Effects of prescribed burning on species diversity of understory in Pinus yunnanensis forests of southwest China

Effects of prescribed burning on species diversity of understory in Pinus yunnanensis forests of southwest China | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Effects of prescribed burning on species diversity of understory in Pinus yunnanensis forests of southwest China Xiaona Li, Huiping Pan, Lizhen Jiang, Han Yang, Ailing Yang, Yinxixue Pan, and 4 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3470107/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Background The Pinus yunnanensis forest in southwestern China is a unique and significant vegetation type. However, it is susceptible to frequent fires. To mitigate the risk of hazardous fires, prescribed burning has often been employed in these forests. Nevertheless, it is important to consider the potential impact of prescribed burning on the structure of plant communities and species diversity in Pinus yunnanensis forests. To investigate the specific changes in plant community characteristics of caused by prescribed burning, a study was conducted in the Pinus yunnanensis forest located in Zhaobi Hill, Xinping county. Results Prescribed burning has had minimal effects on canopy trees, but has partially altered the characteristics of the understory community. It has decreased the number of shrub species from 26 to 19, with a shift in dominance from saplings of Lithocarpus mairei and Pinus yunnanensis in the unburned area to Duhaldea cappa and Craibiodendron stellatum in the burned area. Additionally, prescribed burning has partially altered the abundance of species and reduced the average height of shrubs. Furthermore, prescribed burning has increased the number of herb species from 27 to 40, but has had minimal impact on their abundance, height, and importance value. It is worth noting that prescribed burning has different impacts on the species diversity of shrubs and herbs. It significantly decreases the α species diversity of shrubs, but only has minimal effects on the α species diversity indices of herbs. The β diversity indices indicate that the species composition in both burned and unburned areas is similar, but the impact of prescribed burning on shrubs is greater than on herbs. Overall, prescribed burning appears to be the primary factor affecting the species diversity index of shrubs, while altitude, forest structure, and soil nutrient content exert greater influences on the species diversity index of the herbaceous layer. Conclusions Prescribed burning had little impacts on overstory trees of the Pinus yunnanensis forest, it had slightly positive effects on the height of herbs, and increased species richness of herbs from 27 to 40. However, the effects of prescribed burning on the species diversity and the height of shrub layers were significant and negative. Prescribed burning was the dominant factor shaping the community structure and species diversity of the shrub layer, and the missing saplings of trees in shrub layers might influence future forest succession in a long time. Prescribed burning plant community structure understory vegetation Pinus yunnanensis forest southwest China Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6 Figure 7 Figure 8 Figure 9 Figure 10 Figure 11 1. Background Pinus yunnanensis is a unique and indigenous coniferous tree species found in southwestern China. The Pinus yunnanensis forest represents the dry subtropical regions of western China and is widely spread across the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, with central Yunnan being at its core (Wu et al. 1987 ). This forest type is abundant in Yunnan Province and has significant carbon storage potential (Jin et al. 2004; Su et al. 2015 ). The Pinus yunnanensis forest belongs to the category of forests that have transitioned from subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests due to prolonged droughts and frequent wildfires (Wu et al. 1987 ; Jin et al. 2004; Su et al. 2015 ). While most of the Yunnan pine forests today are man-made, having been established through air-seeding in the late 1970s, a few original pristine forests still exist in remote areas of northwestern and central Yunnan (Jin et al. 2004). The distribution area of Pinus yunnanensis forests is particularly susceptible to forest fires. This susceptibility arises from the natural tendency of Pinus yunnanensis to shed its lower branches, combined with its occurrence in regions characterized by dry and warm climates (Tian et al. 2017 ). The inherent characteristic of natural pruning in Yunnan pine increases the risk of forest fires if dead needles accumulate on lower branches during the dry season (Ma et al. 1991 ). Prescribed burning, a widely used technique in various regions, refers to controlled fires of low intensity that aim to reduce fire hazards in forest ecosystems and modify the characteristics of fire disturbances by reducing the fuel loads on forest surfaces (Fernandes et al. 2003; Boer et al. 2009 ; Van Wilgen et al. 2010 ; Burrows et al. 2013; Fernandes et al. 2013 ; McCaw et al. 2013; Holland et al. 2017 ; Bradshaw et al. 2018 ; Price 2023 ). This practice is commonly employed in different ecosystems, including the South African fynbos (Boer et al. 2009 ), woodlands and forests of Australia (McCaw 2013 ; Burrows and McCaw 2013 ; Fernandes et al. 2013 ; Holland et al. 2017 ; Bradshaw et al. 2018 ; Price 2023 ), fire-prone areas in Mediterranean regions (Casals et al. 2016 ; Duane et al. 2019 ), fire-suppressed forests in the USA (Brockway and Lewis 1997 ; Carter et al. 2004; Glasgow et al. 2007; Knapp et al. 2015 ; Kobziar et al. 2015 ; Chen et al. 2019 ; Regmi et al. 2023 ), and fire-prone ecosystems in China (Franklin et al. 2003 ; Wang et al. 2018 ; Su et al. 2015 ; Fernandes and Botelho 2003 ; Dou et al. 2023 ). Prescribed burning has an impact on the structure of plant communities and the diversity of species in forests, and these effects varied depending on the different plant strata and types of vegetation (Fernandes et al. 2013 ; Van Wilgen 2013 ; Céspedes et al. 2014 ; Knapp et al. 2015 ; Kobziar et al. 2015 ; Holland et al. 2017 ; Eales et al. 2018 ; Wang et al. 2018 ; Mahood and Balch 2019 ; Barefoot et al. 2019 ; Koivula and Vanha-Majamaa 2020 ; Durigan et al. 2020; Bassett et al. 2020 ; Zald et al. 2020 ; Roberton and Rebar 2022 ; Kumar 2022 ; Vaughan et al. 2022 ; Price 2023 ). Although low-intensity prescribed burning has minimal effects on the overstory strata of forests and herbaceous plants, it significantly reduces the cover and stem density of shrubs in the midstory (Van Wilgen et al. 2013; Knapp et al. 2015 ; Kobziar et al. 2015 ; Eales et al. 2018 ; Barefoot et al. 2019 ; Chen et al. 2019 ; Koivula and Vanha-Majamaa 2020 ; Durigan et al. 2020; Bassett et al. 2020 ; Vaughan et al. 2022 ; Dou et al. 2023 ; Regmi et al. 2023 ). Frequent prescribed burning has been found to have detrimental effects on the frequency and relative abundance of important shrubs in fynbos ecosystems (Van Wilgen 2013 ; Kobziar et al. 2015 ). However, in dry sclerophyll forests in south-eastern Australia, burning may have a positive impact on species richness of plants less than 1m in height, while negatively affecting taller plants. It can also reduce the density and canopy cover of the overstory, leading to the loss of woody seedlings and saplings, but increasing the abundance and richness of understory species (Kobziar et al. 2015 ). In broadleaf forests, burning has been shown to significantly enhance the richness of vascular plants, exotic plants, and herbs (Céspedes et al. 2014 ; Barefoot et al. 2019 ). Similarly, in oak savanna ecosystems, burning has been observed to increase canopy openness and the percentage of vegetative cover in the understory (Bassett et al. 2020 ). On the other hand, the effects of burning on the diversity of vascular plant species and exotic species in Arizona Ponderosa Pine Forests are more subtle (Koivula and Vanha-Majamaa 2020 ). Understory vegetation plays a crucial role in various aspects of the forest ecosystem, including nutrient cycling, water conservation, forest climate regulation, and animal habitats (Kobziar et al. 2015 ; Knapp et al. 2015 ). Therefore, maintaining the stability of the community structure and species diversity in the understory is essential for the