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A systematic evaluation of gap size and within-gap position effects on seedling regeneration in a temperate secondary forest, Northeast China
- Source :
- Forest Ecology and Management. 490:119140
- Publication Year :
- 2021
- Publisher :
- Elsevier BV, 2021.
-
Abstract
- Forest gaps play an important role in tree regeneration and forest restoration in modern silviculture. Many previous studies examined gap effects on seedling survival, growth, or both but lacked a systemic assessment incorporating morphological and physiological responses to varying environmental gradients along gap size and within-gap position, which limits foresters to understand the general gap impacts on the early stage of regeneration. Here, we systemically evaluated gap impacts on over 20 regeneration-related variables from two dominant tree species (Manchurian walnut [Juglans mandshurica Maxim.] and Korean spruce [Picea koraiensis Nakai]) planted along the gap-understory gradients based on our previous studies of survival and growth of these two species. The factor analysis of mixed data indicated that seedling specific leaf area, biomass allocation, chlorophyll content, and NSC content in gaps were largely determined by interspecific differences, but seedling survival, growth, and biomass accumulation were mainly related to gap size and within-gap position. Specifically, the net photosynthetic rates of Manchurian walnut were higher in large and medium gaps (or gap centers and transitions) than those in small gaps and forest understory (or gap edges). The root starch content of seedlings in gaps was almost twice as much as that in the forest understory, which also reflected species divergence in gaps. By contrast, Korean spruce exhibited less variation in net photosynthesis and root starch content and fewer differences for most other examined variables, which indicated that it had broad ecological niches and a relatively small gap would promote its regeneration during the seedling stage. Our findings provide evidence of gap partitioning on explaining regeneration patterns of light-demanding species. Therefore, gap size and within-gap position can compensate for each other during gap-based silviculture practices. Timely selective logging can extend an existing gap in a specific direction to change the relative position of target tree species for better light conditions. Appropriate selection and match of tree species to gap size and within-gap position during enrichment planting can improve gap space utilization.
- Subjects :
- 0106 biological sciences
Biomass (ecology)
biology
Specific leaf area
Forestry
Interspecific competition
Understory
Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law
biology.organism_classification
010603 evolutionary biology
01 natural sciences
Forest restoration
Agronomy
Seedling
Secondary forest
Silviculture
010606 plant biology & botany
Nature and Landscape Conservation
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 03781127
- Volume :
- 490
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Forest Ecology and Management
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi...........feb50711b6d1e0adddd0f088c383b173