Effect of spatial heterogeneity on natural regeneration of Manchurian ash

Abstract

The spatial patterns of seedlings originating from natural regeneration are often heterogeneous since they are strongly influenced by microsite gradient. We supposed that the patterns of Manchurian ash (Fraxinus mandshurica Rupr.) seedlings, which were originated from natural seed rain, were also spatial heterogeneous in spite of relative homogeneous of planted forest. The tree seedling establishment and growth were monitored in the Forest-experimental-station of Northeast Forestry University during growing season from early May to late September in 1999. The emergence of seedlings began in middle May; but the peak was about in late May. Seedlings were counted in 635 grid cells in late June, there were about 16–30 individuals/m², but almost all of them died off in late September. The scale and extent of seedling heterogeneity were assessed by semivariogram and fractal dimension. The study showed that over 70% of seedling pattern was spatially autocorrelated, and that the variation caused by random factors was in less than 30%. The spatial dependent scales, both isotropy and anisotropy, were 1.95–2.92 m and 1.83–6.40 m respectively in the research stands. Our hypothesis was supported although there was difference when samples were chose at both different spatial scale and different density stands.

Keywords

Spatial heterogeneity / Natural regeneration / Seedling establishment / Manchurian ash / Plantation / S792.41.02 / A

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