overall stability of the forest ecosystem. Prescribed burning primarily affects understory plants, while its impact on the overstory is generally minimal (Van Wilgen 2013 ; Céspedes et al. 2014 ; Wang et al. 2018 ; Mahood et al. 2019; Koivula and Vanha-Majamaa 2020 ; Zald et al. 2020 ; Kumar 2022 ; Roberton et al. 2022). The changes in understory vegetation structure caused by burning may influence the future development of the forest ecosystem (Kobziar et al. 2015 ). While Pinus yunnanensis forests generally have a lower abundance of understory vegetation, the importance of understory for the stability of forest ecosystems should not be overlooked (Su et al. 2015 ). However, the effects of prescribed burning on the species composition and diversity of the understory in Pinus yunnanensis forests remain uncertain. We hypothesized that prescribed burning could have a significant impact on the species composition and plant heights of the understory. However, we believed that the impact of burning on canopy strata of Pinus yunnanensis forests should be minor. It is possible that these effects could be influenced by other factors, such as altitude and soil nutrient levels. In order to investigate this further, we conducted a comprehensive plant study in both the prescribed burning area and an adjacent unburned area in the Pinus yunnanensis forests of central Yunnan. Our study aimed to address the following questions: 1) How does prescribed burning affect the species richness and diversity of both the overstory and understory in Yunnan Pine forests? 2) Are the effects of prescribed burning on the shrub and herb layers in the understory similar? 3) To what extent do other factors, such as altitude or soil nutrient levels, interact with the effects of prescribed burning on the plant community structure of the understory in this region? 2. Materials and Methods 2.1 Study area This study was conducted in a Pinus yunnanensis forest, which was aerially seeded in Zhaobi Hill, Xinping county, Yunnan province, southwestern China (Fig. 1 ). The region has a south subtropical humid monsoon climate with distinct wet and dry seasons, an average annual temperature of 18.1 ℃, an annual mean precipitation of 869 mm, and an annual total sunshine duration of 2838 hours. The dominant soil type in this region is red soil, and the major forest vegetation is Pinus yunnanensis forest, which was established through afforestation by aerial seeding in the 1970s. The vegetation community of Yunnan pine forests is divided into three layers: the tree layer, the shrub layer, and the herb layer. The tree layer includes Pinus yunnanensis , Keteleeria evelyniana , Cyclobalanopsis glaucoides , Castanopsis orthacantha , Castanopsis delavayi , and Quercus acutissima . The understory includes the shrub layer and herb layer; plants in the shrub layer include Vaccinium duclouxii , V. fragile , Lyonia ovalifolia , Craibiodendron stellatum , Duhaldea cappa , and the herb layer is mainly composed of Anaphalis sp., Arundinella setosa , Capillipedium assimile , Elsholtzia rugulosa , E. bodinieri , Eulalia pallens , E. quadrinervis , Hedyotis sp., Leontopodium sp., Pteridium aquilinum , and Erigeron sp., Pseudognaphalium sp. and Laggera alata . Prescribed burning has been a consistent practice in this region since 2016 as a preventative measure against forest fires. These prescribed burns typically occur in late January or early February, with low-intensity fires being utilized between the years 2016 and 2019 and discontinued in 2020 and 2021. The burned area is then restored for three years since the last prescribed burning period. 2.2 Field Measurements In January 2022, field surveys were conducted in both unburned areas and planned burned areas. Fourteen sample plots were established in each area, with each plot consisting of three 20 m × 20 m subplots, The distance between each plot is approximately 200–500 m, while the distance between each subplot is less than 100 m. This resulted in a total of 84 subplots. All subplots had a similar aspect, and other basic information, such as altitude, slope, and canopy density, showed minimal variation between prescribed burning and unburned plots (Fig. 1 ). The survey plots were strategically placed at least 50 m from the road, with elevations ranging from 1950–2200 m. These plots were predominantly located on sunny and moderate slopes (Table 1 ). Within each 20 m x 20 m plot, the diameters at breast height (DBH) of individual plants, with a DBH greater than 2 cm, were measured and recorded. Additionally, tree height and height under lower branches in the tree layer were recorded. In each 20 m x 20 m plot, five 5 m x 5 m quadrats were set in a clover shape to investigate the height, crown breadth, and number of plant species in the shrub layer. Furthermore, within each of the five shrub quadrats, five 1 m x 1 m sub-quadrats were set to investigate the number and coverage of plants in the herbaceous layer. Lastly, five soil samples were collected from the 0–10 cm soil layer to measure the chemical stoichiometric characteristics of soil C, N, P, and K. Table 1 Basic information of sample plots plots Altitude(m) Slope (°) Canopy density DBH (cm) Basal area (m 2 /ha) Height(m) Tree density (stems / ha) CK 2043 ± 42a 13.0 ± 4.0a 0.43 ± 0.05a 17.50 ± 1.92a 3515.06 ± 918.52a 8.27 ± 0.93a 1235.29 ± 361.75a PB 2019 ± 33a 10.0 ± 2.0a 0.38 ± 0.04a 18.37 ± 2.56a 3295.66 ± 859.53a 8.93 ± 1.40a 1163.39 ± 461.65a The values in the table are mean ± standard deviation, and different letters indicate a significance level of α = 0.05 2.3. Laboratory Analysis All trees and shrubs in all sample plots were classified based on their respective species, following the guidelines provided in the Yunnan Flora and the unpublished Xinping Flora. For herbs, identification was done at the specific species level, and unable to identify the species of the herbaceous plant, identified only the genus (refer to Table 1 ). The sampled soils underwent air-drying and were subsequently passed through a US Standard 60 mesh to exclude small rocks and fine roots. The resulting mineral soils were then analyzed for total soil carbon (TC), soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), hydrolysable nitrogen (A-N), available potassium (A-K), and soil available phosphorus (A-P). Additionally, the C/N ratio was calculated based on the total carbon and total nitrogen content of the soils. The TC analysis was conducted using ZYT-2000 analyzer, while SOC was measured using a Dichromate titration method. TN and A-N was determined using SKD-200 analyzer. A-K was measured using FP6410 analyzer, and A-P was determined using a UV-visible spectrophotometer analyzer. 2.4. Statistical Analysis To evaluate the structure and composition of the Pinus yunnanensis forest community, plant importance value, species abundance, and height were measured. The α diversity indices, such as the Shannon-Winner diversity index (H' ), Simpson's dominance index ( D ), Pielou's evenness index ( E H ), and Margalef's richness index ( F ), were calculated to assess community diversity. Additionally, beta diversity indices including the Jaccard Index ( β j ), Cody index ( β c ), and Morista-Horn Index ( C MH ) were used. For the shrub layer, H' , D , E H , and F were utilized to measure species diversity. Due to the challenges in accurately counting the number of herbs, H' , D , and E H were employed to assess the species diversity in the herb layers. The diversity index was calculated using the methodology described in Ma et al. ( 1995 ). \(H'=-\sum\limits_{{i=1}}^{S} {{P_i}ln{p_i}}\) (1) \(D=1-\sum\limits_{{i=1}}^{S} {{{\left( {{P_i}} \right)}^2}}\) (2) $${E_H}=H'/lnS$$ 3 $$F=\left( {S-1} \right)/lnN$$ 4 $${P_i}={n_i}/N$$ 5 $${\beta _c}=\left( {g\left( H \right)+l\left( H \right)} \right)/2$$ 6 $${\beta _j}=j/(a+b - j)$$ 7 $${C_{MH}}=2 \times \sum {a{n_i} \times b{n_i}/((\sum {an_{i}^{2}} } /{a^2}+\sum {bn_{i}^{2}/{b^2}} ) \times a \times b)$$ 8 where \({P}_{i}\) indicates the proportion of plant species i in a specific sample site, \({n}_{i}\) denotes the count of individual plants belonging to species i , S denotes the number of plant species in a sample site, and N denotes the total count of all plant species in the sample site. In the equations of β c , β j and C MH , \(\text{g}\left(H\right)\) represents the number of species increasing along the habitat