Point pattern analysis of different life stages of Quercus liaotungensis in Lingkong Mountain, Shanxi Province, China

[摘要] Quercus liaotungensis natural secondary forest is an important vegetation formation and has a large distribution area in Lingkong Mountain Nature Reserve, Shanxi Province, China. The spatial patterns of trees at different life stages give important clues about the underlying processes driving regeneration and succession of the forest. In this paper, the trees of a population were mapped, characterized and the spatial distribution patterns and spatial associations of Q. liaotungensis among different life stages (juveniles – J, premature – P, mature – M, overmature – O) were analyzed using O -ring univariate O ( r ) and bivariate O (subscript 12)( r ) statistics. We found that: (1) Q. liaotungensis was a discontinuously regenerating population. (2) The distribution patterns of Q. liaotungensis varied at different life stages. Q. liaotungensis (J) and Q. liaotungensis (M) showed significant aggregations at scale 0–19 m and 0–23 m, respectively. Q. liaotungensis (P) exhibited significant aggregations at the majority of scales, whereas Q. liaotungensis (O) showed a random distribution pattern at most scales. (3) Intraspecific spatial association varied with tree size and scales. Negative or independent association was a dominant pattern for Q. liaotungensis at different life stages, whereas positive associations were found at small scales for only three pairs: Q. liaotungensis (J)– Q. liaotungensis (P), Q. liaotungensis (J)– Q. liaotungensis (M), and Q. liaotungensis (P)– Q. liaotungensis (M).

[学科分类] 纳米科学和纳米技术

[关键词] Lingkong Mountain;point pattern analysis;Quercus liaotungensis;spatial association;spatial pattern