Types and extent of damage to Cunninghamia lanceolata plantations due to unusually heavy snow and ice in southern China

doi:10.3773/j.issn.1005-264x.2010.02.011

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims Forest ecosystems were seriously damaged by unusually heavy snow and ice in early 2008 in southern China. Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata), the main timber tree in southern China, was one of the most severely affected species. Our objective was to investigate and assess types and extent of damage to this tree species in plantation stands in northern Guangdong, analyze relationships among site condition, forest structure and damage, and provide a theoretical basis and technical guidance for protecting existing forest resources and restoring damaged forests.

Methods The study was conducted in Chinese fir plantation in Tianjingshan forest farm of Guangdong, which was damaged by this snow and ice event. Thirteen plots 20 m × 30 m (or 15 m × 30 m) were placed in typical damaged areas in August 2008. Site factors such as altitude, aspect, slope position and slope steepness were recorded, and forest structure factors such as trunk diameter at breast height (DBH), tree height, crown size, lowest height of living branches, trunk taper (diameter/height) and stand density were measured.

Important findings Over 80% of the Chinese fir trees at 500-900 m elevation were damaged. There were three types of damage: crown broken (65.09%), uprooted (18.37%) and trunk bent (3.20%). The crown broken category was divided into five grades corresponding to extent of damage: top broken, crown fracture from the top to the central part, crown fracture from the top to the lower part with serious injury, entire crown broken, trunk broken off near the base or tree death after trunk broken. Plantation density was very important for the resistance of Chinese fir to the snow and ice storms, because trees were more severely broken where stand density was > 3 500 per hm² or < 1 500 per hm². DBH was a sensitive index of the type and extent of damage. Stunted trees tended to show mild damage. Trunk taper was an important factor for Chinese fir in the prevention and mitigation of snow and ice damage.

Key words: Cunninghamia lanceolata, damage type, northern Guangdong, plantation, snow and ice disaster

HE Qian, LI Ji-Yue, CHEN Xiao-Yang, CHEN Hong-Yue, PENG Hua-Gui, FAN Shun-Jiang. Types and extent of damage to Cunninghamia lanceolata plantations due to unusually heavy snow and ice in southern China[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2010, 34(2): 195-203.

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https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/Y2010/V34/I2/195

Figures/Tables 7

References 29

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样地号 Plot No.	海拔 Alt. (m)	坡向 Asp.	坡位 SP	坡度 Grad (°)	经度 Long.(E)	纬度 Lat.(N)	林分密度 SD (株·hm^-2)	胸径 DBH (cm)	树高 TH (m)	枝下高 FB (m)	冠幅 CS (m)
1	575	南坡 Southern slope	上坡 Uphill	8	113°1′22′′	24°41′15′′	3 517	8.1	5.4	3.0	2.0
2	563	北偏西20° North-west 20°	上坡 Uphill	32	113°4′15′′	24°44′29′′	3 700	10.6	6.4	4.7	2.4
3	573	西偏南10° West-south 10°	山脊 Ridge	-	113°14′19′′	24°44′28′′	2 633	9.9	5.8	3.5	2.4
4	472	西坡 Western slope	下坡 Downhill	32	113°4′9′′	24°44′44′′	2 533	9.0	7.1	4.3	2.5
5	668	北偏西55° North-west 20°	上坡 Uphill	23	113°9′50′′	24°44′49′′	1 467	11.4	8.5	4.3	2.3
6	700	东偏南13° Eest-south 13°	下坡 Downhill	36	113°4′27′′	24°44′52′′	1 717	11.1	6.6	3.9	2.3
7	715	南偏西20° South-west 20°	中坡 Middlehill	6	113°4′56′′	24°44′59′′	3 533	6.1	3.6	1.9	1.7
8	900	西偏南10° West-south 10°	下坡 Downhill	21	112°56′56′′	24°41′49′′	3 311	12.3	9.9	6.7	2.3
9	936	南坡 Southern slope	下坡 Downhill	27	113°4′55′′	24°41′25′′	1 883	13.2	9.4	6.6	1.9
10	840	南坡 Southern slope	下坡 Downhill	5	113°1′18′′	24°41′5′′	4 867	11.3	9.1	5.8	2.4
11	688	南坡 Southern slope	中坡 Middlehill	21	113°1′58′′	24°41′35′′	2 367	11.5	6.6	4.0	2.4
12	511	东坡 Eastern slope	下坡 Downhill	37	113°4′7′′	24°44′52′′	1 917	11.0	6.2	3.7	2.2
13	531	南偏西35° South-west 35°	中坡 Middlehill	36	113°4′12′′	24°44'′59′′	2 917	12.0	6.2	4.4	1.8

