Abstract:

In order to study the niche characteristics of dominant population in Taiwania flousiana community in Leigong Mountain, Guizhou, and preserve the rare and endanged plant effectively, the study aimed to analyze the niche characteristics of dominant populations in Taiwania flousiana community in Leigong Mountain by calculating niche breadth and niche overlape. The results showed that: (1) there was a large niche overlap between the populations with wide niche breadth and other populations and the populations with similar niche breadth ,whereas there was not necessarily a large niche overlap between other populations with the populations with wide niche breadth; (2) There was a large niche overlap between dominant populations because of resource competition, and this would cause the changes of community composition and structure, and thus, affect the development of the community; (3) The niche overlap between two same populations decreased from understory layer to stand canopy. All in all, the large niche overlap between Taiwania flousiana population and mesophilous dominant populations indicated that there was a promotion between them,and no competition existed due to the difference of their plant height. Therefore, it may be helpful for recovering and developing Taiwania flousiana population to rebuild the composition of Taiwania flousiana community and make the mesophilous populations become dominant ones.