The Influence of Stand Structure on Understory Herbaceous Plants Species Diversity of Platycladus orientalis Plantations in Beijing, China

Abstract

Species diversity is a crucial index used to evaluate the stability and complexity of forest ecosystems. Studying the relationship between stand structure and understory herbaceous plants species diversity is useful for managers to formulate the best forest structure optimization method with the goal of improving herbaceous species diversity. In this research, Platycladus orientalis plantations in Beijing were taken as the research object. Pearson’s correlation analysis was used to explore the single-factor correlation between stand structure and understory herbaceous plants species diversity; furthermore, a typical correlation analysis and multiple linear regression were used to explore the multi-factor correlation and analyze the dominant stand structure parameters affecting understory herbaceous plants species diversity. In the range of stand structures studied, the results showed that canopy density was negatively correlated with the Shannon–Wiener index and Simpson index (p < 0.01), and tree density was negatively correlated with the Shannon–Wiener index (p < 0.05). In terms of stand spatial structure, the mingling degree was positively correlated with the Shannon–Wiener index, Simpson index, Margalef richness index and Pielou evenness index (p < 0.05), while the uniform angle was negatively correlated with the Pielou evenness index (p < 0.05). The correlation coefficient of the first group of typical variables in the typical correlation analysis was 0.90 (p < 0.05); from this group of typical variables, it can be concluded that canopy density is the most influential indicator affecting the comprehensive index of understory herbaceous plants species diversity, with a load of −0.690, and the Shannon–Wiener index and Simpson index are the most responsive indicators of changes in the comprehensive index of stand structure, with loads of 0.871 and 0.801, respectively. In the process of the management of Platycladus orientalis plantations under a low altitude, south slope, thin soil layer and hard soil parent material, in order to improve the herbaceous species diversity, the canopy density of the overstory and tree density should be appropriately reduced. Additionally, it is necessary to regulate the horizontal spatial structure of stands. When the trees are randomly distributed and the mingling degree is high, the species diversity of herbs can be increased.