Damage of the Frozen Rain and Snow to Natural Secondary Forests and Its Crown Debris in Northern Guangdong Province

Abstract:

Southern China suffered one of the most destructive frozen rain and snow ever since 1954, from the middle of January to early February in 2008. The damage status and crown debris amounts of natural secondary forests of Chebaling Nature Reserve and Tianjingshan Station of Nanling National Nature Reserve in northern Guangdong Province, were investigated after the disaster. The results showed that the natural secondary forests were damaged heavily, with the broken of branch, top and stem of the big trees, and stem bent of the smaller trees commonly. The proportions of uproot trees were increased with slope degree increasing. The total standing crop of crown debris in forests ranged from 38.12 to 43.52 t hm-2 with an average of 41.25 t hm-2. The leaf litter varied from 11.79 to 12.87 t hm-2 with an average of 12.47 t hm-2. The total amounts of woody debris of branch and trunk by the disaster varied from 24.27 to 30.65 t hm-2 with an average of 28.41 t hm-2. The crown debris of natural evergreen broadleaved forest caused by the disaster were significantly more than that of the evergreen and deciduous broadleaved mixed forest and Chinese fir plantation. The disaster increased litterfall debris in short period, which will not only increase dangers of fires, pests and diseases, but also change the structure and function of the forest ecosystem.

Key words:Frozen rain and snow disaster; Natural secondary forest; Amounts of crown debris; Northern Guangdong Province