Structure and regeneration patterns in a virgin Picea abies forest in northern Sweden

Abstract. A high-altitude boreal Picea abies forest, with tree ages of up to 410 yr, was studied with respect to age structure, spatial regeneration patterns, and substrate. The results suggest that recruitment is primarily dependent on germination substrate but also negatively correlated with the density of the tree layer. 60 % of all spruces < 1.3 m high grew on substrates connected with tree-fall; ca. 40 % were found on decomposing logs and stumps, covering only ca. 6 % of the forest floor. Individual logs remain important as a regeneration substrate for ca. 150 yr. Continuous presence of decomposing coarse wood is a condition for the maintenance of the population structure under the prevailing climatic conditions. Peaks in the age distribution (the 1870's and the 1940's - 1950's) are probably climatically induced. The results challenge the previous assumptions that this kind of forest undergoes cyclic development. Long-term structural stability with climatically induced minor variations may be an alternative model.     

Successional trends 219 years after fire in an old Pinus sylvestris stand in northern Sweden

Abstract. We present results from repeated analyses (1962, 1993) of a permanent plot established in 1947, combined with retrospective stand age structure data, in an old Pinus sylvestris stand in Muddus National Park, northern Sweden. The study points towards a successional pathway governed by concurrent disturbance effects of climate variability, reindeer grazing and fire. This is intermediate to the two often advocated ideas on dynamics in boreal forests, that is, one of disturbance-related tree regeneration/mortality and one of continuous regeneration. When the plot was established in 1947 the tree layer (> 1.3 m) consisted of 300 individuals/ha of P. sylvestris and 62/ha of Betula pubescens. Subsequently the stand has become more dense and the species dominance has shifted. In 1993, 362 P. sylvestris and 62 Picea abies individuals were present per ha, while no Betula individuals were found. The number of dead trees increased from zero in 1947 to 200/ha (Pinus) in 1993. Pinus was also the most common species in the sapling layer (< 1.3 m) throughout the study period, though the number dropped from 8912/ha in 1947 to 51% in 1993. Dead saplings decreased from 2650/ha in 1947 to ca. 50% in 1962, and only 9% in 1993. Temporal variations in mortality and sapling mean height coincided with variations in snow depth, indicating a critical period in sapling development when saplings are exposed at the snow/atmosphere interface. The number of living Picea saplings increased slowly until 1993; no dead saplings were found. Most Pinus recruited shortly after the 1774-fire, and during the second half of the 1900s. The major part of the spruce regeneration took place during the later half of the 1900s. No successful Betula recruitment has occurred after the 1930s, and no live Betula were present in 1993, which might be explained as an effect of increased reindeer browsing – the reindeer stock has grown by 50% since 1961. Although subjected to high mortality, Pinus regenerated and maintained a seedling/sapling bank. In this way Pinus remained dominant in the tree layer after more than 200 post-fire years. The importance of the shade-tolerant Picea has slowly increased, while Betula has died off. Thus, even after 219 yr since fire there is an early successional trend in the stand. This suggests that an increased chronic disturbance (grazing/browsing by reindeer) has partly succeeded earlier discrete fire-disturbance events, and maintained a continuous seedbed favouring the shade-intolerant pine recruitment.     

Importance of woody debris in seed germination of Tipularia discolor (Orchidaceae)

Concerns about declining populations of terrestrial orchids make it important to identify the environmental factors crucial to seedling recruitment. This study shows that seedlings of Tipularia discolor (cranefly orchid) primarily occur on decomposing wood. Extensive searches of decomposing logs and stumps in mature and successional forests revealed seedlings at 24 sites, of which 15 could be identified as originating from seven different deciduous trees and one conifer. Seeds were planted in natural habitats to test the hypothesis that germination requires decomposing wood. In one experiment, seeds were placed into soil at sites where adult plants were abundant; no germination resulted. In a second experiment, germination of seeds sown in ambient soil was compared with sowings in plots amended with decomposing wood collected from a stump where spontaneous seedlings grew. Germination was much more frequent in plots amended with decomposing wood. We conclude that germination of T. discolor is stimulated in substrates that contain decomposing wood; judging from the occurrence of spontaneous seedlings, wood from at variety of tree species offer a suitable substrate.     

