The Characteristics of Ecological Self-restoration in Urban Idle Lands: A Case Study of Beijing Forestry University

Abstract

Natural plants would see a free growth in an idle land after an absence of management, leading to spontaneous biological processes that form the wildscape. Such vegetation demonstrates the characteristics of the ecological self-restoration. This paper studies the spontaneous species found on a site in Beijing Forestry University, inventories and analyzes the species, site conditions, possible maternal plants of them, and discusses the changes and characteristics of the community in its early establishment. The results show that several spontaneous plants sprout early, and cover nearly 1/3 of the site 3 years later. Most of spontaneous plant species are native, more of which are herbaceous, while little difference is found between the number of woody communities and that of herbaceous communities. Their distribution is obviously affected by soil conditions when the light is sufficient. This paper concludes that once the human disturbances are stopped or reduced, ecological self-restoration can occur rapidly with essential conditions for growth (light, soils, and seed sources), even poor as urban environment. At the early stage of ecological self-restoration, native plant species dominate obviously. It is worthy of attention to and further study on the spontaneous native woody communities as they emerge rapidly.