Seed and microsite limitation for seedling recruitment of Quercus wutaishanica on Mt. Ziwuling, Loess Plateau, China

Abstract

The relative influence of seed and microsite availability in the seedling emergence and recruitment of Liaodong oak (Quercus wutaishanica), which dominates the native hardwood forest in Loess Plateau, was examined by seed sowing experiments. Experiments were performed in 216 plots (30 × 30 cm), located in three typical stands (Pinus tabulaeformis plantation, Liaodong oak forest and grassland, 72 plots per stand). A seed augmentation experiment was performed in an oak forest and a conifer plantation, and a seed introduction experiment was carried out in a grassland. Three main factors were considered: seed addition, disturbance and shrub cover. The seedling number and growth in every plot were recorded continuously over 3 years. GLM multivariate was used to analyze the relationships between seedling emergence/recruitment and the explanatory variables in every stand. The results showed that seed addition in undisturbed or disturbed plots always caused significantly increased seedling emergence and recruitment in oak and conifer forests. It demonstrated that the recruitment of Liaodong oak was limited by seed and microsite availability under closed forest, and litter is one of the factors leading to microsite limitation. However, in the grassland, no treatments improved recruitment, indicating that the grassland was not suitable for seedling recruitment because of intense light and soil drought. In the conifer forest, more recruited seedlings, and lower herbivory on seedling leaves, as well as thicker stem basal diameters, indicated that the P. tabulaeformis plantation was safer for Liaodong oak seedling establishment. Unexpectedly, shrub cover did not affect the recruitment of Liaodong oak in the three stands.