Ten years’ observation of seed rain in a Fagus lucida community in Dalaoling Nature Reserve in the Three Gorges: seed rain density, species composition and their correlation with the community

doi:10.3724/SP.J.1258.2012.00708

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims Our objective was to analyze the temporal dynamics of the number and species composition of the seed rain of a Fagus lucida community and determine the relationship of species composition between seed rain and the community.
Methods For ten years, we studied the seed rain in a 1.3 hm² plot in the Dalaoling Nature Reserve of the Three Gorges Region, using 100 seed traps at ten different topographic positions.
Important findings A total of 60 926 seeds from 48 woody species fell into the traps, the average seed rain density was (82.9 ± 61.5) seeds·m^-2·a^-1(mean ± SD) and the average species number was 16.7 ± 5.5 (mean ± SD) per year. The interspecific difference of seed production was striking, with the top three species having contributed 70% of the total seeds. The interannual variation of seed rain density and species richness was synchronic, both revealed periodic fluctuations including three mast years. There was no correlation of seed rain density between trees and shrubs, but a significant positive correlation was found in species richness of these two life forms. There were 23 woody species shared by the seed rain and the community, accounting for 47.92% of the species richness in seeds and 54.76% in the community. However, the 23 species contributed 96.22% of the total seed rain, indicating that dispersal limitation occurred in this community. Compared with other forest community types in China, the seed rain density of this community is significantly lower.

Key words: Fagus lucida community, interannual variability, seed rain, seed rain density, species composition, woody plant

XU Yue, SHEN Ze-Hao, LÜ Nan, TANG Yuan-Yuan, LI Dao-Xin, WANG Gong-Fang, TAN Jia-Lin, LIU Yi-Ping. Ten years’ observation of seed rain in a Fagus lucida community in Dalaoling Nature Reserve in the Three Gorges: seed rain density, species composition and their correlation with the community[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2012, 36(8): 708-716.

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种名 Species name	种子量 Seed number	占总量百分数 Percentage of the total (%)	重要值 Importance value
美丽马醉木 Pieris formosa¹⁾	21 780	35.748	5.70
光叶水青冈 Fagus lucida¹⁾	10 674	17.520	31.40
楤木 Aralia chinensis¹⁾	10 185	16.717
吴茱萸五加 Acanthopanax evodiaefolius¹⁾	4 445	7.296	4.76
灯台树 Bothrocaryum controversum¹⁾	3 500	5.745	2.11
石灰花楸 Sorbus folgneri¹⁾	3 172	5.206	5.71
雷公鹅耳枥 Carpinus viminea¹⁾	2 730	4.481	2.93
短柄枹栎 Quercus serrata var. brevipetiolata¹⁾	1 065	1.748	4.39
川鄂山茱萸 Cornus chinensis¹⁾	622	1.021
青钱柳 Cyclocarya paliurus	424	0.696
细枝柃 Eurya loquaiana	420	0.689
毛肋杜鹃 Rhododendron augustinii¹⁾	336	0.551
茅栗 Castanea seguinii¹⁾	218	0.358	2.38
四照花 Dendrobenthamia japonica¹⁾	162	0.266	3.99
华中五味子 Schisandra sphenanthera	159	0.261
小果南烛 Lyonia ovalifolia var. elliptica¹⁾			4.06
青椆 Cyclobalanopsis myrsinaefolia			3.04
华中山柳 Clethra fargesii			3.01
微毛樱桃 Cerasus clarofolia			2.38
宜昌木姜子 Litsea ichangensis			1.98
华中樱桃 Cerasus conradinae			1.40

种名 Species name	种子量 Seed number	占总量百分数 Percentage of the total (%)	重要值 Importance value
美丽马醉木 Pieris formosa¹⁾	21 780	35.748	5.70
光叶水青冈 Fagus lucida¹⁾	10 674	17.520	31.40
楤木 Aralia chinensis¹⁾	10 185	16.717
吴茱萸五加 Acanthopanax evodiaefolius¹⁾	4 445	7.296	4.76
灯台树 Bothrocaryum controversum¹⁾	3 500	5.745	2.11
石灰花楸 Sorbus folgneri¹⁾	3 172	5.206	5.71
雷公鹅耳枥 Carpinus viminea¹⁾	2 730	4.481	2.93
短柄枹栎 Quercus serrata var. brevipetiolata¹⁾	1 065	1.748	4.39
川鄂山茱萸 Cornus chinensis¹⁾	622	1.021
青钱柳 Cyclocarya paliurus	424	0.696
细枝柃 Eurya loquaiana	420	0.689
毛肋杜鹃 Rhododendron augustinii¹⁾	336	0.551
茅栗 Castanea seguinii¹⁾	218	0.358	2.38
四照花 Dendrobenthamia japonica¹⁾	162	0.266	3.99
华中五味子 Schisandra sphenanthera	159	0.261
小果南烛 Lyonia ovalifolia var. elliptica¹⁾			4.06
青椆 Cyclobalanopsis myrsinaefolia			3.04
华中山柳 Clethra fargesii			3.01
微毛樱桃 Cerasus clarofolia			2.38
宜昌木姜子 Litsea ichangensis			1.98
华中樱桃 Cerasus conradinae			1.40

年份 Year	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	总计 Total
物种构成相似性 Similarity of species composition	0.39	0.33	0.12	0.43	0.32	0.39	0.48	0.29	0.32	0.24	0.51
共有种子百分数(%) Percentage of shared seeds (%)	79.75	98.19	30.34	91.52	97.42	97.97	97.25	97.49	99.65	99.70	96.22

年份 Year	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	总计 Total
物种构成相似性 Similarity of species composition	0.39	0.33	0.12	0.43	0.32	0.39	0.48	0.29	0.32	0.24	0.51
共有种子百分数(%) Percentage of shared seeds (%)	79.75	98.19	30.34	91.52	97.42	97.97	97.25	97.49	99.65	99.70	96.22

植物 Plant species	生活型 Life form	高度 Height (m)	果实类型及所含种子数量 Fruit type and seed number per fruit	果实成熟期 Fructescence	样方内株数 Tree numbers in the plot
黄丹木姜子 Litsea elongata	常绿灌木 Evergreen shrub	3-12	浆果状核果, 1粒 Berrylike drupe with one seed per fruit	2-6月 Feb. to June	1
微毛樱桃 Cerasus clarofolia	落叶小乔木 Deciduous small tree	5-13	核果, 1粒 Drupe with one seed per fruit	6-8月 June to Aug.	5
华中樱桃 Cerasus conradinae	落叶乔木 Deciduous tree	3-12	核果, 1粒 Drupe with one seed per fruit	7月 July	5
青皮木 Schoepfia jasminodora	落叶灌木 Deciduous shrub	2-3	核果, 1粒 Drupe with one seed per fruit	6月 June	1