Storm damage in a montane evergreen broadleaved forest of Chebaling National Nature Reserve, South China

doi:10.3773/j.issn.1005-264x.2010.02.013

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims The forest ecosystem of north Guangdong Province, China was severely damaged by a freezing rain and ice storm in early 2008. Our aim is to assess tree damage and factors that influence it in a subtropical montane evergreen broadleaved forest.

Methods A 2-hm² plot was set up in the storm-damaged montane evergreen broadleaved forest in Chebaling National Nature Reserve. The plot was divided into 50 subplots, each 400 m², for sampling and measurement of plants and environmental factors. Damages to individual trees were recorded by visual estimation and then translated into a 0-6 scale of damage class. We compared the severity of damage for 12 dominant and co-dominant species. We also assessed variations in tree abundance in different diameter at breast height (DBH) classes and topographic regimes.

Important findings Significant variations in tree damage existed among species, DBH classes and topographic positions. Species of Theaceae and Lauraceae were more resistant to storm damage than species of other families. Most damaged were species of Fagaceae, such as Castanopsis fargesii and the dominant C. carlesii, which was more severely damaged than most co-dominant species. The proportion of damaged trees increased with DBH, with > 70% of the undamaged individuals being concentrated in the smallest DBH class (1-5 cm). χ² test indicated that topographic factors, i.e., slope inclination, aspect and position, had significant effects on the severity of tree damage. Trees on the upslope position were more susceptible to damage than those on the downslope or midslope positions, which might be due to increased cooling by wind on the upper slope. For slope aspects, semi-sunny slopes generally had a significantly higher proportion of damaged trees than semi-shady slopes. For slope inclination, the highest proportion of severely damaged trees was on slope classes of 15°-25°, 25°-35° and 35°-45°. Findings have significant implications for conservation of subtropical evergreen broadleaved forest, protection of forests from possible future damage by ice storms and forest management.

Key words: Chebaling National Nature Reserve, damage class, ice storm, montane evergreen broad-leaved forest, topographic factor

SU Zhi-Yao, LIU Gang, OU Yu-Duan, DAI Zhao-Hui, LI Zhen-Kui. Storm damage in a montane evergreen broadleaved forest of Chebaling National Nature Reserve, South China[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2010, 34(2): 213-222.

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Figures/Tables 5

References 41

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受损等级 Damage class	分级描述 Description	分级标准 Grouping criterion
0	未受损 Undamaged	树冠完整没有破坏或者受破坏极不明显 Complete crown and undamaged
1	树冠轻度受损 Very slight crown damage	树冠损坏量<11% <11% crown damage
2	树冠中度受损 Moderate crown damage	树冠损坏量介于11%- 50% 11%-50% crown damage
3	树冠严重受损 Severe crown damage	树冠损坏量>50% >50% crown damage
4	倾斜弯曲 Trunk bent or lean	树干压弯或者倾斜, 但为活树 Trunk bent or lean but alive
5	折干枯死 Trunk broken and dead	树干折断或者枯立木 Trunk broken or snag
6	翻蔸 Uprooted	翻蔸或者树干基部折断 Uprooted or broken at base

受损等级 Damage class	分级描述 Description	分级标准 Grouping criterion
0	未受损 Undamaged	树冠完整没有破坏或者受破坏极不明显 Complete crown and undamaged
1	树冠轻度受损 Very slight crown damage	树冠损坏量<11% <11% crown damage
2	树冠中度受损 Moderate crown damage	树冠损坏量介于11%- 50% 11%-50% crown damage
3	树冠严重受损 Severe crown damage	树冠损坏量>50% >50% crown damage
4	倾斜弯曲 Trunk bent or lean	树干压弯或者倾斜, 但为活树 Trunk bent or lean but alive
5	折干枯死 Trunk broken and dead	树干折断或者枯立木 Trunk broken or snag
6	翻蔸 Uprooted	翻蔸或者树干基部折断 Uprooted or broken at base

