Effect of Tending on Community Structure and Target Tree Growth of Secondary Evergreen Broad-leaved Forest

In August 2016, 2 sample plots with 100 m × 100 m and 16 subplots of 25 m × 25 m were set up using RTK positioning technology in secondary evergreen broadleaved forest dominated by Castanopsis sclerophylla and Lithocarpus glaber in Jiande, Zhejiang province for experiment of tending and no-tending (CK) on large diameter tree cultivation. In August 2021, investigation was conducted on species composition and community structure by permanent sample plots. The results showed that there were 100 species of 53 families and 86 genera of plant in tending plot and 71 species of 39 families and 60 genera of plant in no-tending plot, and the average importance value of the target species, C. sclerophylla and L. glaber, ranked the first and second in tree layer. The species richness of the grass layer, shrub layer, and vines in treated plot was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than that in the control, while the richness of the tree layer was significantly lower (P < 0.05). However, there were no significant differences of Shannon-Wiener index and Simpson index in tree layer, shrub layer, and vines between treated plot and the control. The competitive ability of target trees was improved and the abundance in tree and shrub layer was slightly increased compared to that in the control. The tree height, DBH, clear bole height, and crown diameter were also significantly improved (P < 0.05).