Shilin is among the most interesting form of stone forest to occur in karst landscapes. They develop from karren subsoil, and their shapes, entire forests or just individual pillars and their rock relief, depend on th...Shilin is among the most interesting form of stone forest to occur in karst landscapes. They develop from karren subsoil, and their shapes, entire forests or just individual pillars and their rock relief, depend on the conditions under which they were formed, their location in the karst landscape, and above all on the characteristics of the rock： its composition, stratification, and fissuring. Because of the exceptional characteristics of this karst phenomenon in China, we propose that the term ＂shilin＂ be used in the professional literature for this type of stone forest.展开更多
Mushroom Mountain karren with predominantly flat tops that formed along the stylolites and bedding planes dictated the special features of this karst landscape. Their features and rock relief clearly reflect the geolo...Mushroom Mountain karren with predominantly flat tops that formed along the stylolites and bedding planes dictated the special features of this karst landscape. Their features and rock relief clearly reflect the geological conditions and development. The subsoil karren with conical tops dissected by subsoil rock relief were exposed from beneath the soil. Below tree vegetation, the subsoil karren are to a great extent covered by moss and lichen, under which they acquire their characteristic shape. On the bare surface they were reshaped by rainwater that carves flutes and solution pans. The old cave that opens below the top of one of the cones reveals the period before its dissection into hills and cones when this part of the karst aquifer was still deep under the water table.展开更多
文摘Shilin is among the most interesting form of stone forest to occur in karst landscapes. They develop from karren subsoil, and their shapes, entire forests or just individual pillars and their rock relief, depend on the conditions under which they were formed, their location in the karst landscape, and above all on the characteristics of the rock： its composition, stratification, and fissuring. Because of the exceptional characteristics of this karst phenomenon in China, we propose that the term ＂shilin＂ be used in the professional literature for this type of stone forest.
基金supported by Slovenia's Ministry of Higher Education,Science and Technology(Slovenian Research Agency),and China's Ministry of Science and Technology. included in the IGCP projects 448 and 513
文摘Mushroom Mountain karren with predominantly flat tops that formed along the stylolites and bedding planes dictated the special features of this karst landscape. Their features and rock relief clearly reflect the geological conditions and development. The subsoil karren with conical tops dissected by subsoil rock relief were exposed from beneath the soil. Below tree vegetation, the subsoil karren are to a great extent covered by moss and lichen, under which they acquire their characteristic shape. On the bare surface they were reshaped by rainwater that carves flutes and solution pans. The old cave that opens below the top of one of the cones reveals the period before its dissection into hills and cones when this part of the karst aquifer was still deep under the water table.
