Characteristics and driving mechanisms of understory plant diversity in different stand types in Lushan Mountain

A study on Lushan National Park reveals that mixed conifer-broadleaf forests exhibit the highest understory plant diversity, particularly in shrub layers, with 91 woody species and 45 herbaceous species, including four rare or endangered plants. This diversity surpasses that of other stand types, such as Japanese larch plantations and Japanese cypress plantations. The research, conducted across six typical forest stands, used random forest models to identify key drivers of understory plant diversity, finding that stand type, annual precipitation, elevation, and soil carbon-nitrogen ratio significantly influence plant composition and diversity. Shrub layer diversity consistently outperform herbaceous layers due to spatial resource competition advantages. These findings underscore the ecological value of mixed forests in maintaining biodiversity and conserving native species, offering valuable insights for forest optimization and afforestation practices.

Zhong, Y., Xu, J., Li, Z., Liu, Y., Deng, W., Zhang, Y., Zhu, G., & Zu, K. (2026). Characteristics and driving mechanisms of understory plant diversity in different stand types in Lushan Mountain. Acta Agriculturae Universitatis Jiangxiensis, 48(4), 999–1013. https://doi.org/10.3724/aauj.2026081