Quantitative Characteristics and Environmental Interpretation of Vegetation Restoration in Burned Areas of the Dry Valleys of Southwest China

Abstract

Fire is a common natural disturbance in forest ecosystems and plays an important role in subsequent vegetation patterns. Based on the spatial sequence method, adopted as an alternative to the time successional sequence method, we selected burned areas in different locations in the Anning River Basin, which encompasses typical dry valleys. Quadrat surveys and quantitative classification were used to identify and classify the vegetation and distribution pattern and to carry out environmental interpretation during the natural restoration process after a forest fire. The results showed the following: (1) in the early stage of natural recovery after a forest fire disturbance, the vegetation community could be divided into seven community types, and Quercus guyavaefolia H. Leveille (Qg) was the dominant species in the community; (2) the vegetation samples could be divided into five ecological types, and the classification and distribution pattern of community types in this region changed most notably with altitude; and (3) a detrended correspondence analysis could be used to accurately classify vegetation community types, while a detrended canonical correspondence analysis could reveal the relationships between species and environmental factors. This study provides a scientific basis for guiding the restoration of ecosystem structural stability and biodiversity in burned areas.