gradient H, \(l\left(H\right)\) represents the number of species decreasing along the same gradient, a represents the number of species in sample A, b represents the number of species in sample B, and j represents the number of species shared by both sample A and B, \({\text{an}}_{\text{i}}\) and \({\text{bn}}_{\text{i}}\) represents the coverage of individual plants belonging to species i in sample A and sample B, respectively. Different values of the Jaccard similarity index ( β j ) represent different meanings. Values of 0 to 0.25 indicate extremely dissimilar community compositions, 0.25 to 0.50 represents moderately dissimilar, 0.50 to 0.75 indicates moderately similar, and 0.75 to 1.00 represents extremely similar communities. The Morisita-Horn index ( C MH ) represents the coefficient of similarity between communities undergoing planned burning, while the Cody index ( β c ) represents the dissimilarity of species composition. We utilized the Wilcoxon Rank Sum Test (WX) to identify disparities in species abundance, coverage, height, and species diversity index. Additionally, we employed NMDS to explore differences in understory community structure between the burned area and unburned area. We identified the influential factors of α species diversity by using Spearman correlation. Furthermore, we conducted multivariate regression analysis (MLM) to analyze the relative contribution of factors to the α diversity indexes. Finally, we investigated the associations between species composition and various environmental factors, including fires, altitudes, upper vegetation characteristics, and soil nutrients, using the structural equation model (SEM). NMDS is used to visually evaluate the structure of plant communities and their environmental resources (such as soil organic layer thickness, moisture content, pH, total carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus). NMDS is a widely used multivariate analysis method, suitable for complex iterative sorting analysis of nonlinear data. It reflects the relationships between entities in a geometric space using the distances between points in a low-dimensional space through dimensional reduction and sorting, and could simultaneously handle multiple dependent and independent variables and visually display the relationships between variables in a sorting plot. SEM is a multivariate statistical method used to establish, estimate, and test causal relationships. Compared to traditional statistical methods, SEM can study both observable variables and variables that cannot be directly observed (latent variables), and can indicate direct or indirect relationships between variables. SEM could handle multiple dependent variables simultaneously and visually display the relationships between variables in a path diagram. SEM is used to quantitatively evaluate the direct and indirect impacts of factors such as burning and topography on the surface plant communities of Pinus yunnanensis forests and conduct path analysis. All analyses were performed in R version 4.2.1 (R Core Team 2022 ). The WX test was conducted using the 'Wilcox.test' package, the NMDS analyses were performed using the 'vegan' package, MLM was executed using the 'gvlma' package, and the SEM analysis was conducted using the 'sem' package. 3. Results 3.1. Effects of prescribed burning on species composition of wood layers There were no significant variations in the species composition or number of tree species in the tree layer between the burned and unburned plots (Table 1 ). However, the DBH (diameters at breast height) and tree heights were slightly larger in the prescribed burning plots compared to the unburned plots. On the other hand, the prescribed burning plots showed slightly lower values for canopy density, basal area, and tree density (stems per hectare). No significant changes were observed in the arboreal layer related to the canopy density, canopy height, DBH, tree density, and basal area between the prescribed burning and unburned plots. 3.2. Effects of prescribed burning on composition structure of understory layers 3.2.1 Effects of prescribed burning on composition structure of shrub layers Prescribed burning had a significant impact on the plant community in the shrub layer, resulting in changes in species richness and plant height (Table 2 , Fig. 2 ). The number of plant species in the shrub layer decreased from 26 in the unburned plots to 19 after prescribed burning (Table 2 , Fig. 2 ). In addition, the abundance of plants within the shrub layer was also affected (Table 2 , Fig. 3 ). Tetrastigma yunnanense , Lithocarpus mairei , and saplings of five tree species including Pinus yunnanensis , Quercus acutissima , Quercus variabilis , Castanopsis delavayi , and Schima wallichii , disappeared from the burned plots. The abundance of Morella rubra , Vaccinium fragile , and Keteleeria evelyniana significantly declined. On the other hand, Melastoma polyanthum , Raphiolepis indica , and Osteomeles schwerinae were newly discovered in the burned plots. Compared to the unburned plots, only Duhaldea cappa showed a significant increase in abundance, while the other co-existing species both in burned and unburned plots did not show such a substantial change. Prescribed burning also resulted in a reduction in the height of most plants in the shrub layer. Vaccinium duclouxii, Vaccinium fragile, Rubus calycinus, Lyonia ovalifolia, Keteleeria evelyniana, Symplocos sumuntia, Vaccinium bracteatum, Engelhardtia spicata , and Anneslea fragrans showed significantly lower heights in the burned plots compared to the unburned plots. However, Cyclobalanopsis glaucoides and Ficus tikoua experienced a significant increase in height, excluding the newly found shrubs. Overall, prescribed burning led to a considerable decrease in the average height of the shrub layer, decreasing from 84.60 ± 28.83 cm in the unburned plots to 50.42 ± 27.71 cm in the burned plots. The importance value (IV) of many plants in the shrub layer showed changes in the prescribed burning plots compared to the unburned plots, although most of these changes were not easily noticeable (Table 2 ). However, the IV of Duhaldea cappa and Craibiodendron stellatum exhibited a significant increase in the prescribed burning plots, while Lyonia ovalifolia and Vaccinium fragile clearly decreased. The dominant plants in the shrub layer also shifted from Lithocarpus mairei and Lyonia ovalifolia in the unburned area to Duhaldea cappa in the prescribed burning area. Furthermore, the NMDS analysis results provided further evidence of the notable impact of prescribed burning on the vegetation in the shrub layer. This assertion is supported by the graphical representation of NMDS at a 95% confidence interval. It is worth mentioning that the stress value obtained from ranking the NMDS for the shrub layer was 0.135, indicating that NMDS can yield accurate results (Fig. 4 ). Table 2 The importance value, plant abundance, and height of shrub layers in prescribed burning and unburned plots Species Abundance Height (cm) Importance value (IV) CK PB CK PB CK PB Craibiodendron stellatum 12.57 ± 11.82 11.08 ± 9.05 75.42 ± 44.9 54.92 ± 28.1 0.35 ± 0.05 0.46 ± 0.15* Lithocarpus mairei 24.00 ± 15.66 -** 127.72 ± 64.20 -** 0.47 ± 0.05 -** Pinus yunnanensis 6.88 ± 7.69 - 51.04 ± 15.97 - 0.35 ± 0.07 - Morella rubra 3.50 ± 2.50 0.64 ± 0.98 204.24 ± 95.18 114.89 ± 91.46 0.30 ± 0.08 0.22 ± 0.10 Anneslea fragrans 1.50 ± 0.50 1.46 ± 0.86 43.50 ± 22.50 22.50 ± 2.50* 0.14 ± 0.02 0.13 ± 0.03 Engelhardtia spicata 3.33 ± 3.30 0.35 ± 0.14 106.33 ± 33.99 43.00 ± 0.82** 0.16 ± 0.03 0.10 ± 0.01 Schima wallichii 3.00 ± 2.00 - 30.50 ± 24.50 - 0.10 ± 0.03 - Vaccinium bracteatum 7.00 ± 5.10 1.00 ± 1.56 71.44 ± 20.86 36.25 ± 16.14* 0.22 ± 0.01 0.19 ± 0.10 Symplocos sumuntia 0.50 ± 0.50 0.17 ± 0.37 200.00 ± 12.50 65.00 ± 5.60** 0.13 ± 0.01 0.04 ± 0.02 Keteleeria evelyniana 1.33 ± 0.94 1.05 ± 0.43 89.50 ± 57.50 22.33 ± 3.80** 0.24 ± 0.11 0.12 ± 0.04 Cyclobalanopsis glaucoides 1.50 ± 0.50 0.43 ± 0.25 200.60 ± 119.40 210.00 ± 190.00 0.14 ± 0.08 0.24 ± 0.15 Quercus acutissima 1.67 ± 0.94 - 75.78 ± 19.51 - 0.11 ± 0.02 - Castanopsis delavayi 2.00 ± 1.00 - 72.17 ± 48.17 - 0.19 ± 0.13 - Lithocarpus hancei 10.00 ± 5.00 4.50 ± 3.50 65.90 ± 15.30 40.81 ± 4.19 0.34 ± 0.03 0.23 ± 0.04 Quercus variabilis 1.00 ± 0.30 - 315.00 ± 13.50 - 0.15 ± 0.02 - Melastoma polyanthum - 0.14 ± 0.35 - 65.00 ± 6.80 0.07 ± 0.01 Raphiolepis indica - 0.37 ± 0.17 - 30.00 ± 0.50 - 0.16 ± 0.05 Osteomeles schwerinae - 1.00 ± 0.03 - 105.00 ± 11.40 - 0.13 ± 0.02 Tetrastigma yunnanense 1.00 ± 0.02 - 5.00 ± 0.90 - 0.13 ± 0.01 - Vernonia cumingiana 0.50 ± 0.34 - 243.00 ± 13.50 - 0.07 ± 0.02 - Myrica nana 0.67 ± 0.47 - 246.50 ± 9.50 - 0.20 ± 0.01 - Rhododendron simsii 17.00 ± 0.60 - 53.59 ± 1.60 - 0.19 ± 0.04 - Duhaldea cappa 4.00 ± 2.00 33.45 ± 25.87** 53.29 ± 17.48 44.23 ± 17.75 0.26 ± 0.07 0.60 ± 0.14** Lyonia ovalifolia 5.92 ± 4.68 8.18 ± 11.22 99.44 ± 77.75 55.02 ± 27.58* 0.45 ± 0.13 0.37 ± 0.08* Vaccinium fragile 15.9 ± 12.21 2.80 ± 4.94* 20.76 ± 11.33 14.31 ± 3.5* 0.39 ± 0.12 0.24 ± 0.12** Campylotropis hirtella 0.50 ± 0.50 0.99 ± 0.86 21.00 ± 1.50 20.25 ± 0.75 0.06 ± 0.02 0.20 ± 0.10 Vaccinium duclouxii 5.25 ± 4.97 3.64 ± 1.38 51.60 ± 16.37 27.18 ± 3.70* 0.21 ± 0.05 0.16 ± 0.01 Rubus calycinus 6.00 ± 0.40 1.12 ± 0.50 34.80 ± 3.70 18.00 ± 0.90** 0.69 ± 0.04 0.10 ± 0.02 Ficus tikoua 1.00 ± 0.20 1.00 ± 0.03 7.00 ± 0.50 9.00 ± 0.50 0.03 ± 0.01 0.05 ± 0.02 ** represents p ≤ 0.05, * represents 0.05 < p ≤ 0.10, and "-" indicates that the species was not found in sample plots. 