Chin J Plan Ecolo ›› 1996, Vol. 20 ›› Issue (6): 568-579.

• Research Articles • Previous Articles    

Floristic and Ecological Studies of Natural Seedlings in the Lower Subtropical Forest in Heishiding, Guangdong Province

Chen Zhang-he, Zhang De-ming, Lin Feng-ping   

  • Published:1996-06-10
  • Contact: Sun Fan and Zhong Zhangcheng

Abstract: Species composition, diversity, distribution and growth of the seedlings in a natural forest stand and on a newly formed highway slope into the forest (considered as a special gap) were studied. Species abundance and Shannon-Wiener diversity of the seedlings were similar to that of the stand in which the plots were sampled (99 species cf. 117,5. 43 cf. 5.43) and higher than that in a comparable sample area on the highway slope(59, 4.21). For the seedlings in the forest, there were, in comparison with that on the highway slope, higher percentage of tree species (46. 15 cf. 34. 04) and lower one of herb species (23. 08 cf. 31. 92); higher similarity to the stand for woody species (coefficient of S ф rensen 0. 500 cf. 0. 171). Similarity between the two seeding floras was low (0. 247).Most of the dominant polulations in both habitats presented contagious pattern of distribution. Population on the highway slope seemed to have more intay slope smped characteristics.Seedings of pioneer tree species had higher or comparable RGR ( mean RGR for 1 ~ 5 years: 0.944 ~ 1.555 cf. 0.765 ~ 1.402 g ·g-1·a-1) but slower accumulative biomass growth than the seeding in the forest in much poorer soil. Shadetolerant seedings did not show dormant characteristics in the forest. Seedings of pioneer trees allocated higher percentage of biomass to leaf but those of late-successional species allocated more biomass to root.