• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.177-191
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• 2015

The effect of environmental variables on the presence and abundance of tree species in a tropical lowland undisturbed limestone and non-limestone forest in Ben En National Park, Vietnam was investigated. The relationships between 13 environmental variables and 29 tree species with a DBH ${\geq}10cm$, as well as between six 6 physical variables with 26 species of seedling and sapling communities were assessed by canonical correspondence analysis (CCA). Data concerning all tree species ${\geq}10cm$ DBH were collected from eighteen $400m^2$ sample plots, while the abundance of regeneration (all individuals ${\leq}5cm$ DBH) was counted in fifty $2{\times}20m$ strip-plots. The significance of species-environments correlations were tested by distribution-free Monte Carlo tests. The CCA of the 29 examined tree species and 13 environmental variables indicated that the presence and abundance of the tree species were closely related to topographic factors. We may confirm that soil properties including pH, soil moisture content, and soil textures, were the most crucial factor in tree species composition and their distribution. Several species including Pometia pinnata, Amesiodendron chinense, Gironniera cuspidate, Cinnamomum mairei, and Caryodaphnopsis tonkinensis were not controlled by soil properties and topographic variables. The CCA also indicated that the abundance of regeneration tree species at all sites had positive and significant correlations with soil depth, while the occurrence of several other tree species (such as Koilodepas longifolium and Aglaia dasyclada) was positively correlated with a higher slope and rocky outcrop.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.237-252
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• 2016

Improved knowledge of the environmental factors affecting the natural regeneration of tree species in limestone forest is urgently required for species conservation. We examined the environmental factors and tree species characteristics that are important for colonization in diverse forest stands growing on a limestone hill in northern Thailand. Our analysis estimated the relative influence of forest structure and environmental factors on the regeneration traits of tree species. We established sixty-four $100-m^2$ plots in four forest stands on the limestone hill. We determined the species composition of canopy trees, regenerating seedlings, and saplings in relation to the physical environment. The relationships between environmental variables and tree species abundance were assessed by canonical correspondence analysis (CCA), and we used generalized linear mixed models to examine data on seedling/sapling abundances. The CCA ordination indicated that the abundance of tree species within the mixed deciduous forest was closely related to soil depth. The abundances of tree species growing within the sink-hole and hill-slope stands were positively related to the extent of rocky outcropping; light and soil moisture positively influenced the abundance of tree species in the hill-cliff stand. Physical factors had a greater effect on tree regeneration than did factors related to forest structure. Tree species, such as Ficus macleilandii, Dracaena cochinchinensis, and Phyllanthus mirabilis within the hill-cliff or sink-hole stand, colonized well on large rocky outcroppings that were well illuminated and had soft soils. These species regenerated well under conditions prevailing on the limestone hill. The colonization of several species in other stands was negatively influenced by environmental conditions at these sites. We found that natural regeneration of tree species on the limestone hill was difficult because of the prevailing combination of physical and biological factors. The influence of these factors was species dependent, and the magnitude of effects varied across forest stands.