3.2.2. Effects of prescribed burning on composition structure of herb layers Prescribed burning resulted in an increase in the number of herb species from 27 to 40 (Table 3 , Fig. 5 ). Three species, including Crassocephalum crepidioides , Cyperus rotundus , and Gamochaeta pensylvanica , disappeared in the burned plots. On the other hand, 15 species, such as Parochetus communis , Themeda triandra , Erigeron canadensis , Gerbera delavayi , Centella asiatica , Clinopodium repens , Lespedeza bicolor , Asteraceae japonica , Taraxacum mongolicum , Scutellaria indica , Desmodium concinnum , Hedyotis diffusa , Bothriochloa ischaemum , Imperata cylindrica , and Ainsliaea yunnanensis , were only found in the burned plot. The majority of the newly-found species belonged to the Poaceae and Asteraceae families (Fig. 6 ). Prescribed burning had minimal impact on the abundance of herbs. Apart from the newly discovered species, no other species showed a significant increase in abundance. Only Pteridium aquilinum exhibited a significant decrease in abundance, apart from undiscovered species (Table 3 , Fig. 6 ). The average height of herb layers in unburned plots increased from 25.83 ± 9.61 cm to 34.36 ± 22.28 cm in the burned plots. The burning treatment partially altered the importance values of the herb layer plants. In the unburned plots, the species with the highest Importance Value (IV) was Arundinella setosa , while in the burned plots, it was Elsholtzia rugulosa . Except for Eulalia quadrinervis , Hedyotis uncinella , Pteridium aquilinum , and Desmodium microphyllum , which were no longer present, and the newly added species, most of the coexisting species in the burned and unburned plots showed no significant difference in their importance values. The NMDS results strongly indicate that the impact of planned burning on herbaceous layer plants can be disregarded. This is confirmed by the graphical representation of NMDS and the 95% confidence interval. The stress values assigned to the NMDS of the herb layer were remarkably low (0.186), which highlights the effectiveness of NMDS in producing accurate results (Fig. 7 ). Table 3 The importance value, coverage, and height of herbs in prescribed burning areas and in unburned areas Species Abundance Height (cm) Importance value (IV) Unburned PB Unburned PB Unburned PB Elsholtzia rugulosa 9.01 ± 6.96 6.83 ± 3.50 31.14 ± 14.18 30.83 ± 11.74 0.46 ± 0.06 0.49 ± 0.02 Pteridium aquilinum 30.59 ± 24.48 11.71 ± 10.43* 60.66 ± 27.85 57.96 ± 21.96* 0.31 ± 0.12 0.45 ± 0.05** Arundinella setosa 33.75 ± 26.40 17.37 ± 7.72 35.96 ± 18.53 68.94 ± 32.78* 0.52 ± 0.13 0.35 ± 0.13 Ageratina adenophora 11.56 ± 8.02 4.53 ± 9.07 28.70 ± 14.11 16.16 ± 7.07 0.30 ± 0.03 0.29 ± 0.07 Hedyotis uncinella 1.29 ± 1.04 1.45 ± 0.57 8.38 ± 4.69 7.63 ± 4.07 0.28 ± 0.04 0.25 ± 0.03* Eulalia pallens 26.57 ± 24.53 17.10 ± 12.55 54.17 ± 26.05 74.66 ± 43.48 0.39 ± 0.15 0.36 ± 0.10 Eulalia quadrinervis 15.68 ± 11.01 16.66 ± 9.49 23.25 ± 11.62 29.42 ± 21.91 0.43 ± 0.11 0.28 ± 0.11* Parochetus communis - 1.65 ± 1.42** - 2.73 ± 0.30** - 0.34 ± 0.01** Carex cruciata 20.92 ± 19.34 19.22 ± 11.5 25.92 ± 9.46 36.35 ± 9.34 0.27 ± 0.07 0.33 ± 0.05 Themeda triandra - 22.40 ± 12.61** - 65.75 ± 33.8** - 0.33 ± 0.12** Capillipedium assimile 29.61 ± 12.25 12.06 ± 7.31 45.67 ± 17.17 47.25 ± 16.18 0.25 ± 0.06 0.26 ± 0.06 Hedyotis auricularia 0.57 ± 0.49 0.77 ± 0.65 5.33 ± 4.03 9.00 ± 8.39 0.18 ± 0.03 0.18 ± 0.03 Pseudognaphalium adnatum 1.15 ± 0.81 1.31 ± 0.43 6.33 ± 4.03 3.88 ± 0.22 0.14 ± 0.06 0.16 ± 0.04 Leontopodium dedekensii 6.16 ± 5.14 0.64 ± 0.47 18.57 ± 5.95 17.81 ± 14.93 0.28 ± 0.16 0.18 ± 0.01 Desmodium microphyllum 1.68 ± 1.55 0.82 ± 0.40 5.75 ± 2.75 22.97 ± 19.92 0.08 ± 0.02 0.16 ± 0.03* Heteropogon contortus 29.77 ± 27.67 4.60 ± 3.78 27.92 ± 1.56 11.50 ± 4.50 0.26 ± 0.12 0.11 ± 0.02 Juucus effusus 13.38 ± 4.49 1.84 ± 1.19 12.17 ± 1.03 15.75 ± 8.61 0.22 ± 0.01 0.15 ± 0.01 Anaphalis margaritacea 3.44 ± 1.68 1.52 ± 1.29 8.88 ± 6.62 11.25 ± 8.32 0.17 ± 0.03 0.16 ± 0.06 Erigeron canadensis - 1.48 ± 0.99** - 5.78 ± 2.27** - 0.19 ± 0.01** Duchesnea indica 0.09 ± 0.05 3.07 ± 2.66 2.00 ± 0.40 5.78 ± 2.64 0.05 ± 0.02 0.19 ± 0.02 Elsholtzia bodinieri 14.34 ± 13.90 3.67 ± 2.33 5.38 ± 2.22 6.57 ± 2.56 0.15 ± 0.04 0.17 ± 0.06 Rubia podantha 20.81 ± 0.60 2.92 ± 0.56 39.00 ± 0.80 5.88 ± 2.13 0.15 ± 0.02 0.12 ± 0.03 Galium bungei 2.03 ± 1.20 1.84 ± 1.36 4.00 ± 1.00 3.83 ± 1.55 0.10 ± 0.01 0.12 ± 0.01 Laggera alata 3.95 ± 3.34 1.36 ± 1.02 29.50 ± 14.50 22.00 ± 19.91 0.10 ± 0.01 0.13 ± 0.06 Ophiopogon japonicus 0.09 ± 0.03 1.92 ± 1.52 20.00 ± 0.40 18.25 ± 6.25 0.05 ± 0.01 0.08 ± 0.01 Gerbera delavayi - 6.85 ± 6.19 - 4.50 ± 2.04 - 0.12 ± 0.07 Arthraxon hispidus 17.24 ± 0.70 4.24 ± 0.52 30.00 ± 0.80 20.00 ± 1.70 0.11 ± 0.02 0.09 ± 0.01 Centella asiatica - 0.03 ± 0.01 - 3.00 ± 0.40 - 0.04 ± 0.01 Crassocephalum crepidioides 0.06 ± 0.05 - 7.00 ± 0.40 - 0.03 ± 0.01 - Lespedeza bicolor - 0.90 ± 0.40 - 10.67 ± 5.3 - 0.07 ± 0.03 Asteraceae japonica - 0.67 ± 0.01 - 3.00 ± 2.00 - 0.05 ± 0.01 Clinopodium repens - 1.33 ± 0.20 - 4.00 ± 0.30 - 0.06 ± 0.03 Taraxacum mongolicum - 0.36 ± 0.10 - 3.00 ± 0.06 - 0.03 ± 0.04 Scutellaria indica - 0.34 ± 0.20 - 2.50 ± 0.03 - 0.03 ± 0.01 Desmodium concinnum - 0.07 ± 0.04 - 10.00 ± 0.70 - 0.02 ± 0.02 Hedyotis diffusa - 0.54 ± 0.30 - 4.00 ± 0.05 - 0.03 ± 0.01 Bothriochloa ischaemum - 0.02 ± 0.01 - 14.00 ± 2.50 - 0.02 ± 0.01 Miscanthus sinensis - 4.07 ± 0.30 - 40.00 ± 3.20 - 0.06 ± 0.03 Cyperus rotundus 0.46 ± 0.30 - 3.00 ± 0.20 - 0.05 ± 0.01 - Gamochaeta pensylvanica 1.13 ± 0.4 - 3.50 ± 0.5 - 0.05 ± 0.02 - Imperata cylindrica - 20.53 ± 19.00 - 34.17 ± 20.17 - 0.09 ± 0.04 Scutellaria barbata 3.27 ± 2.95 3.23 ± 2.87 19.67 ± 8.96 31.80 ± 3.66 0.34 ± 0.01 0.40 ± 0.07 Ainsliaea yunnanensis - 0.50 ± 0.03 - 17.00 ± 4.10 - 0.20 ± 0.01 ** represents p ≤ 0.05, * represents 0.05 < p ≤ 0.10, and "-" indicates that the species was not found in sample plots 3.3. Effects of prescribed burning on diversity indices of understory species The effects of prescribed burning on species diversity indexes differed between shrub layers and herb layers (Fig. 8). Prescribed burning had a significant impact on the Shannon-Winner diversity index ( H' ), Simpson's dominance index ( D ), Pielou's evenness index ( E H ), and Margalef's richness index ( F ) of shrub layers (Fig. 8a), resulting in a decrease in these indexes. However, the positive effects of prescribed burning on H' and D of herb layers were limited, and it had slightly negative effects on E H of herb layers (Fig. 8b). Different β diversity indexes showed varying responses in herbs and shrubs to prescribed burning. The Jaccard index ( β j ) indicated that there was a moderate similarity in the number of plant species between the areas subjected to prescribed burning and those that were not burned, with slightly higher similarity in the herbaceous layer compared to the shrub layer. On the other hand, the Cody index ( β c ) suggested a higher species turnover in the herbaceous layer compared to the shrub layer. However, the Morista-Horn index ( C MH ) indicated a higher similarity in the herbaceous layer in both the burned and unburned areas. The same letter represents no significant difference, different