Stand structure influences understory plant diversity through soil factors: three afforestation types of Masson’s pine in the upper Yangtze River, China
PurposeIn general, mixed forests have the potential to enhance understory plant diversity. However, the effects of stand spatial structure formed by different types of mixed afforestation on understory plants communities are still not clear.MethodsTo answer these questions, we examined the stand spa...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Plant Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2025.1513038/full |
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| author | Yongqi Xiang Qian Lyu Huiqin Yang Biran Yin Zhiren Tang Guirong Hou Gang Chen Kuangji Zhao Yuqin Chen Chuan Fan Chuan Fan Xianwei Li Xianwei Li |
| author_facet | Yongqi Xiang Qian Lyu Huiqin Yang Biran Yin Zhiren Tang Guirong Hou Gang Chen Kuangji Zhao Yuqin Chen Chuan Fan Chuan Fan Xianwei Li Xianwei Li |
| author_sort | Yongqi Xiang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | PurposeIn general, mixed forests have the potential to enhance understory plant diversity. However, the effects of stand spatial structure formed by different types of mixed afforestation on understory plants communities are still not clear.MethodsTo answer these questions, we examined the stand spatial structure’s impact on soil (nitrogen, phosphrous, potassium, etc.) and understory plant communities (diversity indexes, ecological niche width and resource overlap of shrub and herb) in three types of Pinus massoniana afforestation: a monoculture (MPF), a mixed forest with Cunninghamia lanceolata (MCLMF), and a mixed forest with Liquidambar formosana (MLMF).ResultsMCLMF substantially increased diversity and ecological niche width for understory shrubs and herbs, steered understory plants toward resource utilization generalism. MLMF enhanced shrub diversity by reducing dominant species ratios. In terms of stand structure, MCLMF significantly increased the opening degree (O), mingling index (M), and competition index (CI), while MLMF decreased CI but increased M. Redundancy analysis indicated that the opening degree explained 52.47% of the variation in shrub diversity and 42.51% in herb diversity, and CI explained 24.57% of the shrub diversity variation. Soil pH, total nitrogen, and available potassium were significantly enhanced after mixed afforestation. The indices O, CI, and M indirectly affect the diversity of understory plants through soil properties, such as temperature, moisture, available nutrients (e.g., nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium), organic carbon, and pH.ConclusionsStand spatial structure significantly shapes understory plant community structure through soil mediation, demonstrating its role in enhancing artificial forest quality and stability in ecologically sensitive areas. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-4308ef02dfd043b7b1121e3a1da9010a |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1664-462X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Plant Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-4308ef02dfd043b7b1121e3a1da9010a2025-08-20T03:21:34ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Plant Science1664-462X2025-05-011610.3389/fpls.2025.15130381513038Stand structure influences understory plant diversity through soil factors: three afforestation types of Masson’s pine in the upper Yangtze River, ChinaYongqi Xiang0Qian Lyu1Huiqin Yang2Biran Yin3Zhiren Tang4Guirong Hou5Gang Chen6Kuangji Zhao7Yuqin Chen8Chuan Fan9Chuan Fan10Xianwei Li11Xianwei Li12College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, ChinaCollege of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, ChinaCollege of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, ChinaCollege of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, ChinaCollege of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, ChinaCollege of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, ChinaCollege of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, ChinaCollege of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, ChinaCollege of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, ChinaCollege of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, ChinaNational Forestry and Grassland Administration Key Laboratory of Forest Resources Conservation and Ecological Safety on the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River& Forestry Ecological Engineering in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, ChinaCollege of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, ChinaNational Forestry and Grassland Administration Key Laboratory of Forest Resources Conservation and Ecological Safety on the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River& Forestry Ecological Engineering in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, ChinaPurposeIn general, mixed forests have the potential to enhance understory plant diversity. However, the effects of stand spatial structure formed by different types of mixed afforestation on understory plants communities are still not clear.MethodsTo answer these questions, we examined the stand spatial structure’s impact on soil (nitrogen, phosphrous, potassium, etc.) and understory plant communities (diversity indexes, ecological niche width and resource overlap of shrub and herb) in three types of Pinus massoniana afforestation: a monoculture (MPF), a mixed forest with Cunninghamia lanceolata (MCLMF), and a mixed forest with Liquidambar formosana (MLMF).ResultsMCLMF substantially increased diversity and ecological niche width for understory shrubs and herbs, steered understory plants toward resource utilization generalism. MLMF enhanced shrub diversity by reducing dominant species ratios. In terms of stand structure, MCLMF significantly increased the opening degree (O), mingling index (M), and competition index (CI), while MLMF decreased CI but increased M. Redundancy analysis indicated that the opening degree explained 52.47% of the variation in shrub diversity and 42.51% in herb diversity, and CI explained 24.57% of the shrub diversity variation. Soil pH, total nitrogen, and available potassium were significantly enhanced after mixed afforestation. The indices O, CI, and M indirectly affect the diversity of understory plants through soil properties, such as temperature, moisture, available nutrients (e.g., nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium), organic carbon, and pH.ConclusionsStand spatial structure significantly shapes understory plant community structure through soil mediation, demonstrating its role in enhancing artificial forest quality and stability in ecologically sensitive areas.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2025.1513038/fulldiversityecological nichemixed afforestationP. massonianastand spatial structureunderstory plant community structure |
| spellingShingle | Yongqi Xiang Qian Lyu Huiqin Yang Biran Yin Zhiren Tang Guirong Hou Gang Chen Kuangji Zhao Yuqin Chen Chuan Fan Chuan Fan Xianwei Li Xianwei Li Stand structure influences understory plant diversity through soil factors: three afforestation types of Masson’s pine in the upper Yangtze River, China Frontiers in Plant Science diversity ecological niche mixed afforestation P. massoniana stand spatial structure understory plant community structure |
| title | Stand structure influences understory plant diversity through soil factors: three afforestation types of Masson’s pine in the upper Yangtze River, China |
| title_full | Stand structure influences understory plant diversity through soil factors: three afforestation types of Masson’s pine in the upper Yangtze River, China |
| title_fullStr | Stand structure influences understory plant diversity through soil factors: three afforestation types of Masson’s pine in the upper Yangtze River, China |
| title_full_unstemmed | Stand structure influences understory plant diversity through soil factors: three afforestation types of Masson’s pine in the upper Yangtze River, China |
| title_short | Stand structure influences understory plant diversity through soil factors: three afforestation types of Masson’s pine in the upper Yangtze River, China |
| title_sort | stand structure influences understory plant diversity through soil factors three afforestation types of masson s pine in the upper yangtze river china |
| topic | diversity ecological niche mixed afforestation P. massoniana stand spatial structure understory plant community structure |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2025.1513038/full |
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