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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Ecol. Evol.
Sec. Population, Community, and Ecosystem Dynamics
Volume 12 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fevo.2024.1487984

Population structure and dynamic characteristics of three endemic Chinese Abies species in southeastern Tibet, China

Provisionally accepted
Di Huang Di Huang 1,2,3,4,5Yihua Ren Yihua Ren 1,2,3,4,5*Shouzhi Yang Shouzhi Yang 1,2,3,4,5*Yingxia Zhao Yingxia Zhao 1,2,3,4,5*Guoqing Zhao Guoqing Zhao 2,3,4,5,6*
  • 1 Institute of Tibet Plateau Ecology, Tibet Agricultural & Animal Husbandry University, Nyingchi 860000, China, Nyingchi, China
  • 2 National Forest Ecosystem Observation & Research Station of Tibet, Nyingchi 860000, China;, Nyingchi, China
  • 3 Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology in Tibet Plateau, Ministry of Education, Nyingchi 860000, China, Nyingchi, China
  • 4 Key Laboratory of Alpine Vegetation Ecological Security in Tibet, Nyingchi 860000, China;, Nyingchi, China
  • 5 Nyingchi Ecological Monitoring Station, Nyingchi 860000, China, Nyingchi, China
  • 6 Animal Science College, Tibet Agriculture & Animal Husbandry University, Nyingchi 860000, China, Nyingchi, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    In the face of escalating climate change, conserving fir forests in southeastern Tibet is paramount. These forests uphold Tibetan biodiversity and support crucial ecological services. This study used the typical plot method to investigate the survival status and development trends of three Chinese endemic Abies species, namely, Abies georgei var. smithii, Abies chayuensis, and Abies delavayi var. motuoensis, from the diameter structure, static life table, and survival curve. The results revealed that 1) the density of Abies georgei var. smithii, Abies chayuensis, and Abies delavayi var. motuoensis in the community is 408, 320, and 103 trees per hectare, respectively. The structure of the diameter class of the three species of fir trees is a pyramid shape. As the diameter class increases, the number of each population fluctuates to varying degrees, and there is a lack of many medium-and large-diameter trees. 2) The survival curve of Abies georgei var. smithii tends to be similar to the Deevey type II curves, whereas the survival curves of Abies chayuensis and Abies delavayi var. motuoensis tend to be similar to the Deevey type III curves. Various population structures are growthoriented but highly sensitive to external random disturbances, with mortality and disappearance rates multiple times, indicating poor population development. Survival analysis reveals that all populations begin to decline after the middle age range and that the age structure is relatively unstable. The results of this study contribute to revealing the structural characteristics and dynamic patterns of various spruce populations, providing a theoretical basis for the management and sustainable utilization of spruce forests in southeastern Tibet.

    Keywords: typical plot method, Diameter structure, Static life table, Fir forests, Southeastern Tibet

    Received: 30 Aug 2024; Accepted: 21 Nov 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Huang, Ren, Yang, Zhao and Zhao. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Yihua Ren, Institute of Tibet Plateau Ecology, Tibet Agricultural & Animal Husbandry University, Nyingchi 860000, China, Nyingchi, China
    Shouzhi Yang, Institute of Tibet Plateau Ecology, Tibet Agricultural & Animal Husbandry University, Nyingchi 860000, China, Nyingchi, China
    Yingxia Zhao, Institute of Tibet Plateau Ecology, Tibet Agricultural & Animal Husbandry University, Nyingchi 860000, China, Nyingchi, China
    Guoqing Zhao, National Forest Ecosystem Observation & Research Station of Tibet, Nyingchi 860000, China;, Nyingchi, China

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