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Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology ›› 2024, Vol. 35 ›› Issue (9): 2492-2500.doi: 10.13287/j.1001-9332.202409.004

• Research Reports • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Spatial structure and individual competition characteristics of secondary Mongolian oak mature forests in the mountainous area of eastern Liaoning Province, China

ZHANG Huidong1,2, MAO Yixin1,2, WANG Ruizhao1,2, ZHU Jian1,2, XIA Hang3, YU Dapao4, YOU Wenzhong5*   

  1. 1Liaoning Academy of Forestry Sciences, Shenyang 110032, China;
    2Liaoning Bingla Mountain Forest Ecosystem National Positioning Observation Station, Xifeng 112400, Liaoning, China;
    3College of Forestry, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China;
    4Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China;
    5Liaoning Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenyang 110161, China
  • Received:2024-02-04 Accepted:2024-05-09 Online:2024-09-18 Published:2025-03-18

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Abstract: The community structure of natural mature forests is determined by long-term forest succession, characterized by rational structure, rich biodiversity, and high ecological function. Understanding the spatial structure and formation mechanisms of mature forests is a fundamental prerequisite for forest management. We analyzed four structure parameters, including diameter structure, angular scale, size ratio, and mixture degree, as well as the Hegyi competition index, of secondary Quercus mongolica (Mongolian oak) mature forests in the mountainous area of eastern Liaoning Province. The results showed that Q. mongolica predominated the tree layer. In the sapling layer, Q. mongolica, Tilia amurensis, and Acer pictum were the dominant species. In the seedling layer, Acer pseudosieboldianum, T. amurensis, and A. amurensis dominated, with very few Q. mongolica seedlings. The overall diameter distribution of the stand showed an inverse “J” shape, while the diameter distribution of Q. mongolica, the dominant tree species, followed a normal distribution. The horizontal spatial structure of the stand was generally randomly distributed, with an average angle scale of 0.505, size ratio of 0.219, and mixture degree of 0.670 for Q. mongolica. From the perspective of spatial structure binary distribution, Q. mongolica individuals which had a random distribution exhibited greater growth advantages and higher levels of mixing, in comparison to other distribution types. Randomly distributed dominant and subdominant individuals made up nearly half individuals in the stand, and showed a high degree of mixing with surrounding trees. The stand-level individual tree competition index decreased with increasing diameter classes. When the diameter at breast height exceeded 20 cm, the competition index tended to stabilize (ΔCI<2). The competitive radius of individual Q. mongolica trees was 8 m, with intraspecific competition as the main pressure. Other species experienced competition pressure primarily from interspecific sources. Our results suggested that competition played an important role in shaping the spatial structure of secondary Q. mongolica mature forests.

Key words: Quercus mongolica, spatial structure, bivariate distribution, competition