Comparison of Stand Spatial Structure in Different Plantations and Natural Forests in Rocky Mountain Area of Northern China

Comparison of Stand Spatial Structure in Different Plantations and Natural Forests in Rocky Mountain Area of Northern China

Guanglei Gao Guodong Ding Ang Zhang Meina Cao Yuanyuan Zhao Yanfeng Bao Yajuan Guo | Minghan Yu | Xu Li

College of Soil & Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, China

Page: 
141-148
|
DOI: 
https://doi.org/10.2495/DNE-V9-N2-141-148
Received: 
N/A
| |
Accepted: 
N/A
| | Citation

OPEN ACCESS

Abstract: 

China is the global leader in afforestation efforts to restore degraded forest ecosystems. However, it is difficult for these efforts to completely substitute for natural forests. In order to reveal the differences between plantations and natural forests, we compared stand spatial structure of plantations, mixed plantations, and natural forests by using the mingling degree (Mi), uniform angle index (Wi), and neighborhood comparison ( Ui) in the Mulan-Weichang Forestry Administrative region of the rocky mountain area, northern China. The results indicated that natural forests were characterized by varying species composition, individual tree distribution, and competitive relationships, which were more complex than monoculture plantations. Forest management is beneficial to stand spatial structure improvement, resulting in mixed plantations that are closer to natural forests. On this basis, China’s forest policy should shift focus from afforestation for area expansion to forest management for ecological improvement.

Keywords: 

forest restoration, plantation, natural forest, stand spatial structure, forest management

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