letters indicate a significance level of α = 0.05. Table 4 Effects of prescribed burning on beta diversity index of the understory Layer Treatments Number of increased species Number of decreased species Cody ( β c ) Jaccard ( β j ) Morista-Horn ( C MH ) Shrub layer Unburned-burned 3.000 10.000 6.500 0.552 0.269 Herb layer Unburned-burned 16.000 3.000 9.500 0.558 0.736 3.4. Analysis of major factors affecting species biodiversity of understory It had notable differences of influenced factors between the shrub and herb layers (Table 5, Table 6, and Fig. 9 ). The multiple regression analysis (MLM) showed that the diversity index of the shrub layer calculated by Shannon's index was mainly affected by soil pH, which accounted for 26.08% of its importance. Similarly, Margalef's index was primarily influenced by pH, with an importance value of 29.81%. When considering Pielou's index, the dominant influencing factor was found to be altitude, with an importance of 19.53%. On the other hand, fire regimes emerged as the most influential factor for Simpson's index, with an importance value of 19.92%. Moving on to the herb layer, both Pielou's index and Shannon's index were predominantly affected by tree diameter at breast height, with importance values of 30.57% and 26.25% respectively. Lastly, Simpson's index in the herb layer was primarily influenced by altitude, with an importance value of 17.51%. The structural equation model (SEM) revealed the relations among α species diversity indexes of the understory vegetation and their possible influenced factors (Fig. 10). For the shrub layer (Fig. 10a), it existed significant negative correlations between Simpson's index and Shannon's index and fire (prescribed burning), with path coefficients of -0.25 and − 0.34 (p < 0.01) respectively (Fig. 10). Additionally, Margalef's index, Simpson's index, Shannon's index, and Pielou's index displayed significant correlations with soil pH, with path coefficients of -0.52, -0.50, -0.47, and − 0.34 (p < 0.05) respectively. Similarly, Simpson's index, Shannon's index, and Pielou's index exhibited positive correlations with altitude, with path coefficients of 0.44, 0.37, and 0.54 (p < 0.01) respectively. For the herb layer (Fig. 10b), Simpson's index had a significant correlation with fire (prescribed burning) and altitude with path coefficients of 0.46 and 0.72 (p < 0.001) respectively. Additionally, Shannon's index was found to be significantly influenced by tree diameter at breast height and soil pH, with path coefficients of 0.78 and 0.31 (p < 0.001) respectively, and Pielou's index was also significantly correlated with tree diameter at breast height and soil A-N, with path coefficients of 0.72 and 0.44 (p < 0.01) respectively. Density represents tree density, Trees.H represents tree height, C/N represents soil total carbon/total nitrogen, A-K represents soil available potassium, A-P represents soil available phosphorus, A-N represents soil hydrolyzable nitrogen, SOC represents soil organic carbon, DBH represents tree diameter at breast height, Fire represents prescribed burning, Alt represents altitude. The size of the circle represented the importance of each variable. Orange represented a positive correlation, blue represents a negative correlation. The darker the color, the stronger the correlation. The bar graph represents the total explanatory power of canopy structure factors, environmental factors, and soil nutrient factors on plant diversity variation. Density represents tree density of overstory, DBH represents tree diameter at breast height, Fire represents prescribed burning, A-K represents soil available potassium, SOC represents soil organic carbon, A-N represents soil hydrolyzable nitrogen. Red represents negative correlation, black represents positive correlation, dashed lines represent insignificant correlations. Solid lines represent significant causal relationships between two variables, with significance levels of P < 0.05 (*), 0.01 (**), and 0.001 (***) 4. Discussion Prescribed burning had minimal impacts to overstory trees of the Pinus yunnanensis forest (Franklin et al. 2003 ; Bassett et al. 2020 ; Cowman and Russell 2021 ), while its effects on understory were relatively larger (Penman et al. 2008 ; Fuentes et al. 2018 ). Prescribed burning altered species composition in the shrub layer of the understory and impacted species individual amount and the height of shrubs layer species with frequent burning resulting a decline of species richness for species taller than 1 m and a relative increase of smaller species less than this height, this was similar with the effects of frequency fire on shrubby dry sclerophyll forests of south-eastern Australia (Penman et al. 2008 ), Mediterranean-Climate Shrublands (Van Wilgen et al. 2010 ) and understory vegetation of Arizona ponderosa pine forests (Fowler et al. 2008 ), a Pinus halepensis forest in Northeastern Spain (Fuentes et al. 2018 ), and Appalachian oak-dominated forests (Perles et al. 2021 ). Three years after prescribed burning, species richness of the shrub layer in the prescribed burning plots is still clearly lower than that in unburned plots (McCaw 2013 ), McCaw ( 2013 ) showed the effects of prescribed burning on the Shannon-Winner diversity index ( H' ), Simpson’s dominance index ( D ), Margalef’s richness index ( F ), and Pielou’s evenness index ( E H ) of understory of Pinus halepensis forests in Northeastern Spain were negative. On the contrary, Perles et al. ( 2021 ) indicated understory species richness of Appalachian oak-dominated forests was not affected by burning, and Borden et al. ( 2021 ) showed periodic burning increase understory plant density and diversity of an open New England woodland and caused a shift in understory composition. The varied impacts of prescribed burning on understory of forests might because the different of forest types and the post-fire time (Eales et al. 2018 ; Borden et al. 2021 ; Perles et al. 2021 ). Missing the saplings of Pinus yunnanensis , Schima wallichii , Quercus acutissima and Lithocarpus mairei in understory this Pinus yunnanensis forest after prescribed burning may affect forest regeneration processes and the future of the forest ecosystem (Casals et al. 2016 ), Perles et al. ( 2021 ) also showed prescribed burning promoted oak seedlings over maple seedling of Appalachian oak-dominated forests, though it did not affected understory species richness. Prescribed burning obviously declined the height of shrubs, the decreased height of shrubs in burned area may strongly reduce fuel load and spatial continuity (Fuentes et al. 2018 ). Prescribed burning has been shown to enhance species richness of herbaceous plants in Pinus yunnanensis forests, with the highest increase observed in pioneer plants belonging to the Compositae and Gramineae families. These findings align with the effects of frequent fires on herbaceous vegetation in upland oak forests in the eastern United States (Burton et al. 2011). The dominant species in the herb layer remained unchanged in the prescribed burning plots, while the changes in herbaceous understory abundance and height were also minimal, resembling patterns observed in Ponderosa Pine forests (Kerns et al. 2006 ; Cowman and Russell 2021 ). Fires could directly impact the structure of forest plant communities and indirectly influence them by altering soil nutrient content (Scharenbroch et al. 2012 ; Weiser et al. 2021 ; López-Cruz et al. 2022 ). Our study also indicated that fire is the most influential factor affecting species diversity in the shrub layer, the α diversity index of the shrub layer exhibited a significant correlation with soil pH, A-K, and A-P content, while the α species diversity of the herbaceous layer was closely related to soil pH, SOC, and A-N. 5. Conclusions We here investigated the impact of prescribed burning on plant community structure characteristics of the understory in the Pinus yunnanensis forests of central Yunnan. We compared the plant community structure in a prescribed burning area with an unburned area. Results showed: (1) Prescribed burning significantly altered the structure of the understory vegetation community in the shrub layers of the Pinus yunnanensis forests. The number of species in the shrub layers decreased from 26 to 19, and all tree saplings disappeared. Additionally, the dominant species in the shrub layer