Abstract:Leaf ecoanatomical characteristics were studied of eight dominant species in three successional stages of forest community in Dinghushan，Guangdong,China．The trend of succession of the communities in Dinghushan was from coniferous forest dominated by Pinus massonianaa to coniferolls and broadleaved mixed forest dom inated by Pinus masssoniana, Schima superba, Castanopsis chinenis and Cryptocarya concinnca, and to monsoon evergreen broadleaved forest dominated by Cryptocarya concinna,C. chinensis，Castcmopsis chinensis，Schima snperba, Syzygium rehderianum， Aporosa yunncmensi and Blastus cochinchinensis．In this paper．the study of leaf an atomy included the ditermination of leaf thickness, adaxial and abaxial cuticular thickness， palisade and spongy tissues thickness,as well as tracheid and resin duct diameters. As compared to coniferous forest, the thickness of needles, and thickness of adaxial and abaxial cuticles of Pinus masssoniana in mixed forest were thinner, and the diameters of tracheids and resin ducts were smaller． As compared to mixed forest，lamina thickness and spongy,tissue thickness (S) of Castcampsis chinensis increased in monsoon evergrcen broadleaved forest． whereas palisade tissue thickness (P), and P/S reduced． As for Schima superba and Cryptocarya concinna， lamina thickness， P and S thickness， and P/S all decreased to a certain extent in monsoon evergreen broadleaved forest Significant difierences were observed in needle thickness, adaxial and abaxial cuticles thickness in Pinus masssoniana between coniferous forest and mixed forest．Such diferences were also seen in lamina thickness and P thickness in Castanopsis chinensis, Schima superba and Cryptocarya concinna between mixed forest and monsoon evergreen broadleaved forest.