Composition and Dynamics of Functional Groups of Trees During Tropical Forest Succession in Northeastern Costa Rica

We compared the functional type composition of trees ≥10 cm dbh in eight secondary forest monitoring plots with logged and unlogged mature forest plots in lowland wet forests of Northeastern Costa Rica. Five plant functional types were delimited based on diameter growth rates and canopy height of 293 tree species. Mature forests had significantly higher relative abundance of understory trees and slow-growing canopy/emergent trees, but lower relative abundance of fast-growing canopy/emergent trees than secondary forests. Fast-growing subcanopy and canopy trees reached peak densities early in succession. Density of fast-growing canopy/emergent trees increased during the first 20 yr of succession, whereas basal area continued to increase beyond 40 yr. We also assigned canopy tree species to one of three colonization groups, based on the presence of seedlings, saplings, and trees in four secondary forest plots. Among 93 species evaluated, 68 percent were classified as regenerating pioneers (both trees and regeneration present), whereas only 6 percent were classified as nonregenerating pioneers (trees only) and 26 percent as forest colonizers (regeneration only). Slow-growing trees composed 72 percent of the seedling and sapling regeneration for forest colonizers, whereas fast-growing trees composed 63 percent of the seedlings and saplings of regenerating pioneers. Tree stature and growth rates capture much of the functional variation that appears to drive successional dynamics. Results further suggest strong linkages between functional types defined based on adult height and growth rates of large trees and abundance of seedling and sapling regeneration during secondary succession.
Abstract in Spanish is available at http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/loi/btp     

State of fallen logs and the occurrence of conifer seedlings and saplings in boreal and subalpine old-growth forests in Japan

Fallen logs on the forest floor play an important role in tree seedling establishment in boreal and subalpine old-growth forests. We examined the abundance and state (degree of decay, moss coverage on their surfaces) of fallen logs on the forest floor and compared the occurrence of conifer seedlings and saplings on soil and fallen logs in old-growth evergreen boreal (Taisetsu) and subalpine (Yatsugatake) coniferous forest stands in Japan. The forest floors of both stands were covered mostly by soil, and fallen logs covered only a small proportion (4.5% in Taisetsu and 2.5% in Yatsugatake) of the forest floor. In both stands, no seedlings were found on freshly fallen logs. Both moss coverage and the occurrence of seedlings or saplings on fallen logs increased with decay in both stands. In Taisetsu, the occurrence of all conifer seedlings and saplings was, in general, restricted to fallen logs. In contrast, in Yatsugatake, Picea and Tsuga seedlings occurred much more frequently on fallen logs than on soil, whereas Abies seedlings and saplings became established on both soil and fallen logs. Seedlings were taller on decayed fallen logs, but taller saplings were rare on fallen logs in Yatsugatake. Results indicate that species characteristics, the condition of the fallen logs and environmental factors determine the preponderance of seedling and sapling establishment on fallen logs. The condition of fallen logs varies with the degree of decay, and fallen logs that function as seedling establishment sites on the forest floor are thought to be limited by time and space.     

Seedling and Sapling Dynamics of Treefall Pits in Puerto Rico1

Seedling and sapling dynamics in a Puerto Rican rain forest were compared between forest understory and soil pits created by the uprooting of 27 trees during Hurricane Hugo. Soil N and P, organic matter, and soil moisture were lower and bulk densities were higher in the disturbed mineral soils of the pits than in undisturbed forest soils ten months after the hurricane. No differences in N and P levels were found in pit or forest soils under two trees with N–fixing symbionts (Inga laurina and Ormosia krugii) compared to soils under a tree species without N–fixing sym–bionts (Casearia arborea), but other soil variables (Al, Fe, K) did vary by tree species. Forest plots had greater species richness of seedlings (<10 cm tall) and saplings (10–100 cm tall) than plots in the soil pits (and greater sapling densities), but seedling densities were similar between plot types. Species richness and seedling densities did not vary among plots associated with the three tree species, but some saplings were more abundant under trees of the same species. Pit size did not affect species richness or seedling and sapling densities. Recruitment of young Cecropia schreberiana trees (>5 m tall) 45 months after the hurricane was entirely from the soil pits, with no tree recruitment from forest plots. Larger soil pits had more tree recruitment than smaller pits. Defoliation of the forest by the hurricane created a large but temporary increase in light availability. Recruitment of C. schreberiana to the canopy occurred in gaps created by the treefall pits that had lower soil nutrients but provided a longer–term increase in light availability. Treefall pits also significantly altered the recruitment and mortality of many understory species in the Puerto Rican rain forest but did not alter species richness.     

