Abstract: Comparative experiments on the same year stumps of Chinese fir under various shading conditions were designed;luminosity and soil temperature under various shading conditions were oborvedand measured;initial sprouting time, sprouting number and sprouting duration were recorded.It wasfound that there was difference in initial sprouting time and sprouting number under different shadingconditions. The analysis results of the experimental data show that soil temperature is the major fsctordirectly affecting the aprouting of domant buds of Chinese Fir and lumincoity is just an indirect factor.Therefore,the long-held authoritative hypothesis that luminotion stimulates sprouting was doubtful.