Impacts of Downed Dead Wood Poplar Trees on Forest Regeneration in the Semi-Arid Region of Northern China
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Research Area
2.2. Experimental Design
2.3. Field Survey
2.3.1. Field Investigation Methods
- ①
- The downed dead wood reserves were surveyed and recorded according to the standards of international downed dead wood investigation and research: each downed dead wood with a diameter ≥ 10 cm in the sample plot was surveyed. We used a breast diameter ruler to measure the diameter of the big and small heads (the big head was not more than 10 cm away from the roots, and the small head was not more than 10 cm from the crown of the tree). The diameters of the large and small heads of the tree were measured using a diameter gauge. A laser rangefinder was used to measure the length of downed dead wood, and we measured the X and Y coordinates of the wood within the sample plot, where X represents the east–west coordinates and Y represents the north–south coordinates.
- ②
- The existing forms of downed dead wood were investigated and divided into five forms: uprooted (the downed dead wood is pulled out entirely from soil, with its roots attached to it), break in the middle of the trunk, break in the base of the trunk (also called trunk base fracture), tree segments, and root piles (Table 2, Figure 2, orange font).
- ③
- Investigation of the decay class of downed dead wood was based on a five-level classification (from I to V, indicating slightly decomposed to heavily decomposed), referring to suitable indicators used in other studies [23]. The conditions of organisms attached to the downed dead wood, seedling growth, and root invasion were combined to determine the class, and a small knife was inserted into the downed dead wood debris to test its mechanical hardness (Table 3, Figure 2).
- ④
- The forest renewal density and regeneration mode or approach were investigated, and the species and quantity of seedlings were surveyed using the full sample plot method [24]. The soil cutting method was used to determine and count the renewal mode of the new seedlings. The surface soil was cut open to directly observe whether there was a connection point between the mother plant root system and the young plant root system. A young plant connected to the mother plant root system in a “┴” shape is called a clone plant (asexual reproductive ramet), while a young plant without a connection point with the mother plant root system and with its main root growing vertically into the soil is called a seedling plant (sexual reproductive ramet). Finally, by calculating the proportion of seedlings with different renewal modes through survey data, the proportion of asexual reproduction can be used to infer the vitality of the root system of withered trees.
2.3.2. Indoor Testing and Data Processing
2.3.3. Data Analysis
3. Results
3.1. Distribution Characteristics of Downed Dead Wood in the Poplar Forest of Saihanwula Nature Reserve
3.1.1. Downed Dead Wood Reserves
3.1.2. Spatial Distribution Pattern of Downed Dead Wood
3.1.3. Existing Form of Downed Dead Wood
3.1.4. The Main Factors Contributing to the Death of a Large Number of Trees
3.2. Regeneration Characteristics of Poplar Forest
3.2.1. Forest Regeneration Density after Death
3.2.2. Impact of Downed Dead Wood on Forest Regeneration
4. Discussion
4.1. A Large Number of Downed Dead Wood Occurred in the Poplar Forest after Abnormal Death
4.2. Inhibition of Forest Renewal by Downed Dead Wood in the Secondary Forest
4.3. Secondary Forests Have the Ability to Quickly Renew after Death
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Plot | Longitude | Latitude | Altitude (m) | Aspect | Slope (°) | Canopy Closure | Downed Dead Wood Diameter |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
E1 | 118°43′47.19″ | 44°12′59.36″ | 1217.2 | WN | 12° | 0.83 | 12.83 ± 3.05 |
E2 | 118°43′47.39″ | 44°12′58.30″ | 1227.6 | WN | 10° | 0.76 | 12.24 ± 1.15 |
E3 | 118°43′46.27″ | 44°12′56.90″ | 1237.2 | WN | 13° | 0.60 | 10.69 ± 1.98 |
M1 | 118°43′46.33″ | 44°13′00.37″ | 1212.8 | WN | 16° | 0.68 | 9.32 ± 2.89 |
M2 | 118°43′48.10″ | 44°12′57.74″ | 1231.8 | WN | 19° | 0.51 | 8.75 ± 3.46 |
M3 | 118°43′47.38″ | 44°12′57.20″ | 1234.1 | WN | 12° | 0.78 | 8.91 ± 1.93 |
L1 | 118°44′08.53″ | 44°12′56.46″ | 1227.2 | WN | 18° | 0.65 | 10.64 ± 3.59 |
L2 | 118°44′10.55″ | 44°12′56.65″ | 1232.9 | WN | 17° | 0.56 | 9.69 ± 3.41 |
L3 | 118°44′07.52″ | 44°12′55.62″ | 1239.2 | WN | 23° | 0.66 | 9.84 ± 2.32 |
The Existence of Downed Dead Wood | Features |
---|---|
Uproot | Uprooted death wood |
Trunk base fracture | The height of the broken pole < 1 m |
Break in the middle of trunk | The height of the broken pole ≥ 1 m |
Root pile | Standing dead trees, length < 1 m |
Tree segment | Large dead branches and dead wood without head and tail, length > 1 m |
Features | Decay class | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
I | II | III | IV | V | |
Leaves | Exist | None | None | None | None |
Branches | All twigs exist | Big branch exists | Big, thick branches exist | The branches have fallen off, and the trunk is still there | None |
Bark | Exist | Exist | Mostly exist | Mostly fallen off | None |
Backbone shape | Round | Round | Round | Round to oval | Oval to flat |
Invaded by the root | None | None | Sapwood area | Invade all | Invade all |
Plant growth | None | Little plant growth | Few shrub seedlings and moss | Large area of moss | Bush moss and big tree |
Plot | Uproot | Percentage | Trunk Base Fracture | Percentage | Break in the Middle of Trunk | Percentage | Tree Segment | Percentage |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Later-death plot | 26 ± 5 | 6.38% | 281 ± 15 | 69.04% | 96 ± 7 | 23.58% | 4 ± 1.2 | 0.98% |
Mid-death plot | 13 ± 2 | 3.96% | 209 ± 12 | 63.71% | 104 ± 6 | 31.71% | 2 ± 0.5 | 0.61% |
Early-death plot | 17 ± 4 | 4.91% | 245 ± 13 | 70.81% | 83 ± 11 | 23.98% | 1 ± 0.3 | 0.28% |
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Zhao, P.; Guan, L.; Yao, H.; Shu, Y.; Yue, Y.; Liu, F.; Zheng, Y.; Hao, L.; Xiang, C.; Zhou, L. Impacts of Downed Dead Wood Poplar Trees on Forest Regeneration in the Semi-Arid Region of Northern China. Forests 2024, 15, 1460. https://doi.org/10.3390/f15081460
Zhao P, Guan L, Yao H, Shu Y, Yue Y, Liu F, Zheng Y, Hao L, Xiang C, Zhou L. Impacts of Downed Dead Wood Poplar Trees on Forest Regeneration in the Semi-Arid Region of Northern China. Forests. 2024; 15(8):1460. https://doi.org/10.3390/f15081460
Chicago/Turabian StyleZhao, Pengwu, Lijuan Guan, Huaxia Yao, Yang Shu, Yongjie Yue, Furen Liu, Yaxiong Zheng, Longfei Hao, Changlin Xiang, and Liwen Zhou. 2024. "Impacts of Downed Dead Wood Poplar Trees on Forest Regeneration in the Semi-Arid Region of Northern China" Forests 15, no. 8: 1460. https://doi.org/10.3390/f15081460