样地号 Plot No.	海拔 Alt. (m)	坡向 Asp.	坡位 SP	坡度 Grad (°)	经度 Long.(E)	纬度 Lat.(N)	林分密度 SD (株·hm^-2)	胸径 DBH (cm)	树高 TH (m)	枝下高 FB (m)	冠幅 CS (m)
1	575	南坡 Southern slope	上坡 Uphill	8	113°1′22′′	24°41′15′′	3 517	8.1	5.4	3.0	2.0
2	563	北偏西20° North-west 20°	上坡 Uphill	32	113°4′15′′	24°44′29′′	3 700	10.6	6.4	4.7	2.4
3	573	西偏南10° West-south 10°	山脊 Ridge	-	113°14′19′′	24°44′28′′	2 633	9.9	5.8	3.5	2.4
4	472	西坡 Western slope	下坡 Downhill	32	113°4′9′′	24°44′44′′	2 533	9.0	7.1	4.3	2.5
5	668	北偏西55° North-west 20°	上坡 Uphill	23	113°9′50′′	24°44′49′′	1 467	11.4	8.5	4.3	2.3
6	700	东偏南13° Eest-south 13°	下坡 Downhill	36	113°4′27′′	24°44′52′′	1 717	11.1	6.6	3.9	2.3
7	715	南偏西20° South-west 20°	中坡 Middlehill	6	113°4′56′′	24°44′59′′	3 533	6.1	3.6	1.9	1.7
8	900	西偏南10° West-south 10°	下坡 Downhill	21	112°56′56′′	24°41′49′′	3 311	12.3	9.9	6.7	2.3
9	936	南坡 Southern slope	下坡 Downhill	27	113°4′55′′	24°41′25′′	1 883	13.2	9.4	6.6	1.9
10	840	南坡 Southern slope	下坡 Downhill	5	113°1′18′′	24°41′5′′	4 867	11.3	9.1	5.8	2.4
11	688	南坡 Southern slope	中坡 Middlehill	21	113°1′58′′	24°41′35′′	2 367	11.5	6.6	4.0	2.4
12	511	东坡 Eastern slope	下坡 Downhill	37	113°4′7′′	24°44′52′′	1 917	11.0	6.2	3.7	2.2
13	531	南偏西35° South-west 35°	中坡 Middlehill	36	113°4′12′′	24°44'′59′′	2 917	12.0	6.2	4.4	1.8

样地类型 Plot type	样地号 Plot No.	未损 Undamage	受损类型 Damage type
样地类型 Plot type	样地号 Plot No.	未损 Undamage	弯曲 Bending	倒伏 Lodging	折断 Broken	总计 Total
未受损 Undamaged	4	148 / 97.37	0 / 0	0 / 0	4 / 2.63	4 / 2.63
	8	149 / 100.00	0 / 0	0 / 0	0 / 0	0 / 0
	9	113 / 100.00	0 / 0	0 / 0	0 / 0	0 / 0
轻微受损 Slightly damaged	10	182 / 81.98	4 / 1.8	0 / 0	33 / 14.86	37 / 16.67
受损 Damaged	1	4 / 1.89	17 / 8.02	79 / 37.26	111 / 52.36	207 / 97.64
	2	14 / 6.28	3 / 1.35	22 / 9.87	183 / 82.06	208 / 93.27
	3	5 / 3.14	7 / 4.4	22 / 13.84	124 / 77.99	153 / 96.23
	5	16 / 18.18	1 / 1.14	2 / 2.27	69 / 78.41	72 / 81.82
	6	0 / 0.00	9 / 8.74	27 / 26.21	67 / 65.05	103 / 100
	7	15 / 9.43	5 / 3.14	38 / 23.9	101 / 63.52	144 / 90.57
	11	6 / 4.23	2 / 1.41	17 / 11.97	117 / 82.39	136 / 95.77
	12	6 / 5.22	1 / 0.87	31 / 26.96	77 / 66.96	109 / 94.78
	13	1 / 0.57	2 / 1.14	55 / 31.43	117 / 66.86	174 / 99.43
	总数/平均值 Total/average	67 / 4.88	47 / 3.42	293 / 21.34	966 / 70.36	1 306 / 95.12

