Effects of stem size and age on resprouting ability of different tree species after clear-cutting in a warm temperate secondary forest

Abstract

ABSTRACT Understanding the resprouting abilities of various tree species provides valuable insights into managing coppice forests and predicting forest dynamics. Clear-cutting was conducted in a secondary forest comprising warm-temperate broadleaf trees, and the stump size, age, and traits of the resprouts were measured to study their effects on resprouting ability. The number of resprouts that emerged from a stump was not significantly different when comparing different tree forms (canopy and shrub) or leaf longevity (evergreen and deciduous). Taller species generated taller and fast-growing resprouts. The ability to generate more resprouts with age was more important for species dominance than the ability to generate more resprouts with increase in stem size. Most shrub layer species exhibited age-related reductions in resprouting ability. Evergreen canopy species tended to have a larger number of resprouts and higher stump survival rate. The results suggest that the diversity of the resprouting traits among tree species could largely influence the stand dynamics and contribute to the coexistence of tree species.