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Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology ›› 2017, Vol. 28 ›› Issue (5): 1441-1447.doi: 10.13287/j.1001-9332.201705.011

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Effects of neighbor competition on growth, fine root morphology and distribution of Schima superba and Cunninghamia lanceolata in different nutrient environments

YAO Jia-bao1,2, CHU Xiu-li1*, ZHOU Zhi-chun1, TONG Jian-she3, WANG Hui3, YU Jia-zhong3   

  1. 1Zhejiang Pro-vince Key Laboratory of Tree Breeding, Research Institute of Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Fuyang 311400, Zhejiang, China;
    2Experimental Center of Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Fenyi 336600, Jiangxi, China;
    3Fuxi Forest Farm of Chun’an County of Zhejiang Province, Chun’an 311701, Zhejiang, China
  • Received:2016-09-14 Revised:2017-02-15 Published:2017-05-18
  • Contact: *E-mail: xiulic0207@163.com
  • Supported by:
    This work was supported by the 13th Five-Year Key Scientific Research Project (2016YFD0600606), and the Zhejiang Science and Technology Major Program on Agricultural New Variety Breeding (2016C02056)

Abstract: Taking Schima superba and Cunninghamia lanceolata as test materials, a pot experiment was conducted to simulate the heterogeneous and homogeneous forest soil nutrient environments, and design three planting modes including single plant, two-strain pure plant and two-strain mixed ones to reason the promotion in mixed S. superba and C. lanceolata plantation and the competitive advantage of S. superba. Results showed that compared with the homogeneous nutrient environment, both S. superba and C. lanceolata had the higher seedling height and dry matter accumulation, when mixed in the heterogeneous nutrient environment, S. superba displayed the obviously competitive advantage, which related to its root plasticity. The fine root of S. superba mixed in each diameter class showed a lot of hyperplasia, and the root total length, surface area and volume of which were 80%-180% higher than that of C. lanceolata. S. superba took the advantage of the compensatory growth strategy of vertical direction in fine roots, namely, they still multiplied to gain greater competitive advantage in low nutrient patches, besides occupying eutrophic surface. The different soil colonization and niche differentiation in fine root of S. superba and C. lanceolata alleviated the strong competition for nutrients of the roots of the two species, and improved the mixed-plantation production. Pure plantation of S. superba harvested the lower yield, which due to the root self-recognition inhibited the growth of root system. Fine roots staggered and evenly distributed on the space might be a reason for stable structure of pure S. superba plantation. So, it was recommended that block surface layer soil preparation and fertilization are used to improve the soil nutrient distribution, and the mixed plantation is constructed to promote the growth of S. superba and C. lanceolata, at the same time, the stand density is regulated to promote tree growth for the pure artificial S. superba plantation which had already been built.