Study On The Establishment Of Health Evaluation System For Phyllostachys Edulis Forest And Its Application

Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) is an important part of forest resources in China.With the social development and increasing demand of human, Moso bamboo has received ahigher degree of exploitation and utilization in socio-economy, such as, construction, food andhealth care, and in ecology, such as carbon fixation and oxygen release, soil and waterconservation. Currently, the health condition of bamboo forest has been challenged due to theeffect of management target, managers’ background and benefit-driven. Based on the relatedresearch theory on forest health, combining bamboo growth characteristics, stand property,current management situation and existing problems, this study discussed the connotation ofbamboo forest health based on the classical VOR model of forest health research. Mosobamboo forests in Huangshan District, Shunchang County and Yong’an County etc, werechosen, and then a target model including4layers consisting19indictors was constructed toevaluate bamboo health, further empirical analysis was conducted in research areas, whichcould provide theoretical and practical guidance to health management in Moso bamboo forest.The main results were as follows:(1) The connotation of Moso bamboo forest health is that Moso bamboo is resistant toexternal disturbance to some degree, capable to maintain stand structure, and supplies healthproducts and ecosystem services based on its own succession and development.The origin of health problem in Moso bamboo forest comes from excessive focus onresource property of bamboo, but ignores its natural social and infrastructure property. Themanagement pattern under the health problem could get short-term benefit, but hide dangersfor stand long-term structural stability, maintaining vitality, anti-disturbance capability,economic output and ecological functioning, thus the Moso bamboo forest is unable to recoverits initial balance through self-recover or simple intervention. (2) Based on the classical VOR model of health research, combining with themanagement and current research status, a target model for health evaluation including fourlayer, which were target layer, criterion layer, element layer and index layer, consisting19indicators was built in Moso bamboo forest.The criterion was consisted of two aspects, which were evaluation base for bamboo health,economic values and ecological functions, and element layer was composed of five aspects,which were stand activity, stand structure, disturbance response, economic benefit andecological function; element layer was consisted of19specifical indicators, which were netphotosynthetic rate (D1), shooting up rate (D2), average diameter (D3), rhizome activity (D4),ages structure (D5), density structure (D6), species composition (D7), shrub richness (D8),degree of human disturbance (D9), drought index (D10), low-temperature index (D11), bambooshoot output (D12), timber production (D13), colors (D14), canopy interception (D15), litterthickness (D16), soil permeability (D17), soil nitrogen content (D18)and bamboo biomass (D19).(3) By using cluster analysis bamboo health status were divided into5grades, which wereexcellent (I), good (II), moderate (III), poor (IV), very poor (V).The calculated comprehensive health index of Moso bamboo forest was0.503~0.828based on85sampling points in Huangshan District, Shunchang County, Yong’an County. Thepoints of grade I, II, III, IV and VI were3(health composite index was0.777~0.828),17(0.719~0.762),41(0.617~0.711),18(0.541~0.615) and6(0.503~0.528), which were normaldistributed, indicating the number of excellent and very poor grade was low, and the number ofnormal managed stand were higher and the management level was not high overall.(4) Following the relsults of correlation analysis between bamboo forest healthcomprehensive index and involved factors, the key factor was not identical in different healthlevel.The density structure (D5) was highly significantly positive correlated to healthcomprehensive index of Moso bamboo forest in grade I (excellent); the correlation coefficientof the relationship between litter thickness (D16), bamboo shoot output (D12) and health comprehensive index of Moso bamboo forest in grade II (good) were higher than any otherindicators; health comprehensive index of Moso bamboo forest in grade III (moderate) wassignificantly positive correlated to6indicators, among which, the index was highlysignificantly positive correlated to species composition (D6), litter thickness (D16) and treebiomass (D19), and significantly positive correlated to rhizome activity (D4), low-temperatureindex (D11) and timber production (D13). Health comprehensive index of Moso bamboo forestin grade IV (poor) was only significantly correlated with net photosynthetic rate (D1) withcoefficient value of0.474; Health comprehensive index of Moso bamboo forest in grade IV(poor) was significantly or highly significantly correlated withdegree of human disturbance(D9), drought index (D10), soil permeability (D17).(5) The results of moso bamboo forest health level in the study area showed that foresttypes and core management measures were the key factor to it. And it was significantly lowerin Anhui province than that in fujian province。In Huangshan District, purified Moso bamboo forest was more serious, andcomprehensive health index was0.503~0.746. Among40sampling points,5and8pointswere in grade II and grand III, and the rest27were in unhealthy situation; in Shunchang andYong’an County, the proportion of mixed Moso bamboo forest was higher. Among45samplingpoints, comprehensive health index of two points was above0.8, staying in health situation;20points were in good level, and only9points were unhealthy. The health grade of Shunchangwas obviously higher than that of Huangshan. Overall, the health level of pure Moso bambooforest was lower than mixed Moso bamboo forest. Core management speaking, comprehensivehealth index of fertilized Moso bamboo in Huangshan was highest, and Moso bamboo forestwith release fertilizer was best, but hook tip was lowest, below0.55. In Shunchang andYong’an, bamboo forest with investigation management was higher, and stand biomass andbamboo shoot output was higher.Forest health research is the inevitable choice of the times. Based on the theory of foresthealth, the connotation of forest health of Moso bamboo forest was discussed and an evaluation system was constructed. Furthermore, the case study and analysis of Moso bamboo forest instudy area was studied advice to health management. According to the results that the sitecondition is the base of bamboo forest health management, and should follow the scientific andreasonable management goal.The use of the management pattern should follow bamboo forestnatural characteristics and the rule of sustainable development and providing correspondingproducts and services. The predatory management which focuses on short-term benefit wouldcause many bamboo forest health problems.