The Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), together with several other units in China and other countries, summarizes important research in the field of ecology related to the current status and future trends of

This review focuses on understory vegetation biodiversity, regeneration, biomass, nutrient content and storage, carbon and nitrogen relationships, functional traits, litter decomposition, and interactions with overstory trees. It also covers the ecological effects of understory vegetation on soil chemistry, soil microbial communities, and soil and water conservation. This work systematically summarizes the research status, shortcomings and future directions of these areas. Additionally, this review proposes that in the context of global climate change, future research should focus on the interaction between understory vegetation and canopy trees, as well as plant-soil interaction mechanisms driven by multiple climate or environmental factors and forest management practices at the regional scale, especially those involving lichen-moss layers and complex rhizosphere networks. These studies can be achieved through the application of advanced methods, including isotope labeling technology, high-throughput sequencing analysis, and organic matter grouping. In addition, the article recommends the development of more non-destructive technologies, such as 3D lidar scanning and hyperspectral scanning, combined with manual biodiversity surveys to monitor and characterize the dynamics of understory vegetation.

In conclusion, this article provides an overview of the current status, progress, and future directions of research on forest understory vegetation, including topics focused on forest biodiversity, ecosystem structure and function, and ecological services. We propose that a better understanding of understory vegetation can guide the regeneration, restoration and reconstruction of degraded forest ecosystems to maintain the multi-layered structure, spatial pattern and functions of the ecosystem. This improved understanding is critical to the effective management of understory vegetation in forest ecosystems, with potential benefits for both forest ecology and the economy. This review also provides scientific guidelines for professional technicians, managers, and policy makers to formulate better sustainable management practices for forests.

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Authors

Jiaojiao Deng¹, Shuai Fang¹, Xiangmin Fang², Yanqiang Jin^3,4, Yuanwen Kuang⁵, Fangmei Lin^3,6, Jiaqing Liu⁷, Jingran Ma^1,6, Yanxia Nie⁵, Shengnan Ouyang⁸, Jing Ren¹, Liehua Tie⁸, Songbo Tang^5,9, Xiangping Tan⁵, Xugao Wang¹, Zhaofei Fan¹⁰, Qing-Wei Wang¹, Hang Wang¹¹, & Chenggang Liu³

Affiliations

1. CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China

2. College of Forestry, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, China

3. CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Plant Resources and Sustainable Use, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun 666303, China

4. Yuanjiang Savanna Ecosystem Research Station, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yuanjiang 653300, China

5. Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystem, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China

6. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China

7. College of Ecology and Environment, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830000, China

8. Institute for Forest Resources and Environment of Guizhou, Key Laboratory of Forest Cultivation in Plateau Mountain of Guizhou Province, College of Forestry, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China

9. School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China

10. School of Forestry and Wildlife Science, Auburn University, AL 36830, United States

11. Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plateau Wetland Conservation, Restoration and Ecological Services, National Plateau Wetlands Research Center, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China

About Dr. Chenggang Liu, Dr. Hang Wang and Dr. Qing-Wei Wang

Chenggang Liu, Associate Professor at Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Dr. Liu’s research focuses on soil nutrient cycling, soil micro-food web, and understory vegetation in sustainable agroforestry ecosystems.

Hang Wang, Professor at Southwest Forestry University. Dr. Wang’s main areas of focus are agronomy, environmental science, and ecological research.

Qing-Wei Wang, Professor at Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Dr. Wang’s primary research areas are canopy spectral ecology, plant ecophysiology, functional traits, and litter decomposition.