Abstract: Gordonia acumenata is one of the species dominating the subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests in the southwest China. It is a pioneer climax species that has light-demanding adults and shade-tolerant seedlings.Its curves of diurnal variation of Pn in the sunny days of spring, summer and autumn have two peaks, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon, while in the winter, only one peak occurs at about 14:00 o’clock, Beijing time.Gordonia acumenata is characterized by high saturated net photosynthetic rate and low dark respiration, therefore, its adults are light-demanding, while its seedlings are shade-tolerant. The transpiration rates of its seedlings are greatly influenced by air temperature, leaf temperature, light intensity, relative humidity and leaf water content. Its photosynthetic rate can be significantly decreased by drought-stress, accompanied with this is an increased root/shoot ratio of the seedlings. This might be a strategy for Gordonia acumenata to be adapted to drought-stress.The nutrient content in different organs of Gordonia acumenata varies with season.