“…However, soil temperature and radiation were not the major factors regulating seedling recruitment in this study. Furthermore, study has evident that plant litter addition had direct negative effects on seedling recruitment by allelopathy (Ruprecht et al, ; Zhang et al, ) and mechanical interference (Li & Ma, ; Li, Jia, Long, & Zerbe, ; Mitschunas, Filser, & Wagner, ). These effects may be the main reason for litter addition can directly and significantly inhibit seedling recruitment in this study (Figure a).…”