Potential tree species extinction,colonization and recruitment in Afromontane forest relicts

Tree species regeneration determines future forest structure and composition, but is often severely hampered in small forest relicts. To study succession, long-term field observations or simulation models are used but data, knowledge or resources to run such models are often scarce in tropical areas. We propose and implement a species accounting equation, which includes the co-occurring events extinction, colonization and recruitment and which can be solved by using data from a single inventory. We solved this species accounting equation for the 12 remaining Afromontane cloud forest relicts in Taita Hills, Kenya by comparing the tree species present among the seedling, sapling and mature tree layer in 82 plots. A simultaneous ordination of the seedling, sapling and mature tree layer data revealed that potential species extinctions, colonizations and recruitments may induce future species shifts. On landscape level, the potential extinction debt amounted to 9% (7 species) of the regional species pool. On forest relict level, the smallest relicts harbored an important proportion of the tree species diversity in the regeneration layer. The average potential recruitment credit, defined as species only present as seedling or sapling, was 3 and 6 species for large and small forest relicts, while the average potential extinction debt was 12 and 4 species, respectively. In total, both large and small relicts are expected to lose approximately 20% of their current local tree species pool. The species accounting equations provide a time and resource effective tool and give an improved understanding of the conservation status and possible future succession dynamics of forest relicts, which can be particularly useful in a context of participatory monitoring.     

雪灾干扰后林冠开阔度对黄心树幼苗更新的影响

幼苗更新是森林更新的关键过程,而林窗对于植物幼苗更新、生长及最终存活具有重要影响。极端气候事件会使森林在短时间内形成大量林窗,从而显著影响林内幼苗更新和存活。本研究以2015年雪灾后云南省哀牢山中山湿性常绿阔叶林优势种黄心树(Machilus bombycina)幼苗为对象,对194个1 m×1 m样方中的幼苗生长和死亡动态进行为期4年的监测,利用线性混合模型(LMM)和广义线性混合模型(GLMM),分析林冠开阔度对幼苗高度相对生长率、叶片相对增长率、新增率和死亡率的影响,研究了雪灾干扰后的林冠开阔度对植物幼苗更新的影响。结果表明:(1)林冠开阔度随时间推移逐渐变小(20.07%~9.97%),且速度由快到慢;(2)2015-2016年,已有幼苗高度相对生长率与林冠开阔度呈显著正相关(P<0.05),其余年份两者间无显著相关性;2016-2017年已有幼苗叶片相对增长率与林冠开阔度呈显著正相关(P<0.05),其余年份两者间无显著相关性;(3)林冠开阔度与幼苗新增率和死亡率均无显著相关性。本研究表明,雪灾后造成的林冠开阔度增加有利于黄心树幼苗生长。     

Patterns of seedling recruitment in West-Mediterranean Quercus ilex forest influenced by canopy development

Abstract. Quercus ilex (holm oak) coppice forests belong to the most representative communities in the western part of the Iberian Peninsula. Due to the high sprouting potential of holm oak after coppicing, the dynamics of recruitment of new individuals in existing populations has been largely overlooked. In these forests, the density of seedlings increases in old stands, as a result of the remarkable increase in the recruitment of 1-yr and 2-yr old seedlings, probably due to better environmental conditions for germination. Older seedlings show a tendency towards increasing survival under some degree of canopy closure, since their density appears to be higher just before complete canopy closure takes place. Nevertheless, the reduced growth of seedlings in older stands due to low light levels causes age distributions of holm oak seedlings to change drastically, with saplings older than 15 yr becoming very unusual in these stands. Therefore, a bottleneck of recruitment appears at this sapling stage and prevents vigorous regeneration just before thinning. Present conditions of genet density and management tend to prevent population renewal. Dynamics of the seedling bank reinforce the role of gap formation through small or large scale perturbations in population turnover.     

