JOURNAL OF NANJING FORESTRY UNIVERSITY ›› 2024, Vol. 48 ›› Issue (3): 199-206.doi: 10.12302/j.issn.1000-2006.202204058

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Health assessment of Larix gmelinii var. principis-rupprechtii and Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica plantations in Saihanba Nature Reserve

ZHAO Jinman(), HAN Xinyue, CHENG Ruiming, ZHANG Zhidong*()   

  1. Hebei Province Key Laboratory of Forest Trees Germplasm Resources and Forest Protection, College of Forestry, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071000, China
  • Received:2022-04-25 Revised:2023-08-31 Online:2024-05-30 Published:2024-06-14

Abstract:

【Objective】 The study aimed to understand the health status of plantations in nature reserves for forest management and the construction of nature reserves. 【Method】 A total of 36 sample plots were surveyed in the pure Larix gmelinii var. principis-rupprechtii and Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica plantations in the Saihanba Nature Reserve of Hebei Province using the stratified random sampling method. A total of 17 indicators, including the five aspects of productivity, stand structure, species diversity, soil quality, and stability, were selected to establish an indicator system for assessing forest health. The forest health index was calculated by principal component analysis, and the forest health grades were classified using the K-means clustering method. The accuracy of the clustering results was verified by Fisher’s discriminant analysis. 【Result】 The forest health index of the study area ranged between -1.02 and 1.46. The soil quality and stand structure were the most important indicators that influenced forest health in the study area. The proportionate areas were in the following order: mid-health (50%) > unhealthy (25%) > sub-health (19%) > healthy (6%). The health status of L. gmelinii var. principis-rupprechtii forests was better than that of P. sylvestris var. mongolica forests for middle-aged (20-30 a) and near-mature (> 30 a) stands. The forest health indices of L. gmelinii var. principis-rupprechtii and P. sylvestris var. mongolica forests tended to decrease with increasing stand density. 【Conclusion】 The plantations in the Saihanba Nature Reserve were primarily in the mid-health and non-health states. Therefore, the findings revealed that effective management strategies are urgently necessary for improving forest health in the study area.

Key words: forest health, plantation, principal component analysis, Larix gmelinii var. prinoipis-rupprechtii, Prinus sylvestris var. mongolica, Saihanba Nature Reserve

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