changed from Lithocarpus mairei to Duhaldea cappa , and there was a considerable decrease in the height of shrub layer species. The Shannon-Winner diversity index ( H' ), Simpson's dominance index ( D ), and Margalef's richness index ( F ) for the shrub layer experienced a significant decrease. (2) Prescribed burning had a slight effect on the species composition in the herb layers. It increased the number of herbs from 27 to 40, the effects of prescribed burning on species abundance, height and α diversity indexes of herbs was minimal, though there was an overall increase in the height of most herbs. Although the effects of prescribed burning on overstory were little, our study demonstrated that prescribed burning partly altered the community structure of the understory vegetation in Pinus yunnanensis forest, particularly the shrub layers. (3) The impact of prescribed burning on the species composition of shrub layers and herb layers was found to be influenced by other factors. Prescribed burning emerged as the primary factor shaping the community structure and species diversity of the shrub layer, whereas the diversity of herbaceous plant species was largely influenced by forest canopy structure factors and soil nutrient levels. Declarations Acknowledgments: Thanks are due to Jun Pu and Xiyan Zhang in forest Fire prevention office of Xinping Forestry Bureau, Yunnan province, China. Author Contributions: Conceptualization, Xiaona Li, Qiuhua Wang, Huiping Pan and Lizhen Jiang; data curation, Huiping Pan and Lizhen Jiang; investigation, Xiaona Li, Huiping Pan, Han Yang, Lizhen Jiang and Jin Wang; methodology, Xiaona Li, Qiuhua Wang, Yuanjie Xu, Huiping Pan and Lizhen Jiang; formal analysis, Xiaona Li, Huiping Pan and Yinqianxue Pan; writing—original draft, Xiaona Li, Huiping Pan, Lizhen Jiang and Yuanjie Xu; investigation, Xiaona Li and Qiuhua Wang; project administration, Xiaona Li and Qiuhua Wang; supervision and funding acquisition, Xiaona Li and Qiuhua Wang. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript. Funding: This research was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China- (grant number: 31901322, 2017FG001-075, 32160376, 32360395). Availability of data and materials There were no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that may have affected this work. References Barefoot, C.R., Willson, K.G., Hart, J.L., et al. 2019. Effects of thinning and prescribed fire frequency on ground flora in mixed Pinus-hardwood stands. Forest Ecology and Management 432:729–740. Bassett, T.J., Landis, D.A., Brudvig, L.A. 2020. Effects of experimental prescribed fire and tree thinning on oak savanna understory plant communities and ecosystem structure. Forest Ecology and Management 464:118047. Boer, M.M., Sadler, R.J., Wittkuhn, R.S., et al. 2009. Long-term impacts of prescribed burning on regional extent and incidence of wildfires—Evidence from 50 years of active fire management in SW Australian forests. Forest Ecology and Management 259(1):132–142. Borden, C.G., Duguid, M.C., & Ashton, M.S. 2021. The legacy of fire: long-term changes to the forest understory from periodic burns in a New England oak-hickory forest. Fire Ecology 17:1–17. Bradshaw, S.D., Dixon, K.W., Lambers, H., et al. 2018. Understanding the long-term impact of prescribed burning in mediterranean-climate biodiversity hotspots, with a focus on south-western Australia. International Journal of Wildland Fire 27(10):643–657. Brockway, D.G., Lewis, C.E. 1997. Long-term effects of dormant-season prescribed fire on plant community diversity, structure and productivity in a longleaf pine wiregrass ecosystem. Forest Ecology and Management 96(1–2):167–183. Burrows, N., McCaw, L. 2013. Prescribed burning in southwestern Australian forests. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 11(s1):e25–e34. Casals, P., Valor, T., Besalú, A., Molina-Terrén, D. 2016. Understory fuel load and structure eight to nine years after prescribed burning in Mediterranean pine forests. Forest Ecology and Management 362:156–168. Céspedes, B., Torres, I., Pérez, B., et al. 2014. Burning season does not affect post-fire regeneration but fire alters the balance of the dominant species in a seeder-dominated Mediterranean shrubland. Applied Vegetation Science 17(4):711–725. Chen, Y., Cao, J., Zhou, L., et al. 2019. Effects of prescribed burning on carbon accumulation in two paired vegetation sites in subtropical China. Forest Ecosystems 6:1–9. Cowman, D., & Russell, W. 2021. Fuel load, stand structure, and understory species composition following prescribed fire in an old-growth coast redwood ( Sequoia sempervirens ) forest. Fire Ecology (1): 1–13. Dou, X., Yu, H., Wang, J., et al. 2023. Effect of prescribed burning on the small-scale spatial heterogeneity of soil microbial biomass in Pinus koraiensis and Quercus mongolica forests of China. Journal of Forestry Research 34(3):609–622. Duane, A., Aquilué, N., Canelles, Q., et al. 2019. Adapting prescribed burns to future climate change in Mediterranean landscapes. Science of The Total Environment 677:68–83. Eales, J., Haddaway, N.R., Bernes, C., et al. 2018. What is the effect of prescribed burning in temperate and boreal forest on biodiversity, beyond pyrophilous and saproxylic species? A systematic review. Environmental Evidence 7:1–33. Fernandes, P.M., Botelho, H.S. 2003. A review of prescribed burning effectiveness in fire hazard reduction. International Journal of Wildland Fire 12(2):117–128. Fernandes, P.M., Davies, G.M., Ascoli, D., et al. 2013. Prescribed burning in southern Europe: developing fire management in a dynamic landscape. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 11(s1):e4–e14. Franklin, S.B., Robertson, P.A., Fralish, J.S. 2003. Prescribed burning effects on upland Quercus forest structure and function. Forest Ecology and Management 184(1–3):315–335. Fowler, J.F., Sieg, C.H., Dickson, B.G., Saab, V. 2008. Exotic Plant Species Diversity: Influence of Roads and Prescribed Fire in Arizona Ponderosa Pine Forests. Rangeland Ecology & Management 61(3):284–293. Fuentes, L., Duguy, B., & Nadal-Sala, D. 2018. Short-term effects of spring prescribed burning on the understory vegetation of a Pinus halepensis forest in Northeastern Spain. Science of the Total Environment 610:720–731. Holland, G.J., Clarke, M.F., Bennett, A.F. 2017. Prescribed burning consumes key forest structural components: implications for landscape heterogeneity. Ecological Applications 27(3):845–858. Jin, Z.Z.; Peng, J. 2004. Pinus yunnanensis. Yunnan Science & Technology Press, Yunnan, YN, CHN. pp.401-466. Kerns, B.K., Thies, W.G., Niwa, C.G. 2006. Season and severity of prescribed burn in ponderosa pine forests: Implications for understory native and exotic plants. Écoscience 13(1):44–55. Knapp, B.O., Stephan, K., Hubbart, J.A. 2015. Structure and composition of an oak-hickory forest after over 60 years of repeated prescribed burning in Missouri, U.S.A. Forest Ecology and Management 344:95–109. Kobziar, L.N., Godwin, D., Taylor, L., Watts, A.C. 2015. Perspectives on Trends, Effectiveness, and Impediments to Prescribed Burning in the Southern U.S. Forests 6(3):561–580. Koivula. M., Vanha-Majamaa, I. 2020. Experimental evidence on biodiversity impacts of variable retention forestry, prescribed burning, and deadwood manipulation in Fennoscandia. Ecological Processes 9(1):11. Kumar, R. 2022. Response of understorey vegetation in chir pine forests to prescribed burning in Shiwalik region of Himalaya. Journal of Environmental Biology 43(4):622-630. López-Cruz, S. del. C., Aryal. D.R., Velázquez-Sanabria, C.A., et al. 2022. Effect of Prescribed Burning on Tree Diversity, Biomass Stocks and Soil Organic Carbon Storage in Tropical Highland Forests. Forests 13(12):2164. Mahood, A.L., Balch, J.K. 2019. Repeated fires reduce plant diversity in low-elevation Wyoming big sagebrush ecosystems (1984–2014). Ecosphere 10:e02591. Ma, K.P., Liu, C.R., Liu, Y.M. 1995. Measures of biome diversity II Measures of beta diversity. Biodiversity Science (01):38-43. Ma, K.P., Wang, E.M. 1994. Measures of Biome Diversity I Measures of Alpha Diversity (below). Biodiversity Scienc (04):231-239. Ma, Z.G., Wang, J.X, Mou, K.H., Yang, D.G., & Su, Y.M. 1991. An Initial Exploration of Forest Fires and Fire Hazard Zoning in Pinus yunnanensis forest Area. Journal of Sichuan Forestry Science and Technology (1):23-30. McCaw, W.L. 