest with more small trees. The distribution of D. orenuda and B. levigata in Ganshiling was mainly affected by topography, soil physical properties, and litter thickness. The two climbing bamboo species tended to grow in the valley with low soil bulk density, high field water-holding capacity and steep downhill. D. orenuda preferred the area with large litter thickness, and B. levigata preferred the area with large rock bareness and low litter thickness.

Key words: climbing bamboo, soil physicochemical properties, stand structure, site condition.