Biodiv Sci ›› 2015, Vol. 23 ›› Issue (5): 610-618.  DOI: 10.17520/biods.2015051

Special Issue: 森林动态监测样地专题

• Special Feature: Forest Dynamics Monitoring • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Impacts of the 2008 ice storm on structure and composition of an evergreen broad-leaved forest community in eastern China

Yi Jin1, Jianhua Chen2, Xiangcheng Mi3, Haibao Ren3, Keping Ma3, Mingjian Yu1,*()   

  1. 1 College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058
    2 Institute of Ecology, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, Zhejiang 321004
    3 State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093
  • Received:2015-03-06 Accepted:2015-05-19 Online:2015-09-20 Published:2015-10-12
  • Contact: Yu Mingjian

Abstract:

Subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest (EBLF) is the zonal vegetation of the Chinese subtropical region, among which the most typical and widely distributed type is mid-subtropical EBLF. To explore how the 2008 ice-storm affected the short-term dynamics of mid-subtropical EBLF, we examined the community structure and species composition pre and post the ice storm of the 24 ha forest dynamics plot in Gutianshan. We found that although the DBH size class structure was highly consistent pre and post the ice storm, community level recruitment was low and mortality was high. Results of community dynamics analyses conducted at various grain size scales implied general depressions, despite the different rates of change between habitats. Species abundance and ABH (area at breast height) both decreased but species frequency and IV (importance value) did not change. Species in abundance, ABH, frequency and IV were highly consistent pre and post the ice storm. The results imply that the 2008 ice storm negatively impacted the short-term dynamics of the EBLF community in Gutianshan. The severity of impact was associated with stem DBH and topography. However, the community structure of this old-growth forest showed its considerable resistance to ice storm disturbance.

Key words: evergreen broad-leaved forest, community dynamics, DBH size class structure, ice storm, forest dynamics plot, Gutianshan National Nature Reserve