Effects of Selective Cutting Intensities on Niche of Six Dominant Species Populations on Arbor Layer in Natural Secondary Forest

Abstract:

In order to understand the effects of cutting intensity on niche of tree dominant species in natural secondary forest, the niche breadth, niche similarity proportion and niche overlap of 6 dominant species, such as Pinus massoniana, Schima superba, Daphnipyllum oldhamii, Castanopsis carlesii, C. eyrei and Adinandra millettii, under different selective cutting intensities were studied by quantitative investigation method. The results showed that the niche breadth of dominant species decreased with increment of selective cutting intensity, which were more than 0.5 except of Adinandra millettii. The species proportion of niche overlap above 0.8 also decreased with increment of selective cutting intensity. Under clear cutting, niche breadth of dominant species were less than 0.5, and species proportion of niche overlap above 0.8 only occupied 46.7%. It suggested that low and middle selective cutting intensity were helpful to keep wide niche breadth and ecological adaptability of dominant species. Therefore, rational selective cutting was beneficial to protect and utilization the mid-subtropical natural secondary forest, and favorite intensity was low or middle selective cutting intensities.

Key words:Natural secondary forest;Dominant species;Selective cutting intensity;Niche