A STUDY ON THE ECOLOGICAL CLIMATES OF SOME FAMOUS TEA GROWING AREAS IN HIGH MOUNTAINOUS REGIONS OF CHINA

Key words: 
• the famous tea growing areas /
• high mountains /
• ecological climate

Abstract: The tea tree [Camellia sinensis (L) Kuntze] is one of the world's economic crops. It is an especially important crop for southern China. Environmental factors related to the tea yield and quality in some high mountain areas of China are identified in this paper. These factors are: geology, topography, climate, hydrology, soil and vegetation. Climatological factors are the most important. Using data collected from meteorological stations which are situated at the summit and the base of high mountains, this paper discusses ecological climatic problems in growing tea in China. The ecological climatic characteristics of the famous tea areas mainly included are as follows: more . amounts of clouds and fog, less percentage of sunshine, abundant rainfall and high relative humidity in the air, temperatures that rise and fall slowly, daily and annual temperature ranges that are smaller, more days that are suitable for tea growing and low wind speeds in the lee-sides and valleys of mountains. All of these factors are favorable for growth of tea trees.