2009—2011年,在广西大明山常绿阔叶林一个典型坡面的上坡、中坡和下坡分别建立24个20 m×20 m的固定样地,测定不同林冠层次(上层、中层和下层冠高分别为:〉8、4-8和0-4 m)的覆盖度并监测林下植物的更新,研究林冠垂直结构的动态变化及其对林下植物更新的影响。结果表明:随着2008年特大冰冻灾害后森林的恢复,林冠总覆盖度显著增加,从2009年的54.0%提高到2011年的67.4%,不同冠层覆盖度和恢复增长存在显著差异,上层林冠覆盖度显著高于中、下层,而中、下层林冠的恢复增长显著优于上层林冠。林下更新的木本植物共55种,优势科和优势种与现有群落的基本一致。同一年份不同坡位林下更新植物的物种多样性指数差异不显著,但同一坡位不同年份间存在显著差异。不同冠层的覆盖度与更新植物的物种丰富度和多度相关性不显著;中层、下层和林冠总覆盖度与林下更新植物的Shannon指数、Simpson指数和Pielou均匀度指数呈显著负相关,表明冠层覆盖度显著影响着林下更新,中、下层林冠对林下更新植物多样性的作用更明显.
In order to reveal the dynamics of canopy vertical structure and its effects on understory regeneration, we built 24 permanent plots (20 m×20 m) on the upslope, midslope and downslope, respectively, in a typical evergreen broadleaved forest in Damingshan, Guangxi, China. We measured the crown area of each tree with diameter at breast height (DBH) ≥ 1.0 cm, and surveyed the understory regeneration in growing season from 2009 to 2011. The results showed that the total canopy cover significantly increased from 54.0% in 2009 to 67.4% in 2011 after the frozen disaster in 2008. A significant difference existed in the cover and increment of different canopy layers. The canopy cover in the upper layers was markedly higher than that in the middle and lower layers. The increment of canopy coverage in the middle and lower layers was significantly higher than that in the upper layer. There were 55 regenerated woody plant species, and the dominant families and species of regenerated plants were in accord with those in the evergreen broadleaved forest. Biodiversity index of regenerated plants in the same slope position was significantly different among different years, and no significant difference was observed among different slope positions in the same year. The correlation between the coverage at different canopy layers and the species richness and abundance of regenerated plants was not significant. Total canopy cover and canopy coverage at the middle and lower layers were significantly negatively correlated with the Shannon index, Simpson index, and Pielou evenness index of the understory regenerated plants. It indicated that canopy coverage had a significant influence on the regeneration of understory, and the middle and lower layers had a stron-ger influence on the biodiversity of regenerated plants.