Simulation of niche fitness of plant seedlings in succession of south Asian tropical forests

Fitness is different from niche fitness, but they still have some comparability. Based on reviewing the both conceptions, the authors mend niche-fitness function by using the methods of niche center, niche breadth and environments variable, thus to analyze the relationship between them. The results show that, 1) the niche-fitness is relative to niche in a certain extent, and since niche-fitness is advanced to fitness, the physiology characteristics of plant seedlings could be used to construct niche-fitness as the index of fitness dynamic in the succession. 2) With the model built on the limitation factors of niche-fitness function, the limitation factors affecting the stages of species succession could be found out. The purpose of this work is to provide a new quantitative method to study the variation dynamic in the process of succession based on species' physiological characteristics.