HABITAT CHARACTERISTICS AND POPULATION STRUCTURE OF DIPTERIS CHINENSIS, A RELICT PLANT IN CHINA .

Dipteris chinensis Christ is endemic to China and is at risk of extinction due to anthropogenic disturbance and climate change. Our understanding of D. chinensis population structure and habitat is poor. Here, we investigated the habitat characteristics and population structure of a D. chinensis community at Chenjia in the Nanling National Nature Reserve, southern China. We conducted a principal component analysis followed by correlation analysis to identify the main habitat factors associated with the abundance of young D. chinensis plants. We found that the species grew in a warm and humid environment under evergreen coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forests. Young D. chinensis abundance was positively correlated with the litter standing crop, soil organic matter content, and soil total nitrogen. However, the production of new D. chinensis plants appeared to be limited by a low reproduction rate (as evidenced by a population age structure skewed toward mature plants) and interspecific competition. These findings are useful for directing and prioritizing future conservation efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]