Structural characteristics of typical water conservation forests in mountainous areas of Beijing |
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| Authors: | Mei Luo Wei Wang Yan Du |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Key Laboratory for Silviculture and Conservation of Ministry of Education, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China;2. State Forestry Administration Survey Planning and Design Institute, Beijing, China;3. Ecological Civilization Construction Bureau of Qingzhen City in Guizhou Province, Qingzhen, Guizhou Province, China |
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| Abstract: | Forest structure and function are both closely interconnected and interdependent. It is important to understand forests’ structural characteristics to utilize their functions effectively. In this study, we quantified and compared 112 water conservation forests in the mountainous areas of Beijing, which included 18 different forest types. We performed a holistic analysis, summarizing the forests’ structural characteristics in terms of water conservation and examining aspects of horizontal and vertical structures. The results showed that natural conservation forests had mostly unevenly aged, multilayered, mixed structure, while most artificial conservation forests exhibited even-age, single-story, and homogeneous structures with relatively low biomass. Understanding structural features may provide better insight into how forests affect water conservation and thus improve the sustainable management of forests for water conservation in Beijing. |
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| Keywords: | Horizontal structure mingling neighborhood comparison vertical structure Weibull function |
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