Chin J Plant Ecol ›› 2009, Vol. 33 ›› Issue (6): 1034-1043.DOI: 10.3773/j.issn.1005-264x.2009.06.003

• Original article • Previous Articles     Next Articles

LANDSCAPE PATTERN AND DYNAMICS IN A NATURAL TROPICAL FOREST OF BAWANGLING, HAINAN ISLAND, CHINA

ZHANG Zhi-Dong1, ZANG Run-Guo2,*()   

  1. 1 Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research for Sustainable Development, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai, Shandong 264003, China
    2 Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of State Forestry Administration, Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
  • Received:2009-03-30 Accepted:2009-07-15 Online:2009-03-30 Published:2009-11-30
  • Contact: ZANG Run-Guo

Abstract:

Aims Effective protection of tropical forest requires understanding changes in landscape pattern during the forest recovery process. Our aims were to 1) examine forest recovery dynamics and landscape pattern change and 2) explore the impact of proximity of mature forest fragments on secondary succession.
Methods We investigated 135 sample plots in a natural tropical forest landscape of Bawangling, Hainan Island, China. Three Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) imageries from 1986, 1998 and 2002 were used along with a grid-based approach and statistical methods to analyze forest recovery dynamics and landscape pattern change. The spatial relationship between mature forest fragments and different successional stage forests was analyzed by buffer analysis and Chi-square analysis.
Important findings There were four forest patch types based on stage of recovery. Between 1986 and 1998, the proportion of all patch types except late-successional forest changed significantly; however, between 1998 and 2002 most of the patch types were little changed, indicating that deforestation decreased. From 1998 to 2002, the number of patches and edge density increased and mean patch size and core area decreased in most patch types, indicating that fragmentation of the study region increased. The distribution of secondary forest was significantly correlated with proximity to late-successional forest, because the proportion of young secondary forest gradually increased with greater distance from late-successional forest. This suggests that proximity of late-successional forest facilitates forest recovery following human disturbance.

Key words: dynamics, landscape pattern, spatial relationship, tropical forest, Hainan Island