Abstract:Species composition and structure of the Erythrophleum fordii community wereinvestigated in December 1995 in Dinghushan Biosphere Reserve. The results showed that91 species in 78 genera and 49 families of vascular plants were found in a plot of 1 600 m2,and most plants were of tropical genera. The physiognomy of the community was evergreenall the year round. The life form in the community was dominated by phanerophytes, and theleaf form being dominated by plants with simple leaf and mesophylls for most trees. The stratification was obvious，and the trees could be divided into three layers Species diversity and complicated structure in the community reflected the climatic conditions of warmer temperature and higher humidity in southern subtropics． The importance value of
Erythrophleum fordii population was higher than that of other population in the studied community， which was named as Erythrophleum fordii community．Although legumes are abundant in low subtropical forests，however，the comunities with legumes dominated are hardly to be found elsewhere．