Abstract
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• Density dependence is a major mechanism for shaping plant communities. However, its role in regulating diverse, mixed natural tree communities is less certain.
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• In this study we investigated density-dependent effects in a large-scale (25 ha) old-growth temperate forest in northeastern China. Spatial patterns of neighborhood distribution in the plot were analyzed using various methods for inferring competition, including (1) pair correlation function to determine spatial patterns of pre-mortality and post-mortality and (2) neighborhood analysis of individuals to examine the extent to which tree survival is correlated with other covariates.
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• Results showed that, for common species, 3 of 5 canopy species and 3 of 8 midstory and understory species were random in mortality. Negative density-dependent mortality was not found when trees reach 1 cm in DBH. There was no significant correlation for canopy species between tree survival and conspecific abundance, but largely positive correlations for midstory and understory species. In contrast, tree survival was found to negatively correlate with conspecific basal area for most species, indicating strong intraspecific competition. No strong interspecific density dependence was found in the forest.
Résumé
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• La dépendance par rapport à la densité est un important mécanisme pour la formation des communautés végétales. Toutefois, son rôle dans la régulation de diverses communautés mélangées d’arbre est moins certain.
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• Dans cette étude, nous avons enquêté sur les effets densité-dépendance à une grande échelle (25 ha) dans une ancienne forêt tempérée, dans le nord de la Chine. Les modes de distribution spatiale de voisinage ont été analysés en utilisant diverses méthodes pour estimer la concurrence, y compris : (1) des paires de fonction de corrélation afin de déterminer les structures spatiales de pré et postmortalité et (2) l’analyse du voisinage des individus pour examiner dans quelle mesure la survie de l’arbre survivant est corrélée avec d’autres variables.
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• Les résultats ont montré que, pour les espèces communes, 3 des 5 espèces de la canopée et 3 des 8 de l’étage moyen et du sous-étage, la mortalité était aléatoire. Aucune mortalité densité-dépendante négative n’a été détectée lorsque les arbres atteignent 1 cm de diamètre à hauteur d’homme. Il n’y avait pas de corrélation significative pour les espèces de la canopée entre la survie des arbres et l’abondance conspécifique, mais il y avait des corrélations positives pour l’étage moyen et le sous-étage.
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• En revanche, la survie des arbres était corrélée négativement avec la surface terrière conspécifique pour la plupart des espèces, indiquant une forte concurrence intraspécifique. Aucune dépendance visible de la densité interspécifique n’a été détectée dans la forêt.
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Zhang, J., Hao, Z., Sun, I.F. et al. Density dependence on tree survival in an old-growth temperate forest in northeastern China. Ann. For. Sci. 66, 204 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1051/forest/2008086
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1051/forest/2008086