Early post-fire regeneration of a Pinus halepensis forest on Mount Párnis,Greece

Abstract. The post-fire regeneration of a 45-yr-old Pinus halepensis (Aleppo pine) forest, burned in July 1989, has been studied on Mount Párnis, Attiki, Greece. Four experimental plots at various slopes and exposures were established at altitudes of 400 - 450 m, and monitored for 3 yr at 3-month intervals. Early regeneration took place abundantly, through both resprouting and seed germination of mostly hard-seeded herbs and shrubs; the floristic richness was high with 80 taxa. Pine seedling emergence took place during the winter of the first post-fire year. The mean pine seedling density by the end of the recruitment period (March 1990) was 5–6 seedlings/m². This density decreased slightly during late spring and considerably during summer. During the second post-fire year only a relatively slight decline was observed; thereafter the density was stabilized to 1 - 2 seedlings/m². Mortality follows a negative exponential curve that levels off at ca. 20 %. Height distributions throughout the three post-fire years were all positively skewed as a result of the presence of few very tall saplings. A considerable fraction (20 %) of very short (5–15 cm) saplings were still alive 39 months after the fire; these may constitute the sapling bank. Based on the analysis of height distribution curves, it is concluded that the taller seedlings survived significantly better than the shorter ones.     

Spatial structure of the abiotic environment and its association with sapling community structure and dynamics in a cloud forest

Analyzing the relationship between the spatial structures of environmental variables and of the associated seedling and sapling communities is crucial to understanding the regeneration processes in forest communities. The degree of spatial structuring (i.e., spatial autocorrelation) of environmental and sapling community variables in the cloud forest of Teipan, S Mexico, were analyzed at a 1-ha scale using geostatistical analysis; after fitting semivariogram models for each set of variables, the association between the two sets was examined through cross-variograms. Kriging maps of the sapling community variables (density, cover, species richness, and mortality and recruitment rates) were obtained through conditional simulation method. Canopy openness, total solar radiation, litter depth, soil temperature and soil moisture were spatially structured, as were sapling density, species richness and sapling mortality rate. Mean range in semivariograms for environmental and sapling community variables were 13.14 ± 3.67 and 12.68 ± 5.71 m (±SE), respectively. The spatial structure of litter depth was negatively associated with the spatial structures of sapling density, species richness, and sapling community cover; in turn, the spatial structure of soil moisture was positively associated with the spatial structure of recruitment rate. These associations of the spatial structures of abiotic and sapling community variables suggest that the regeneration processes in this cloud forest is driven by the existence of different microsites, largely characterized by litter depth variations, across which saplings of tree species encounter a range of opportunities for successful establishment and survival.     

Sensitivity of seedling recruitment to moss, litter and dominant removal in an oligotrophic wet meadow

The effect of a dominant species, the litter layer, and the moss layer on seedlings and established vegetation was evaluated in two manipulative experiments in an oligotrophic wet meadow (Molinion with some features ofViolion caninae according to phytosociological classification). In the first experiment, the dominant species (Nardus stricta), litter layer, and litter layer together with the moss layer were removed and the response of the established vegetation and seedlings were compared with a control. Results revealed that after one season there was no significant effect of the treatments on established vegetation, but seedling recruitment was significantly affected. The greatest increase of seedling recruitment for many species was observed in the plots with the moss layer removed. In the second experiment, seeds ofSelinum carvifolia were sown into plots subjected to the following treatments: complete vegetation removal, mowing, mowing combined with removal of the moss layer, and an untreated control. The highest number of seedlings was found in plots with the vegetation removed, but the seedling recruitment was nearly as high in plots with the moss layer removed. Low numbers were found in mown plots and the lowest in the untreated control. The results show that seedling recruitment is more sensitive to competition than the established vegetation, at least over one season. This supports the idea of the importance of the regeneration niche for the maintenance of diversity in grassland communities.     

