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KMID : 0380119990220040197
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Korean Journal of Ecology
1999 Volume.22 No. 4 p.197 ~ p.203
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Growth Responses of Trees to Canopy Gaps in a Deciduous Hardwood Forest
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Cho, Do Soon
Bae, Yong Jin/Lee, Kyu Song
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Abstract
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Growth responses and changes in morphological characteristics of several tree species to canopy gaps were investigated in Mt. Jumbong, which lies in the core area of the Mt. Sorak Biosphere Reserve in Kangwondo Province, Korea. Morphological sensitivity to canopy gap openings was determined by calculating crown asymmetry index (AsI) and crown plasticity index (PI) based on the maps of crowns of gap-bordering canopy trees. Asymmetry index among species was not significantly different. Syringa wolfii had the highest asymmetry index and Fraxinus mandshurica had the lowest. Plasticity index was highest in Cornus controversa, and lowest in Sorbus alnifolia. PI values was generally higher in shade-intolerant trees. In contrast, AsI seems to be related to tree height, not to shade tolerance. Asymmetry index and plasticity index did not seem to be closely related. The lateral expansion growth rate was different in gaps and non-gaps within species: branches toward gaps showed higher growth rate than those toward non-gaps. Height growth of saplings was much higher in gaps than in non-gaps. Bifurcation ratio of branches was higher in saplings growing in gaps than in non-gaps, and the difference of bifurcation ratios between gaps and non-gaps was bigger in saplings than in canopy trees, indicating that saplings were more sensitive to the availability of light than canopy trees. These results suggest that trees in hardwood forests can efficiently use the small but frequently formed canopy gap openings, and the ability of utilizing these gaps is higher in saplings than in mature trees and higher in shade-intolerant trees than in shade-tolerant trees. Different responses of tree species to canopy gaps are important in understanding the dynamics of forest ecosystems dominated by small scale disturbances.
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