2013. Managing forest fuels using prescribed fire – A perspective from southern Australia. Forest Ecology and Management 294:217–224. Penman, T.D., Binns, D.L., Shiels, R.J., et al. 2008. Changes in understorey plant species richness following logging and prescribed burning in shrubby dry sclerophyll forests of south-eastern Australia. Austral Ecology 33(2):197–210. Perles, S.J., Niu, X.M., Ruth, A.D., & Gibbons, L.D. 2021. Initial conditions influence effects of prescribed burns and deer exclosure fences on tree regeneration and understory diversity in Appalachian oak-dominated forests. Forest Ecology and Management 495:119353. Price, O. 2023. Prescribed burning in Australian forests: characteristics, impacts and effects. Australia's Megafires: Biodiversity Impacts and Lessons from 2019-2020 273. Regmi, A., Kreye, M.M., Kreye, J.K. 2023. Forest landowner demand for prescribed fire as an ecological management tool in Pennsylvania, USA. Forest Policy and Economics 148:102902. R Core Team. 2022. R: a language and environment for statistical computing. Vienna: R Foundation for Statistical Computing URL https://www.R-project.org/. Roberton, B., Rebar, D. 2022. Timing of prescribed burns impacts plant diversity but not investment in pollinator recruitment in a tallgrass prairie. Ecosphere 13(1):e3914. Scharenbroch, B.C., Nix, B., Jacobs, K.A., Bowles, M.L. 2012. Two decades of low-severity prescribed fire increases soil nutrient availability in a Midwestern, USA oak ( Quercus ) forest. Geoderma 183:80–91. Su, W.H., Shi, Z., Zhou, R., et al. 2015. The role of fire in the Central Yunnan Plateau ecosystem, southwestern China. Forest Ecology and Management 356:22–30. Tian, X.R., Shu, L.F., Zhao, F.J., & Wang, M. 2017. Impacts of Climate Change on Forest Fire Danger in China. Scientia Silvae Sinicae 53:159-169. Van Wilgen, B.W., Forsyth, G.G., De Klerk, H., et al. 2010. Fire management in Mediterranean-climate shrublands: a case study from the Cape fynbos, South Africa: Fire regimes in Cape fynbos, South Africa. Journal of Applied Ecology 47(3):631–638. Van Wilgen, B.W. 2013. Fire management in species‐rich Cape fynbos shrublands. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 11(s1):e35-e44. Vaughan, M.C., Hagan, D.L., Bridges, W.C., et al. 2022. Effects of burn season on fire-excluded plant communities in the southern Appalachian Mountains, USA. Forest Ecology and Management 516:120244. Wang, Q.H., ShanB.J., Gong, J.P., Pu, J., Kou, W.L., et al. 2018. A Study on Prescribed Burning in Pure Forest of Pinus yunnanensis Franch in Central Yunnan Province. Acta Agriculturae Universitatis Jiangxiensis 40:235-240. Weiser, F., Sauer, A., Gettueva, D., et al. 2021. Impacts of Forest Fire on Understory Species Diversity in Canary Pine Ecosystems on the Island of La Palma. Forests 12(12):1638. Wu, Z.Y., Zhu, Y.C., Jiang, H.Q. 1987. Yunnan Vegetation; Beijing Science Publishing House: Beijing, BJ, CHN, pp.401-466. Zald, H.S.J., Kerns, B.K., Day, M.A. 2020. Limited Effects of Long-Term Repeated Season and Interval of Prescribed Burning on Understory Vegetation Compositional Trajectories and Indicator Species in Ponderosa Pine Forests of Northeastern Oregon, USA. Forests 11(8):834. Supplementary Files supplementarymaterial.docx Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-3470107","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":265234197,"identity":"19c89cea-2065-4fcb-9d3c-7fc6c6d53c74","order_by":0,"name":"Xiaona Li","email":"data:image/png;base64,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","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7260-2455","institution":"Southwest Forestry University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Xiaona","middleName":"","lastName":"Li","suffix":""},{"id":265234198,"identity":"f664d6a0-14de-4c62-95c5-95a77618e3d7","order_by":1,"name":"Huiping Pan","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Southwest Forestry University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Huiping","middleName":"","lastName":"Pan","suffix":""},{"id":265234199,"identity":"a29304d0-4586-40f4-b170-1cf4d0f51ee2","order_by":2,"name":"Lizhen Jiang","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Southwest Forestry University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Lizhen","middleName":"","lastName":"Jiang","suffix":""},{"id":265234200,"identity":"3e1de447-4774-4706-82e2-1109f5d7fb18","order_by":3,"name":"Han Yang","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Southwest Forestry University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Han","middleName":"","lastName":"Yang","suffix":""},{"id":265234201,"identity":"3d9baf0f-2d15-441d-b241-e52be4d7afd0","order_by":4,"name":"Ailing Yang","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Southwest Forestry University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Ailing","middleName":"","lastName":"Yang","suffix":""},{"id":265234202,"identity":"a9b8da83-35e8-41fa-a163-d4d1a7e8ed05","order_by":5,"name":"Yinxixue Pan","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Southwest Forestry University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Yinxixue","middleName":"","lastName":"Pan","suffix":""},{"id":265234203,"identity":"e0635c9e-9b5a-4cfe-9d25-b42b43cf089e","order_by":6,"name":"Jin Wang","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Southwest Forestry University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Jin","middleName":"","lastName":"Wang","suffix":""},{"id":265234204,"identity":"0bcea889-06ca-47ce-9029-a6f428e941ff","order_by":7,"name":"Yuanjie Xu","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Southwest Forestry University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Yuanjie","middleName":"","lastName":"Xu","suffix":""},{"id":265234205,"identity":"48d525c7-bb73-4584-a3d4-d5fbc352a94d","order_by":8,"name":"Qiuhua Wang","email":"","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0273-3510","institution":"Southwest Forestry University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Qiuhua","middleName":"","lastName":"Wang","suffix":""},{"id":265234206,"identity":"8a55cf13-f963-4a6d-902e-9d0aaffaf839","order_by":9,"name":"Zhiwei Wu","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Jiangxi Normal University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Zhiwei","middleName":"","lastName":"Wu","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2023-10-20 14:02:27","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-3470107/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-3470107/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":49330278,"identity":"b47a35dd-a85b-4818-b81e-a666019ae9bb","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-01-08 18:51:34","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":822273,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eSampling spots in the study area\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-3470107/v1/bc386408249bb561ebdf7f0b.png"},{"id":49330275,"identity":"fc66b052-6b84-462f-a249-b8237ef6904f","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-01-08 18:51:34","extension":"png","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":1318327,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eThe understory plant characteristics between unburned areas and prescribed burning areas\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-3470107/v1/9fb8f1669bf0ae04227da123.png"},{"id":49329857,"identity":"9cf4339e-bf0f-47cc-9f33-ae801e8f4e6d","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-01-08 18:43:34","extension":"png","order_by":3,"title":"Figure 3","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":61594,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFig. 2\u003c/strong\u003e The number of plant species of shrub layers in unburned (CK) and prescribed burning (PB) sampling sites\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"3.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-3470107/v1/4b999a0a8b44791d53aee384.png"},{"id":49330277,"identity":"f968b1e9-5742-447f-aaee-b26911c1b91c","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-01-08 18:51:34","extension":"png","order_by":4,"title":"Figure 4","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":54126,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFig. 3\u003c/strong\u003e Top ten genera of plant abundance in shrub layers\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"4.