Light Competition Contributes to the Death of Masson Pines of Coniferous-Broadleaf Mixed Forests in Subtropical China

Song, Yifan; Yan, Ge; Zhang, Guangfu

doi:10.3390/f13010085

Cited by 5 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…The positions of plants within vertical community structures determine the ability of plants to gain adequate access to environmental resources, and also impact colonization by other plant populations [35]. Light levels generally decrease extending from the top to the bottom of the forest layer, such that lower plant species have less light available for their use, and species competition for light is intense [36]. Most individuals in the population belong to the sub-forest layer and species interactions may be responsible for weakening positive interactions between them.…”

Section: Spatial Relationships Of a Spinulosamentioning

confidence: 99%

Population Structure, Distribution, and Spatial Characteristics of Alsophila spinulosa in Chishui, China

Yuan,

Yang,

et al. 2023

Diversity

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Endangered plants are essential components of most forest ecosystems and reflect the ecological integrity of forests. The study of the population structure and spatial pattern of Alsophila spinulosa is of great significance for its conservation. In the subtropical Chishui Tree fern valley in China, we studied the best structure of A. spinulosa to reflect the environmental change, the range of the most intense spatial aggregation change, and the spatial relationship with the community structure, and explored the survival characteristics of A. spinulosa. Our results showed that the variation in tree height structure was the most obvious response to the change in community type. The spatial aggregation degree of A. spinulosa had the most obvious change in the range of 1–5 m. There was an obvious spatial correlation between the dominant plants, the vertical structure of the community, and the distribution of A. spinulosa. These findings provided a reference for exploring the population structure, distribution pattern, and the influence of community types on A. spinulosa populations.

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Section: Spatial Relationships Of a Spinulosamentioning

confidence: 99%

Population Structure, Distribution, and Spatial Characteristics of Alsophila spinulosa in Chishui, China

Yuan,

Yang,

et al. 2023

Diversity

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“…This method is generally used for seedlings and saplings [25,26]. The other is to survey in the field, which is suitable for large plants, especially for tree species in forests [27,28]. In particular, quadrat-free approaches have been developed and widely applied to determine the competitive capacity of forest trees in recent years (e.g., [29,30]).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Competitive Advantage of Broussonetia papyrifera Growing in a Native Area as Suggested by Structural Diversity

Zhou,

Zhang

2023

Biology

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Paper mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera) is currently an invasive species on several continents. However, little is known about whether paper mulberry has a competitive advantage over its surrounding trees in its native distribution range, subtropical regions of China. Here, we determined the relative intraspecific and interspecific competitive capacity of paper mulberry in three subtropical deciduous broad-leaved forests using the indices of structural diversity including the mixing index, the tree–tree interval index, and the diameter/height differentiation index. It was found that more than 80% of mingling index values were not greater than 0.25, suggesting a stronger competitiveness of paper mulberry relative to other tree species. The tree–tree interval index values ranged between 1 m and 2 m, suggesting a strong competition between paper mulberry and its neighbors. Moreover, more than 60% of the height differentiation index and diameter differentiation index values were positive, suggesting that the reference paper mulberry had a slight competitive advantage over neighboring trees in both the horizontal and vertical planes. These collectively suggest a competitive advantage over other tree species in the native distribution range, which may play a significant role in the ecological invasion of paper mulberry. Our findings not only help to reveal the invasion mechanism of paper mulberry, but also provide an important reference for the management and utilization of paper mulberry in invaded areas.

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“…Masson pine (Pinus massoniana Lamb.) is mostly in decline during the forest succession process [37]; there are, thus, many downed logs and fragments of Masson pine in a mixed forest. However, vast studies have focused on the effects of leaves and fine roots on soil microbial composition and function, whereas there is little information on the effects of DWD decomposition on belowground microbial communities [8,38,39], especially throughout the entire decay process [10,13].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of Downed Logs of Masson Pine (Pinus massoniana Lamb.) on Soil Microbial Community in a Climate Transitional Forest of Central China

Wang

et al. 2023

Forests

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Downed woody debris (DWD) can alter the chemical and biological properties of forest soils, and this process is affected by the degree of DWD decay. Our aim was to assess the effects of the entire decay process of DWD on the associated soil microbial communities. Here, we examined the differences in soil microbial community size and composition among five decay stages (DC Ⅰ–Ⅴ) of Masson pine (Pinus massoniana Lamb.) at two soil depths in a climate transitional forest and then linked these differences to soil chemical properties. The decay of DWD increased soil total PLFAs, and the complexity of soil microbial networks was highest in stage Ⅱ and then decreased with the decay stage. The relative abundance of fungi increased with the decay stage, while the relative abundance of gram-positive bacteria decreased with the decay stage. The microbial community composition at a soil depth of 0–10 cm was mainly driven by soil pH and organic C (SOC), and at a depth of 10–20 cm, soil pH was the primary determinant of microbial community composition. Our findings suggest that DWD decomposition reduces microbial physiological stress, promotes fungal growth, and stimulates microbial biomass, highlighting the positive impact of DWD on forest soils. Future research is needed to elucidate the universal effects of DWD decomposition on soil properties, especially focusing on the response of soil microbial processes to the decomposition time of DWD.

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Light Competition Contributes to the Death of Masson Pines of Coniferous-Broadleaf Mixed Forests in Subtropical China

Cited by 5 publications

References 35 publications

Population Structure, Distribution, and Spatial Characteristics of Alsophila spinulosa in Chishui, China

Population Structure, Distribution, and Spatial Characteristics of Alsophila spinulosa in Chishui, China

Competitive Advantage of Broussonetia papyrifera Growing in a Native Area as Suggested by Structural Diversity

Impact of Downed Logs of Masson Pine (Pinus massoniana Lamb.) on Soil Microbial Community in a Climate Transitional Forest of Central China

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