Adaptation Mechanisms of Understory Vegetation in Subtropical Plantations: Synergistic Drivers of Stand Spatial Structure and Soil Fertility.

ABSTRACT: Understory vegetation plays a pivotal role in enhancing forest biodiversity, and its restoration is crucial for sustainable forest development, energy flow, and nutrient cycling. However, the dynamics of the biomass, diversity, and species composition of understory vegetation in plantations in south China, along with their key drivers, remain poorly understood. This study investigated four mature plantation types (Pinus massoniana, Pinus caribaea, Cunninghamia lanceolata, and mixed Chinese fir-broadleaf forests) in south China through plot surveys, environmental factor measurements, and structural equation modeling (SEM) to explore the diversity, biomass allocation patterns, and driving mechanisms of understory vegetation. The results demonstrated the following. (1) Th

SUBMITTER: Zheng F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12656622 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature