Seedling Survival and Growth of Woody Plants in Evergreen Broad-leaved Forest on the Western Slope of Cangshan Mountain in Yunnan

Abstract:

In order to explore the factors influencing the seedling dynamics of woody plants, the effects of functional trait diversity, phylogenetic diversity and environmental filtering on the mean survival rate and mean growth rate of seedlings were analyzed, as well as their dynamic changes among plots with different seedling densities. In the west slope of Cangshan Mountain in Yunnan Province, there were 256 seedling quadrats set up in four plots with different seedling densities. The seedling data from 2020 to 2022 were collected and analyzed with a linear mixed model. The results showed that the average survival rate of seedlings was affected by functional trait diversity and phylogenetic diversity, and functional trait diversity and phylogenetic diversity had significant positive effects on the average survival rate of seedlings in low seedling density plots. The average growth rate of seedlings was mainly affected by phylogenetic diversity and environmental filtration, and the phylogenetic diversity had a significant negative effect in high seedling density plots. Low quadrat slope and high soil moisture were the key factors for seedling growth. The standardized phylogenetic diversity index was high in the plots with low seedling density, while the functional dispersion index was high in the plots with high seedling density. So, these would provide a new perspective and method for understanding and predicting seedling dynamics, and also provides practical guidance for forest restoration and protection.

Key words:Phylogenetic diversity;Functional diversity;Linear mixed model;Seedling density;Seedling growth