Community features ofIndocalamus wilsoni in the Shennongjia National Nature Reserve, China

Abstract

Four vegetation types, namely coniferous and broadleaved mixed forest, secondary deciduous broadleaved forest, open shrubs and meadow, with dwarf bamboo (Indocalamus wilsoni) are compared on their floristic composition, life form, community structure, and survivorship of bamboos. Disturbance of conifer-logging two decades ago promoted the species diversity, but negatively influenced the survivorship of dwarf bamboo which is dominate on the forest floor. Open shrubs bear more species diversity and more geophytes in its life-form spectrum than its background vegetation subalpine meadow, however, dwarf bamboo is growing much better in the open shrubs than in the meadow. It seems dwarf bamboo probably favorites to occur in the vegetation at gentle slopes with a mediate canopy cover. Its mass flowering in the secondary deciduous forest suggests that a simultaneous flowering and following dieback maybe irrupt in the recently coming years over the subalpine Shennongjia in China, which will be not only alter the floristic composition and community structure of the old bamboo stands, but also influence the survivorship of this rare species.