Species diversity based on vertical structure as indicators of artificial restoration for coniferous forests in Southwest China

Abstract

Five indices of species richness, species diversity and species evenness were used to assess α diversity of four types of coniferous forests undergone different artificial regeneration time. The study was based on the vertical structure of forests, involving growth-forms of total plants as well as vertical layers of woody plants. The results showed that, except for the fourth layer of woody plants, the vertical structure of the four forests exhibited significant difference in terms of their species richness, species diversity and species evenness, suggesting that α species diversity index provided more detailed information and was a better index reflecting the regeneration processes in this region. It was recommended that silvicultural management of artificially regenerated forests should be strengthened to conserve the biodiversity of the forests, optimize forest structure and, in the long run, promote sustainable development of forest ecosystems.