Abstract
To determine the ecological characteristics of Pinus massoniana Lamb and Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb) Hook which co-dominate a natural coniferous forest in the Huangshan region of Anhui Province, eastern China, we examined the size structure, spatial patterns, and tree height-diameter relationship of both species. P. massoniana dominated the canopy layer, but smaller individuals were scarce. In contrast, C.lanceolata co-dominated the sub-canopy layer and had a considerable number of saplings / sprouting from the root collar of larger individuals. At small scales, the spatial pattern of P. massoniana tended to be overdispersed, whereas that of C. lanceolata was clumped. In a young sttand, tree height at a given stem diameter was larger for P. massoniana than for C. lanceolata. P. massoniana is a fast-growing, shade-intolerant species that has high mortality rates if suppressed and regenerates only after large-scale disturbances. C. lanceolata is a relatively slow-growing, shade-tolerant species.