样地类型 Plot type	样地号 Plot No.	未损 Undamage	受损类型 Damage type
样地类型 Plot type	样地号 Plot No.	未损 Undamage	弯曲 Bending	倒伏 Lodging	折断 Broken	总计 Total
未受损 Undamaged	4	148 / 97.37	0 / 0	0 / 0	4 / 2.63	4 / 2.63
	8	149 / 100.00	0 / 0	0 / 0	0 / 0	0 / 0
	9	113 / 100.00	0 / 0	0 / 0	0 / 0	0 / 0
轻微受损 Slightly damaged	10	182 / 81.98	4 / 1.8	0 / 0	33 / 14.86	37 / 16.67
受损 Damaged	1	4 / 1.89	17 / 8.02	79 / 37.26	111 / 52.36	207 / 97.64
	2	14 / 6.28	3 / 1.35	22 / 9.87	183 / 82.06	208 / 93.27
	3	5 / 3.14	7 / 4.4	22 / 13.84	124 / 77.99	153 / 96.23
	5	16 / 18.18	1 / 1.14	2 / 2.27	69 / 78.41	72 / 81.82
	6	0 / 0.00	9 / 8.74	27 / 26.21	67 / 65.05	103 / 100
	7	15 / 9.43	5 / 3.14	38 / 23.9	101 / 63.52	144 / 90.57
	11	6 / 4.23	2 / 1.41	17 / 11.97	117 / 82.39	136 / 95.77
	12	6 / 5.22	1 / 0.87	31 / 26.96	77 / 66.96	109 / 94.78
	13	1 / 0.57	2 / 1.14	55 / 31.43	117 / 66.86	174 / 99.43
	总数/平均值 Total/average	67 / 4.88	47 / 3.42	293 / 21.34	966 / 70.36	1 306 / 95.12

样地号 Plot No.	折断等级(株数/百分比(%)) Grades of broken trees (number/percentage)
样地号 Plot No.	I 轻微受损 Slightly damaged	II 轻度受损 Mild damaged	III 中度受损 Moderate damaged	IV 严重受损 Severe damaged	V 极严重受损 Very serious damaged
1	12 / 10.81	35 / 31.53	26 / 23.42	34 / 30.63	4 / 3.60
2	56 / 30.60	75 / 40.98	37 / 20.22	13 / 7.10	2 / 1.09
3	12 / 9.68	50 / 40.32	30 / 24.19	28 / 22.58	4 / 3.23
5	6 / 8.70	32 / 46.38	23 / 33.33	6 / 8.70	2 / 2.90
6	4 / 6.06	26 / 39.39	20 / 30.30	14 / 20.9	2 / 2.99
7	0 / 0.00	21 / 20.79	52 / 51.49	28 / 27.72	0 / 0.00
11	34 / 29.06	41 / 35.04	26 / 22.22	11 / 9.40	5 / 4.27
12	10 / 12.99	35 / 45.45	28 / 36.36	4 / 5.19	0 / 0.00
13	3 / 2.59	54 / 46.55	45 / 38.79	13 / 11.11	1 / 0.85
平均值 Mean	12.28	38.49	31.15	15.97	2.11