Light availability during spring and autumn determines growth and survival of regenerated Korean pine seedlings

London

2024

176-190

Bandaufführung

12244

40005128

The regeneration of Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis Sieb. et Zucc.) is a core issue for restoration from secondary to primary forests in northeastern China. However, Korean pine exhibits limited recruitment within its own canopy in primary forests, but demonstrates excellent regeneration in secondary forests. Until now, the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon have not been satisfactorily explained. Hence, we conducted studies in both primary and secondary forests to investigate whether light availability during the non-growing season determines the fate of regeneration. In spring and autumn, understory light availability in the secondary forest was significantly better than that in the primary forest. The biomass and non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) concentrations of natural pine seedlings were considerably greater in the secondary forests compared to primary forests. The carbohydrate concentrations increased during spring and autumn and decreased in summer. In the manipulation experiment, the biomass of seedlings was positively correlated with the organ NSCs in spring, while the survival rates were correlated with NSCs in autumn. The light availability during the spring and autumn seasons may have a crucial role in the regeneration of Korean pine seedlings.KEYWORDS: Seedlings; survival; nonstructural carbo hydrate; leafless period; light availability