受损等级 Damage class	径级DBH class				总个体数 No. of stems	平均胸径¹⁾ Mean DBH (cm)	受损比例²⁾ Proportion of damaged stems (%)
受损等级 Damage class	I 1-5 cm	II 5-15 cm	III 15-45 cm	IV >45 cm	总个体数 No. of stems	平均胸径¹⁾ Mean DBH (cm)	受损比例²⁾ Proportion of damaged stems (%)
0	2 281	592	298	37	3 208	6.32 ± 0.16^a	-
1	27	11	3	1	42	7.46 ± 1.78^a	3.49
2	30	40	77	22	169	23.85 ± 1.70^b	14.05
3	30	88	92	2	212	16.00 ± 0.94^c	17.62
4	157	169	130	15	471	12.83 ± 0.58^d	39.15
5	70	132	58	1	261	10.72 ± 0.53^d	21.70
6	5	15	26	2	48	18.26 ± 1.69^c	3.99
合计 Total	2 600	1 047	684	80	4 411
未受损个体比例 Proportion of undamaged stems (%)	87.73	56.54	43.57	46.25	72.73
受损个体总数 No. of damaged stems	319	455	386	43	1 203
受损个体比例 Proportion of damaged stems (%)	12.27	43.46	56.43	53.75	27.27

受损等级 Damage class	径级DBH class				总个体数 No. of stems	平均胸径¹⁾ Mean DBH (cm)	受损比例²⁾ Proportion of damaged stems (%)
受损等级 Damage class	I 1-5 cm	II 5-15 cm	III 15-45 cm	IV >45 cm	总个体数 No. of stems	平均胸径¹⁾ Mean DBH (cm)	受损比例²⁾ Proportion of damaged stems (%)
0	2 281	592	298	37	3 208	6.32 ± 0.16^a	-
1	27	11	3	1	42	7.46 ± 1.78^a	3.49
2	30	40	77	22	169	23.85 ± 1.70^b	14.05
3	30	88	92	2	212	16.00 ± 0.94^c	17.62
4	157	169	130	15	471	12.83 ± 0.58^d	39.15
5	70	132	58	1	261	10.72 ± 0.53^d	21.70
6	5	15	26	2	48	18.26 ± 1.69^c	3.99
合计 Total	2 600	1 047	684	80	4 411
未受损个体比例 Proportion of undamaged stems (%)	87.73	56.54	43.57	46.25	72.73
受损个体总数 No. of damaged stems	319	455	386	43	1 203
受损个体比例 Proportion of damaged stems (%)	12.27	43.46	56.43	53.75	27.27

地形因子 Topographic factor	受损等级 Damage class
地形因子 Topographic factor	0	1	2	3	4	5	6
坡向 Aspect (I: 半阴坡 Semi-shaded aspect; II: 半阳坡 Semi-sunny aspect)
I	1 638 (51.06)	15 (35.71)	73 (43.20)	78 (36.79)	198 (42.04)	83 (31.80)	27 (56.25)
II	1 570 (48.94)	27 (64.29)	96 (58.80)	134 (63.21)	273 (57.96)	178 (68.20)	21 (43.75)
坡位 Slope position (I: 上坡 Upper slope; II: 中坡 Middle slope; III: 下坡 Lower slope)
I	1 038 (32.36)	24 (57.14)	78 (46.15)	122 (57.55)	165 (35.03)	142 (54.41)	14 (29.17)
II	1 030 (32.11)	12 (28.57)	49 (28.99)	54 (25.47)	154 (32.70)	70 (26.82)	25 (52.08)
III	1 140 (35.53)	6 (14.29)	42 (24.85)	36 (16.98)	152 (32.27)	49 (18.77)	9 (18.75)
坡度 Slope degree (I: 0°-5°; II: 5°-15°; III: 15°-25°; IV: 25°-35°; V: 35°-45°; VI: > 45°)
I	81 (2.52)	2 (4.76)	4 (2.37)	7 (3.30)	11 (2.34)	7 (2.68)	1 (2.08)
II	93 (2.90)	4 (9.52)	10 (5.92)	7 (3.30)	9 (1.91)	16 (6.13)	1 (2.08)
III	186 (5.80)	2 (4.76)	12 (7.10)	14 (6.60)	45 (9.55)	17 (6.51)	1 (2.08)
IV	1 733 (54.02)	19 (45.24)	86 (50.89)	112 (52.83)	246 (52.23)	151 (57.85)	18 (37.50)
V	1 077 (33.56)	15 (35.71)	55 (32.54)	71 (33.49)	159 (33.76)	69 (26.44)	26 (54.17)
VI	38 (1.18)	0 (0)	2 (1.18)	1 (0.47)	1 (0.21)	1 (0.38)	1 (2.08)