Characteristics of Community Succession in Karst Vegetation-Restoration Process

Investigation of field-plots was done by spatiotemporal substitution in a Karst area of Qianzhong(Central Guizhou).The results showed that height of community and trees/seedlings percentage increased with the succession process,being greater in Stage S3 than in Stage S4;species diversity also increased with the succession process,with the maximum occurring in the shrub stage(S2) and the minimum in the herbage stage(S3).The importance value of different species varied with different succession stages,Itea yunnanensis being the dominant species throughout the succession stages.Minimum number of tree species existed in S1 while plurality occurred in S3 and S4. Maximum number of shrub species was recorded in S2 while fewer in S1 and S4. With the process of succession,coverage of trees species increased,especially in Stage S4.The best coverage of community of shrub species existed in S2 and decreased sharply in S3 and S4.