THE INFLUENCES OF GAPS IN DIFFERENT FOREST COMMUNITIES ON THE GROWTH OF SEEDLINGS OF THREE TRANSPLANTED TREE SPECIES IN NAN''''AO ISLAND, GUANGDONG
广东南澳岛不同森林群落的林窗环境对3种移植树苗生长的影响

Tree seedlings of pioneer species and non-pioneers may respond differently to canopy gaps. We used a field experiment to test this in four forest communities in Nan'ao Island, Guangdong, China. We measured the ratio of light penetration (RLP) in gaps and in adjacent non-gap sites. We also measured seedling growth of three tree species transplanted into these gaps and non-gap sites. These species included two pioneer species, which were Acacia auriculaeformis A. Cunn. and Eucalyptus urophylla S. T. Blake, one non-pioneer species, which was Schima superba Gardn. et Champ . The RLP were much higher in gaps and have changed with season. The changes were different among communities. The seedlings of the three species grew faster in gaps than that in non-gap sites. The height growth of seedlings of the two pioneer species (A. auriculaeformis, E. urophylla) differed significantly between gaps and non-gap sites. The difference, which was not as significant as for the two pioneer species, still occurred for the non-pioneer species (S. superba). Seedlings of the two pioneer species grew faster in gaps than that of the non-pioneer. This showed that pioneer species and non-pioneers responded differently to canopy gaps.