Floristic analysis of the evergreen broad-leaved forest community from Jiulianshan National Nature Reserve in Jiangxi Province, China

2009 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 416-423 ◽  
Author(s):  
Minfei Jian ◽  
Qijing Liu ◽  
Peirong Tang ◽  
Yuelong Liang
2020 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 7-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cindy Q. Tang ◽  
Li-Qin Shen ◽  
Peng-Bin Han ◽  
Diao-Shun Huang ◽  
Shuaifeng Li ◽  
...  

Aims: Pinus yunnanesis is commercially, culturally and economically important, but there is a lack of ecological data on its role in stand dynamics. Our aims are to clarify the structure, composition, regeneration and growth trends of primary mature P. yunnanensis forests. Study area: The Tianchi National Nature Reserve in the Xuepan Mountains, Yunlong County, northwestern Yunnan, China. Methods: We investigated forests containing P. yunnanensis, measured tree ages and analyzed the data. Results: Six forest types were identified: (1) coniferous forest: Pinus yunnanensis (Type 1); (2) mixed coniferous and evergreen broad-leaved forest: P. yunnanensis-Lithocarpus variolosus (Type 2); (3) mixed coniferous and deciduous broad-leaved forest: P. yunnanensis-Quercus griffithii (Type 3); (4) mixed evergreen broad-leaved and coniferous forest: Castanopsis orthacantha-P. yunnanensis-Schima argentea (Type 4); (5) mixed coniferous, evergreen and deciduous broad-leaved forest: Pinus yunnanensis-Schima argentea-Quercus griffithii (Type 5); (6) mixed coniferous and evergreen broad-leaved forest: Pinus armandii-Quercus rehderiana-Pinus yunnanensis (Type 6). The size- and age-structure and regeneration patterns of P. yunnanensis were highly variable within these six forest types. P. yunnanensis regeneration was well balanced in forest Type 1 as compared to the other five types. All six forest types were identified as rare and old-growth with P. yunnaensis trees reaching ages of more than 105 years (a maximum age of 165 years with a diameter 116 cm at breast height) except for the Type 4 forest (a 90-year-old stand). Growth rates of P. yunnanensis, based upon ring width measurements, were high for the first 10 years, then declined after the 10th year. In contrast, basal area increment (BAI) increased for the first 25 years, plateaued, and only declined as trees became older. Trees in the older age classes grew more quickly than younger trees at the same age, a consequence of either site quality or competitive differences. The BAI of P. yunnanensis in all age classes in the Tianchi National Nature Reserve was much higher than those of the secondary and degraded natural P. yunnanensis forests of other areas. Conclusions: The P. yunnanensis forests of the Tianchi area appear to be some of the last remnants of primeval and old-growth forests of this species. These forests are structurally diverse and contain a rich diversity of overstory, mid-story, and understory species. Taxonomic reference: Editorial Committee of Flora Republicae Popularis Sinicae (1959–2004) for vascular plants. Abbreviations: BA = basal area; BAI = basal area increment; DBH = diameter at breast height; H = height; RBA = relative basal area.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuelin Li ◽  
Brian Mwangi ◽  
Shun Zhou ◽  
Shizhong Liu ◽  
Qianmei Zhang ◽  
...  

Sensitivity to climate change is one of the key features of the Dinghushan National Nature Reserve that is located in the lower subtropical China. Having faced typhoon Mangkhut in 2018, there emerged a need to study the effects that the typhoon had on the evergreen broad-leaved forest community in Dinghushan. The forest composition data for 2015, 2018, and 2020 was used in this study. The aim was to establish a scientific basis for the restoration of natural forests that have the ability to withstand strong weather phenomena such as typhoons and the hypothesis stated that typhoon Mangkhut had a long-term detrimental effect on the forest community in Dinghushan forest. The results showed that trees that have a DBH of less than 5 cm and a height of less than 2 m were more prone to damage during a severe weather events. In 2015, there was a total of 5,682 trees per hectare while in 2018 there was a total of 5,022 trees per hectare showing a decline in the number of trees per hectare of 660 due to the typhoon. Number of trees in each DBH class, height class, total above ground dry weight and average tree height was also lower in 2018 as compared to 2015 and 2020. The species abundance was also adversely affected with a loss of 672 species per hectare in 2018 compared to 2015. In 2020, about 83% of all trees had a DBH of less than 5 cm and an average height of 3.8 m making up a large proportion of trees that could be damaged if another storm occurred of similar or greater magnitude as the one that hit the region in 2018. Of interest was the forests remarkable ability to bounce back as there is an increase in biomass when 2018 is compared to 2020. The results support the hypothesis of the study. It is therefore of utmost importance that strategies be put in place to protect this ecosystem and others of a similar nature, by employing the use of natural forests that have great resilience against typhoons.


2012 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 180-185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun HE ◽  
Xiuhai ZHAO ◽  
Chunyu ZHANG ◽  
Yuzhen JIA ◽  
Juan FAN ◽  
...  

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