The influence of heterogeneous habitats on the germination ofAcanthopanax senticosus seeds and the dynamics of its seed pool

Abstract

Differences in germination ofA. Senticosus, an important shrub under the Korean Pine broad-leavd forest and its secondary forest in heterogeneous habitats and the dynamics of its seed pool have been studied by observations in location. The results showed that transformation rates from seeds to seedlings were in the following order: 16.8% in Larch plantations, 4.1% in Mongolian oak forests, 2.7% in Birch forests, 1.8% in Korean Pine plantations, and 0.5% in hard wood forests. The life-span of seeds was determined to be four years in the simulating seed pool under Larch plantations. The percentage of the seedling output was, 14.5% in the 2nd year, 10.1% in the 3rd year, and 1.8% in the 4th year. Other types of the seed output were those: decayed 33.1%, senescent, 22.3%, predated by mice 14.1%, which was variable due to the variation in the number of mouse, and only 1.17% were eaten by insects and ofher soil animals.