Negative Density Restricts the Coexistence and Spatial Distribution of Dominant Species in Subtropical Evergreen Broad-Leaved Forests in China

Abstract

Negative densification affects the spatial distribution of species in secondary evergreen broad-leaved forests and is a key mechanism governing species coexistence. We investigated the effects of habitat heterogeneity and density on the spatial distribution of populations of dominant woody species in a secondary evergreen broad-leaved forest in Wuchaoshan using spatial univariate point pattern analyses. This 6 ha forest dynamic monitoring sample area in Hangzhou, China is a typical secondary subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest. We found (1) a strong effect of habitat heterogeneity that led to the spatial aggregation of dominant species in the plot. Habitat heterogeneity had a strong impact on mature individuals at different life history stages and of different species on a large scale. (2) Negative density dependence (NDD) generally affected spatial distributions of most dominant species and decreased in magnitude with age class. Therefore, different species of subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests in China have formed unique spatial structures due to their habitat preferences but are generally subjected to density-dependent effects.