Comparison of community characteristics between 33-year-old plantation and natural forest of Castanopsis kawakamii

A 33-year-old Castanopsis kawakamii plantation forest community was studied and compared with the neighboring natural community in Sanming,Fujian,China.The results showed that there were 42 vascular plant species in the study area(1 200 m2) of the plantation community,and fewer species than in the natural community with the same area(87 species).Tropical areal types of genus of spermatophyte were dominant in both of the communities,and their percentage in the plantation(87.50%) was higher than that in the natural forest(76.56%).Phanerophytes were dominant life form in both of the communities,and their percentage in the plantation(71.43%) was lower than that in the natural forest(89.66%).The plantation community had simple vertical structure with monolayer of tree crowns,only one species in the tree layer,lower number of species in poorly developed shrub and herb layers.Shannon-Wiener index of diversity for tree layer,shrub layer and vine species were lower in the plantation community than those in the natural forest community.The natural forest community had complex vertical structure with multilayer of tree crowns,multiple species in the tree layer with 3 sub-layers,well developed multiple-species shrub layer with 2 sub-layers,and poorly developed herb layer.