Non-native grass invasion suppresses forest succession

Multiple factors can affect the process of forest succession including seed dispersal patterns, seedling survival, and environmental heterogeneity. A relatively understudied factor affecting the process of succession is invasions by non-native plants. Invasions can increase competition, alter abiotic conditions, and provide refuge for consumers. Functional traits of trees such as seed size and life history stage may mediate the effects of invasions on succession. We tested the effects of the forest invader Microstegium vimineum on planted and naturally regenerating trees in a multi-year field experiment. We established plots containing nine species of small- and large-seeded tree species planted as seeds or saplings, and experimentally added Microstegium to half of all plots. Over 3 years, Microstegium invasion had an overall negative effect on small-seeded species driven primarily by the effect on sweetgum, the most abundant small-seeded species, but did not affect large-seeded species such as hickory and oak species, which have more stored seed resources. Natural regeneration was over 400% greater in control than invaded plots for box elder, red maple, and spicebush, and box elder seedlings were 58% smaller in invaded plots. In contrast to the effects on tree seedlings, invasion did not affect tree sapling survival or growth. Microstegium may be directly reducing tree regeneration through competition. Invaded plots had greater overall herbaceous biomass in 2006 and 2008 and reduced light availability late in the growing season. Indirect effects may also be important. Invaded plots had 120% more thatch biomass, a physical barrier to seedling establishment, and significantly greater vole damage to tree saplings during 2006 and 2007. Our results show that two tree functional traits, seed size and life history stage, determined the effects of Microstegium on tree regeneration. Suppression of tree regeneration by Microstegium invasions may slow the rate of forest succession and alter tree species composition.     

小五台山森林落叶层对天然青杨种群更新方式的影响

通过野外样方调查和室内种子萌发实验两种方法, 对河北小五台山天然青杨(Populus cathayana)种群的更新方式进行了研究, 以揭示落叶层的化感作用和机械阻挡作用对青杨种子萌发的干扰机理。结果显示: 1)种群样方中的幼苗都为无性繁殖的克隆分株, 种子繁殖的幼苗年自然存活率为0%; 2)落叶层对种子幼苗的存活率有显著影响。50 mg·mL^-1浓度的落叶水浸液可使青杨种子发芽率降低41%, 使主根长度减少95%, 100 mg·mL^-1浓度的落叶水浸液则完全抑制种子萌发; 单层和多层落叶对种子萌发产生的影响差异不显著, 都能完全阻碍种子的根系正常生长, 导致幼苗脱水干枯死亡。结果表明, 在高海拔山区的青杨天然林中, 由于不断积累的落叶层通过化感作用和机械阻挡作用严重影响种子的萌发、定根以及正常生长, 从而导致种子更新的途径受阻, 而只能通过无性繁殖来完成正常的种群更新。     

Demography of the long‐lived conifer Agathis ovata in maquis and rainforest,New Caledonia

Abstract. The endemic New Caledonian conifer Agathis ovata occurs as an emergent tree in fire‐prone shrublands (maquis), and fire‐sensitive rainforest. Growth, survivorship and recruitment over 5 yr were compared for populations from forest and maquis on ultramafic substrates in New Caledonia to investigate whether demographic behaviour varied in response to the strongly contrasting forest and shrubland environments. Growth of seedlings and of small (30–100 cm height) and large (100 cm height; 5 cm DBH) saplings was slow, but varied significantly among stages, site types and years. The greatest difference in growth rates was among stages, seedlings growing 0.34 cm.yr^?1, small saplings 1.06 cm.yr^?1 and large saplings 2.13 cm.yr^?1. Tree DBH increased by only 0.05 cm.yr^?1 and, based on these rates, individuals with DBH of 30 cm are estimated to be more than 700 yr old. Few trees (3.5%) produced cones in any year and seedling recruitment was low, but some recruitment was recorded each year in both maquis and forest. Rates of recruitment per parent were highest in forest (1.28.yr^?1, cf 0.78.yr^?1), but the higher density of trees in maquis meant that overall recruitment was greater there (92 ha^?1.yr^?1, cf 56 ha^?1.yr^?1). Seedling mortality ranged from 0.9 to 2.9% among years with no significant difference between maquis and forest. No sapling mortality was recorded, but annual tree mortality ranged from 0 to 1.4%. Evidence from a recently burned site indicated that while trees may survive fire, seedlings and saplings do not. Post‐fire seedling recruitment per ha from surviving trees was four times lower than in unburned sites, but growth rates were four times higher. Similar demographic attributes, including high survivorship, low growth rate and low rates of recruitment over a long reproductive life, characterize Agathis ovata populations in both maquis and rainforest in New Caledonia and are indicative of a broad tolerance of light environments that is unusual among tree species. These demographic attributes help to explain the long‐term persistence of the species in these strongly contrasting habitats.     

