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Research
ZHONGHUA ZHAO
Universita degli Studi di Palermo Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Forestali
Corresponding Author
ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3239-0675
License:
This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License. Read Full License
Background
Improving the diversity and complexity of stand structure is the basis for maintaining and increasing forest ecosystem biodiversity. Measures of stand structural diversity is important for predicting stand growth and evaluating forest management activities. Based on the relationship of adjacent trees, we present a new method for the quantitative analysis of stand structure diversity that allows comparison of stand structural heterogeneity between different stands and forest types and to quantify the impact of forest management on structural diversity.
Method:
The diversity of structural unit types was defined and then we derive a new index of forest structural diversity () according to the additivity principle of Shannon-Weiner index. The effectiveness and sensitivity to management were verified by sixteen field survey samples in different locations and six different simulated management datasets based on Pinus koraiensis broad-leaved forest survey sample.
Results
(1) The mountain rainforest in Hainan had the highest \({{S}^{\text{'}}}_{D}\) value at 5.287, followed by broad-leaved Korean pine forest in Jiaohe (2), Jiaohe (1) and oak broadleaved mixed natural forest in Xiaolongshan (2), with values of 5.144, 5.014 and 5.006, respectively. The \({{S}^{\text{'}}}_{D}\) values of plantations and natural pure forest were lower. (2) Different thinning methods and intensities reduced \({{S}^{\text{'}}}_{D}\) compared with no treatment and magnitude of the with the differences were greater as thinning intensity increased. The \({{S}^{\text{'}}}_{D}\) value of thinning from above decreased more than thinning from below at the same thinning intensity.
Conclusion
The\({{S}^{\text{'}}}_{D}\) well describes differences in stand structural diversity of different forest types and allows comparison of stand structural heterogeneity. It is also sensitive to forest management activities and to quantify the impact of forest management on structural diversity. The application of this new index \({{S}^{\text{'}}}_{D}\) could greatly facilitate forest management and monitoring.
Keywords
relationship of adjacent trees, spatial structural parameters, size differentiation, mingling, uniform angle index, structural unit types, stand structural diversity index
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Research
ZHONGHUA ZHAO
Universita degli Studi di Palermo Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Forestali
Corresponding Author
ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3239-0675
Badges
Prescreen
This manuscript passed our Prescreen assessment
Complete author information
Appropriate declaration statements
Potential risks to human health
Prescreen
History
CURRENT STATUS: Posted
Version 1
Posted 22 Mar, 2021
No community comments so far
Metrics
Comments: 0
PDF Downloads: ...
HTML Views: ...
Subject Areas
Forestry
License:
This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License. Read Full License
Background
Improving the diversity and complexity of stand structure is the basis for maintaining and increasing forest ecosystem biodiversity. Measures of stand structural diversity is important for predicting stand growth and evaluating forest management activities. Based on the relationship of adjacent trees, we present a new method for the quantitative analysis of stand structure diversity that allows comparison of stand structural heterogeneity between different stands and forest types and to quantify the impact of forest management on structural diversity.
Method:
The diversity of structural unit types was defined and then we derive a new index of forest structural diversity () according to the additivity principle of Shannon-Weiner index. The effectiveness and sensitivity to management were verified by sixteen field survey samples in different locations and six different simulated management datasets based on Pinus koraiensis broad-leaved forest survey sample.
Results
(1) The mountain rainforest in Hainan had the highest \({{S}^{\text{'}}}_{D}\) value at 5.287, followed by broad-leaved Korean pine forest in Jiaohe (2), Jiaohe (1) and oak broadleaved mixed natural forest in Xiaolongshan (2), with values of 5.144, 5.014 and 5.006, respectively. The \({{S}^{\text{'}}}_{D}\) values of plantations and natural pure forest were lower. (2) Different thinning methods and intensities reduced \({{S}^{\text{'}}}_{D}\) compared with no treatment and magnitude of the with the differences were greater as thinning intensity increased. The \({{S}^{\text{'}}}_{D}\) value of thinning from above decreased more than thinning from below at the same thinning intensity.
Conclusion
The\({{S}^{\text{'}}}_{D}\) well describes differences in stand structural diversity of different forest types and allows comparison of stand structural heterogeneity. It is also sensitive to forest management activities and to quantify the impact of forest management on structural diversity. The application of this new index \({{S}^{\text{'}}}_{D}\) could greatly facilitate forest management and monitoring.
Figure 1
Figure 2
This preprint is available for download as a PDF.
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