Abstract:

To understand the degree of the disaster damages to Castanopsis forests in Yangdongshan Shierdushui Provincial Nature Reserve, Lechang County, Guangdong Province, four 50 m×30 m sampling plots located from 700 to 1 000 m of elevation were stablished. Species composition and dominant species in the community were investigated in April and November, 2008. The effects of the frozen rain and snow disaster on the communities were assessed by counting the numbers of plants in damaged modes of dominant species and at different classes of diameter at breast height (DBH), and the relationship of landforms with damaged stands. The results showed that: 1) The community was analyzing dominated by Castanopsis species, which were Daphniphyllum macropodum, Daphniphyllum oldhamii, Castanopsis eyrei, Castanopsis fordii, C. carlesii, Cyclobalanopsis hui and Ilex chinenwsis. 2) D. oldhamii was severely damaged and, C. carlesii, D. macropodum, C. eyrei, C. fordii, and C. hui were moderately damaged, while I. Chinenwsis was the most lightly damaged. 3) Plants with different DBH classes showed different damaged modes. The plants with 1.0～5.0 cm DBH class were mostly in damaged modes of lodging, stem bending and healthy, the plant with 5.1～10.0 cm DBH were subjected to trunk breakage and uprooting, and plants with more than 15 cm DBH mosthly suffered from top breakage. The 10.0～15.0 cm DBH class showed the least number of damaged plants. 4) The damaged degrees of different dominant species were differentially affected by elevation and slope.

Key words: frozen and snow disaster, broad-leaves forest, dominant species, harm degree, Nanling Mountain, Yangdongshan Shierdushui Nature Reserve