Warming drives a front of white spruce establishment near western treeline,Alaska

Regional warming has led to increased productivity near the boreal forest margin in Alaska. To date, the effects of warming on seedling recruitment have received little attention, in spite of forecasted forest expansion. Here, we used stand structure and environmental data from 95 white spruce (Picea glauca) plots sampled across a longitudinal gradient in southwest Alaska to explore factors influencing spruce establishment and recruitment near western treeline. We used total counts of live seedlings, saplings, and trees, representing five life stages, to evaluate whether geospatial, climate, and measured plot covariates predicted abundance, using current abundance distributions as a surrogate for climate conditions in the past. We used generalized linear models to test the null hypothesis that conditions favorable for recruitment were similar along the environmental gradient represented by longitude, by exploring relationships between per‐plot counts of each life stage and the covariates hypothesized to affect abundance. We also examined the relationship between growing degree days (GDD) and seedling establishment over a period of three decades using tree‐ring chronologies obtained from cores taken at a subset of our sites (n = 30). Our results indicated that seedling, sapling, and tree abundance were positively correlated with temperature across the study area. The response to longitude was mixed, with earlier life stages (seedlings, saplings) most abundant at the western end of the gradient, and later life stages (trees) most abundant to the east. The differential relationship between longitude and life‐stage abundance suggests a moving front of white spruce establishment through time, driven by changes in environmental conditions near the species’ western range limit. Likewise, we found a positive relationship between periods of seedling establishment and GDD, suggesting that longer summers and/or greater heat accumulation might enhance establishment, consistent with the positive relationship we found between life‐stage abundance and temperature.     

When does dead wood turn into a substrate for spruce replacement?

Question: How many years must elapse for freshly fallen Picea abies stems to be transformed into a substrate for P. abies recruitment? Location: Natural sub‐alpine spruce forest, 1200–1300 m a.s.l., western Carpathians, Poland. Methods: Coarse woody debris (CWD) was measured on nine plots with a total area of 4.3 ha. All individuals of P. abies regeneration growing on dead wood were counted and their age was estimated. Decay rate of logs was determined using dendrochronological cross‐dating of samples from logs in different decay stages. Results: Although CWD covered only 4% of the forest floor, 43% of the saplings were growing on decaying logs and stumps. The highest abundance of P. abies recruitment occurs on logs 30–60 years after tree death, when wood is in decay stages no. 4–7 (on an 8 degree decay scale). However, much earlier colonization is possible. The first seedlings may germinate on a log during the second decade after tree death and survive for decades. Their slow growth is possibly due to the gradual progressive decomposition of wood. Conclusions: This study confirms the importance of decaying wood for P. abies recruitment. The decaying logs exhibit continuous and favourable conditions for the germination of P. abies seeds throughout their decay process. Logs, irrespective of their decay stage and age, are colonized by young seedlings. This recruitment bank is constantly renewed.     

Litter mixture effects on tropical tree seedling growth--a greenhouse experiment

Decomposing litter provides critical nutrients for plants, particularly in nutrient-poor ecosystems such as tropical forests. We hypothesised that decomposing litter improves the performance of a variety of tropical tree seedlings, and that this litter effect varies depending on the species of litter present in litter mixtures. We addressed these hypotheses with a large pot experiment manipulating a range of different litter mixtures of contrasting quality and using seedlings of four tree species from the Amazonian forest of French Guiana. In contrast to our initial hypothesis, decomposing litter had either neutral or negative impacts on seedling growth, despite strongly different growth rates, biomass allocation patterns and leaf and root traits among tree species. Tree species varied in their responses to litter additions, which were further modified by species identity of the added litter. Our data show litter species-specific effects on growth, biomass allocation and leaf and root traits of tropical tree seedlings. These results suggest that a net nutrient release from decomposing litter does not necessarily improve tree seedling growth, even under nutrient-limiting conditions. In conclusion, litter layer composition may affect seedling establishment and recruitment success beyond litter-derived plant nutrient availability, which may contribute to tree species composition and dynamics in the studied tropical forest.     

