Open Access

ARTICLE

The Spatial-Temporal Heterogeneity of Understory Light Availability in a Temperate Forest of North China

by Jie Li¹, Ziyu Zhou², Yun Chen², Qiusheng Yang^1,*, Carlos Alberto Busso^3,*

1 College of Landscape Architecture and Art, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002, China
2 College of Life Sciences, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002, China
3 Departamento de Agronomía-CERZOS (CONICET), Universidad Nacional del Sur, Bahía Blanca, Buenos Aires, 8000, Argentina

* Corresponding Authors: Qiusheng Yang. Email: ; Carlos Alberto Busso. Email:

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany 2021, 90(6), 1633-1644. https://doi.org/10.32604/phyton.2021.016795

Received 26 March 2021; Accepted 25 May 2021; Issue published 28 June 2021

Abstract

The spatial-temporal variation of understory light availability has important influences on species diversity and community assembly. However, the distribution characteristics and influencing factors of understory light availability have not been fully elucidated, especially in temperate deciduous, broad-leaved forests. In this study, the understory light availability was monitored monthly (May–October) in a temperate deciduous, broad-leaved forest in Henan Province, China. Differences in the light availability among different months and habitat types were statistically analyzed using Kruskal–Wallis method, respectively. Partial least squares path modeling (PLS-PM) was used to explore the direct and/or indirect effects of stand structure, dominant species and topographic factors on the light environment. Results showed that there were differences in light environments among the four habitat types and during the studied six months. The PLS-PM results showed that the stand structure and the dominant species were negatively correlated with the light environment, and the path coefficient values were −0.089 (P = 0.042) and −0.130 (P = 0.004), respectively. Our result indicated that the understory light availability exhibit a distinct spatial and temporal heterogeneity in temperate deciduous, broad-leaved forest of north China. The characteristics of woody plant community, especially the abundance of one of the dominant plant species, were the important factors affecting the understory light availability.

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Keywords

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Supplementary Material

Supplementary Material File

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