ObjectiveCarrying out the research for regeneration of Castanopsis hystrix plantation is an important approach to solve the problems of bad growth, low stand stability, high management cost of Castanopsis hystrix plantation.

MethodSample-plot survey was conducted for Castonopsis hystrix's regeneration of three type plantations (Castanopsis hystrix plantation, coniferous broadleaved artificial mixed forest and Pinus massoniana plantation) in the experimental forest, Experimental Center of Tropical Forestry, Pingxiang, Guangxi Province of southern China, while the indoor testing was conducted for seed germination of Castanopsis hystrix and the research data were analysed by multiple regression and variance analysis.

ResultThe results showed that the reproduction frequency and density of Castanopsis hystrix were higher than other tree species, and it had the lowest regeneration density under the coniferous plantation(625 plants/ha), relatively low regeneration density under the conifer and broadleaf mixed plantations (3 673 plants/ha), but the highest was under its own forest(21 231 plants/ha); the litter thickness and herb coverage were the important environmental factors influencing the regeneration of Castanopsis hystrix, they were negatively correlated with regeneration density.The regeneration was not good when the distance from the seed tree was shorter than 5 m, the proportion of regenerated Castanopsis hystrix plants was only 7.5%. Seed germination of Castanopsis hystrix was significantly inhibited by soaking solution of leaf litter with the mass and water ration of 1:10.

ConclusionThus the herb coverage, litter thickness, inhibiting effect of allelochemicals in the leaf litter and dificiency of mother plant were the main reasons leading to the bad regeneration of Castanopsis hystrix under coniferous plantation.