Effects of Environmental Factors on the Biodiversity of Understory Vegetation in Rubber Plantations
In 2021,following the establishment of the Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park,specific sectors of the artificially managed woodlands within the park ceased operational activities,entering a state of secondary natural succession.This shift has given rise to a more profuse understory vegetation com-pared to prior years,necessitating further exploration.To gain insights into the secondary natural succes-sion status of the artificial forests and their adaptive strategies to the environment,a study was executed in the rubber tree plantation within the Hainan Tropical Rainforest Park.A total of 390 plots,each measur-ing 10 m × 10 m,were instituted.Expanding upon a comprehensive survey of vegetation distribution within the Hainan Island park,the research focused on scrutinizing the composition of understory vegeta-tion and the correlation between plant community characteristics and environmental factors in the designat-ed area.The findings disclosed that:Vascular plants were systematically categorized into 123 families,455 genera,and 808 species.This comprises 21 families,31 genera,and 62 species of ferns,3 families,3 gen-era,and 4 species of gymnosperms,and 99 families,421 genera,and 742 species of angiosperms(encom-passing 15 families,69 genera,and 120 species of monocots,and 84 families,352 genera,and 622 species of dicots).Redundancy analysis(RDA)of plant species diversity indices and environmental factors in the study area illuminated 18.5％of the variability in species diversity beneath the rubber tree canopy.Monte Carlo random permutation tests identified nine environmental factors significantly influencing understory species diversity in the rubber tree plantation(P＜0.05),with the most salient effects observed for the average temperature in the driest quarter,average temperature in the wettest quarter,mean diurnal tem-perature range,precipitation of warmest quarter.The study posited that understory plant diversity was subject to the interactive effects of multiple environmental factors.Specifically,temperature and precipita-tion emerged as pivotal factors influencing understory plant diversity,with adverse impacts observed under conditions of heightened temperature,increased humidity,and drought.Additionally,altitude-related thermic conditions and the condition of artificial forests,including DBH and mixed vegetation,assumed noteworthy roles in shaping understory plant diversity.
species diversityunderstory plantsrubber plantationHainan Islandtropical rainforestsuccessioncommunity structurerestoration
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