Nurse plant theory and its application in ecological restoration in lower subtropics of China  

作　　者：Hai Ren Long Yang Nan Liu 

机构地区：[1]Heshan National Field Research Station of Forest Ecosystem, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China

出　　处：《Progress in Natural Science:Materials International》2008年第2期137-142,共6页自然科学进展·国际材料（英文版）

基　　金：2007 National Natural Science Foundation of China ; Chinese Academy of Sciences;National Natural Science Foundation of China （Grant Nos. 30200035, 30670370）;the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Guangdong ＆ Guangzhou Sci-Tech Planning Project （07118249, 2005B60301001, 2007JI-C0471）.

摘　　要：Nurse plants are those that facilitate the growth and development of other plant species (target species) beneath their canopy because they offer benign microhabitats that are more favorable for seed germination and/or seedling recruitment than their surrounding envi-ronment. Nurse plants have been mainly used to restore vegetation in arid and sub-arid zones in recent years. Based on summarizing the definition of nurse plant and target plant,we review the nursing effect mechanisms,ecological factors that influence nursing effect,rela-tionships between nurse plant and ecological restoration. This review also brings forward possible pairs of nurse and target species at lower subtropical areas. Furthermore,we provide the potential tendency in nurse plant research and application.Nurse plants are those that facilitate the growth and development of other plant species （target species） beneath their canopy because they offer benign microhabitats that are more favorable for seed germination and/or seedling recruitment than their surrounding environment. Nurse plants have been mainly used to restore vegetation in arid and sub-arid zones in recent years. Based on summarizing the definition of nurse plant and target plant, we review the nursing effect mechanisms, ecological factors that influence nursing effect, relationships between nurse plant and ecological restoration. This review also brings forward possible pairs of nurse and target species at lower subtropical areas. Furthermore, we provide the potential tendency in nurse plant research and application.

关 键 词：Nurse plant Target species Forest restoration Nursing effect 

分 类 号：S76[农业科学—森林保护学]