Growth Rate and Leaf Functional Traits of Four Broad-Leaved Species Underplanted in Chinese Fir Plantations with Different Tree Density Levels

作者：Rui Xu, Liyan Wang, Jian Zhang, Jing Zhou, Shundan Cheng, Mulualem Tigabu, Xiangqing Ma, Pengfei Wu, Ming Li · 发表于：Forests · 年份：2022 · DOI：10.3390/f13020308 · 被引用次数：22 · 研究领域：Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies、Forest ecology and management、Plant Water Relations and Carbon Dynamics

The close-to-Nature management method of interplanting broad-leaved trees after thinning of monoculture plantations is an important mixed species restoration model to improve the ecological service and functions effectively as well as to reduce the productivity decline of the multi-generation continuous planting of monoculture. Thus, the selection of tree species for establishing mixed forest and its ecological adaptability are the key issues. In this study, we conducted thinning experiment in an 11-year-old Chinese fir plantation with retention density of 900 trees/ha, 1200 trees/ha and 1875 trees/ha, and then underplanted four broad-leaved species, Schima superba, Phoebe bournei, Tsoongiodendron odorum and Michelia macclurei. After three years, we analyzed the growth rate and leaf functional traits of the broad-leaved species and their correlations with stand characteristics. The results showed that growth rate of seedlings of the four broad-leaved species were significantly different (p < 0.05) among different tree density levels and species. Low tree density favored seedling growth compared with high tree density and seedlings of T. odorum and S. superba performed best. However, leaf functional traits varied significantly (p < 0.01) among species only, and T. odorum had the largest specific leaf area, the smallest leaf mass per unit area, the smallest leaf tissue density, relatively large leaf thickness, and relatively small dry matter content. The leaf C content va...