Variation in structural diversity and regeneration potential of tree species in different tropical forest types of Similipal Biosphere Reserve,Eastern India

Understanding the regeneration potential of tree species in natural forest ecosystems is crucial to deliver suitable management practices for conservation of biodiversity. We studied the variation in structural diversity and regeneration potential of tree species in three different tropical forest types, namely: Dry Deciduous forest (DDF), Moist Deciduous forest (MDF) and Semi-evergreen forest (SEF) of Similipal Biosphere Reserve (SBR), Eastern India. Random sample plots were laid for studying the diversity and distribution pattern of tree, sapling, and seedling stages of the tree species. A total of 84 species belong to 73 genera and 35 families were recorded from the study area. The highest species richness was reported for tree (54 species) in DDF, sapling (24 species) in MDF and seedling (22 species each) in SEF and DDF. The overall density of trees with GBH (Girth at Breast Height) ≥ 10 cm was 881 individuals/ha. The regeneration potential of tree species was poor in DDF (39%) where as it was fair in SEF (43%) and MDF (49%). Most of the dominant tree species at each forest type performed good regeneration. The species such as Ehretia laevis Roxb., Bridelia retusa (L.)A.Juss., Mitragyna parviflora (Roxb.) Korth., Terminalia tomentosa Wight & Arn., Terminalia chebula Retz., Terminalia bellirica (Gaertn.) Roxb.etc. had either no regeneration or poor regeneration potential need immediate attention for conservation measures. The diversity of standing trees did not correlate with seedling or sapling diversity in all the cases but there was significant correlation among seedling and sapling diversity found in DDF (r = 0.67, p ≤ 0.05) and SEF (r = 0.83, p ≤ 0.05). Further, the diversity of tree species increased with their age (trees > saplings > seedlings) and the stem density decreased with their age (trees < saplings < seedlings) in all three forest types. The results of our study would be helpful in understanding the structural attributes, diversity and regeneration potential of different tropical forest types of India for their better conservation and management.     

从空间分布特征认识珍稀植物领春木的种群动态

领春木(Euptelea pleiosperrnum)系第三纪孑遗植物和东亚特有种,目前已被列为国家Ⅲ级重点保护植物.基于空间定位数据以最近邻体距离统计研究了神农架地区领春木的空间分布特征,比较幼苗(DBH≤2.5cm)、幼树(2.5～7.5cm)和成树(＞7.5cm)各径级(代表各生活史阶段)形成的时间序列上的空间格局差异,进而探讨空间格局与立苗、补员、种内竞争等种群动态过程的相互关系.结果显示,在邻域尺度上,领春木的空间格局呈聚集态;幼苗(或幼树)的大小与其距离最近幼树(或成树)的远近没有相关性,幼树(或成树)周围一定距离以内出现同等大小个体的概率约等于幼苗(或幼树)出现的概率,且幼树与最近幼苗(或成树与最近幼树)的平均距离与幼树之间(或成树之间)的平均最近邻体距离没有显著差异;任意个体的大小、任意个体与相应最近邻体的大小之和与相应的最近邻体距离均为显著的正相关关系,但幼树间的最近邻体距离并不大于幼苗随机死亡产生的最近邻体距离,成树间最近邻体距离也不大于幼苗+幼树随机死亡产生的最近邻体距离.这些结果表明,领春木的聚集分布可能与种子散布、生境异质性对立苗格局的作用有关;已定植的大个体可能不限制其邻域内小个体的布局与生长,但是长期的补员过程与邻体间的相互作用不无关系;邻体间存在一定程度的竞争作用,但是竞争强度并未充分激化至发生距离依赖的死亡.