[Effects of artificial tending on Pinus tabulaeformis forest growth and its structural characteristics].

ABSTRACT

The investigation on the growth status, community composition, and structural characteristics of Pinus tabulaeformis forest artificially tended for six years showed that there were significant differences in the average DBH, height, and crown size of the forest among the treatments DA (trimming without intermediate cutting), FA (trimming and intermediate cutting) and CK (without trending). Treatment FA had the highest values of average DBH (7.8 +/- 0.29 cm), height (5.5 +/- 0.09 m) and crown size (249 +/- 7.24 cm), while the CK had the lowest ones. The average biomass of new leaf (1-year-old), old leaf (2 or more-year-old), and branch per tree increased significantly (P<0.01) with enhancing tending treatments. The aboveground biomass of treatment FA was the biggest (44.0 t x hm(-2)), and that of CK was the smallest (14.9 t x hm(-2)). The leaf length and SLA at the early and terminal stages of development (May, June and September) had significant difference among the treatments, and the amount of community composition and the cover degree of undergrowth plants increased evidently under artificial tending treatments.