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-3470107/v1/707b6e57f1bb84d7fd270346.png"},{"id":49330273,"identity":"b49aba12-49bb-4e4e-bbc4-a4e6e0feb0ac","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-01-08 18:51:34","extension":"png","order_by":5,"title":"Figure 5","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":38546,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFig. 4 \u003c/strong\u003eTwo-dimensional NMDS visualization of community composition in the shrub layer (CI=95%, C represented unburned plots, and PB represented prescribed burning plots\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"5.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-3470107/v1/ff00e4b02c8547dccb5afc0b.png"},{"id":49330462,"identity":"17583bde-7763-472f-a736-da8fd27d35e1","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-01-08 18:59:34","extension":"png","order_by":6,"title":"Figure 6","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":52918,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFig. 5\u003c/strong\u003e The number of plant species of herb layers in unburned (CK) and prescribed burning (PB) sites\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"6.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-3470107/v1/69b19d0598811451ad3c596a.png"},{"id":49329860,"identity":"6d4defda-60d0-4f2a-bf61-d59443c07372","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-01-08 18:43:34","extension":"png","order_by":7,"title":"Figure 7","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":49011,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFig. 6 \u003c/strong\u003eTop ten genera of plant abundance in herb layers\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"7.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-3470107/v1/76297a961f0d56cf1f8339e8.png"},{"id":49329864,"identity":"44ab5262-a2b5-459f-b7de-8ca93b472322","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-01-08 18:43:34","extension":"png","order_by":8,"title":"Figure 8","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":42697,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFig. 7 \u003c/strong\u003eTwo-dimensional NMDS visualization of community composition in herb layers (CI=95%, C represented unburned plots, and PB represented prescribed burning plots\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"8.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-3470107/v1/2730b58de4adedb30a6ef5da.png"},{"id":49330276,"identity":"4d1bb71b-4f81-4edf-8024-0ecadf8a25d7","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-01-08 18:51:34","extension":"png","order_by":9,"title":"Figure 9","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":34713,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFig. 8\u003c/strong\u003e Diversity indexes of understory in burned plots and unburned plots (\u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e\u0026lt; 0.05 *, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e \u0026lt; 0.01 **)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe same letter represents no significant difference, different letters indicate a significance level of α=0.05.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"9.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-3470107/v1/dd9e40f41f3a3cecef14bc2f.png"},{"id":49330463,"identity":"07aa4797-0e29-478b-b82d-1be160244424","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-01-08 18:59:34","extension":"png","order_by":10,"title":"Figure 10","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":83985,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFig. 9 \u003c/strong\u003eSpearman’s correlation coefficients between species diversity index and influencing factors\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDensity represents tree density, Trees.H represents tree height, C/N represents soil total carbon/total nitrogen, A-K represents soil available potassium, A-P represents soil available phosphorus, A-N represents soil hydrolyzable nitrogen, SOC represents soil organic carbon, DBH represents tree diameter at breast height, Fire represents prescribed burning, Alt represents altitude. The size of the circle represented the importance of each variable. Orange represented a positive correlation, blue represents a negative correlation. The darker the color, the stronger the correlation. The bar graph represents the total explanatory power of canopy structure factors, environmental factors, and soil nutrient factors on plant diversity variation.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"10.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-3470107/v1/3d78494545ff0782d8354df8.png"},{"id":49329866,"identity":"26a4bc2c-96e3-4dad-80d4-a34ff082e81f","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-01-08 18:43:34","extension":"png","order_by":11,"title":"Figure 11","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":113808,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFig. 10\u003c/strong\u003e Relationships among varied factors for the shrub layer and herb layer, respectively\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDensity represents tree density ofoverstory, DBH represents tree diameter at breast height, Fire represents prescribed burning, A-K represents soil available potassium, SOC represents soil organic carbon, A-N represents soil hydrolyzable nitrogen. Red represents negative correlation, black represents positive correlation, dashed lines represent insignificant correlations. Solid lines represent significant causal relationships between two variables, with significance levels of P\u0026lt;0.05 (*), 0.01 (**), and 0.001 (***)\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"11.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-3470107/v1/9c05a365bd65abdddb176da9.png"},{"id":53103284,"identity":"d0420001-f4ee-4d74-b830-9542f77ebe3f","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-03-20 15:35:57","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":3001743,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-3470107/v1/549c16c5-ee5d-45d8-b2ab-ff376bf32489.pdf"},{"id":49329862,"identity":"0c7ffc80-fd6b-4fec-8598-ba6f71494eef","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-01-08 18:43:34","extension":"docx","order_by":5,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":29225,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"supplementarymaterial.docx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-3470107/v1/0919ab35a35f0a7d8835c6ea.docx"}],"financialInterests":"","formattedTitle":"Effects of prescribed burning on species diversity of understory in Pinus yunnanensis forests of southwest China","fulltext":[{"header":"1. Background","content":"\u003cp\u003e \u003cem\u003ePinus yunnanensis\u003c/em\u003e is a unique and indigenous coniferous tree species found in southwestern China. The \u003cem\u003ePinus yunnanensis\u003c/em\u003e forest represents the dry subtropical regions of western China and is widely spread across the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, with central Yunnan being at its core (Wu et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR47\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1987\u003c/span\u003e). This forest type is abundant in Yunnan Province and has significant carbon storage potential (Jin et al. 2004; Su et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR40\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e). The \u003cem\u003ePinus yunnanensis\u003c/em\u003e forest belongs to the category of forests that have transitioned from subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests due to prolonged droughts and frequent wildfires (Wu et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR47\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1987\u003c/span\u003e; Jin et al. 2004; Su et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR40\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e). While most of the Yunnan pine forests today are man-made, having been established through air-seeding in the late 1970s, a few original pristine forests still exist in remote areas of northwestern and central Yunnan (Jin et al. 2004). The distribution area of \u003cem\u003ePinus yunnanensis\u003c/em\u003e forests is particularly susceptible to forest fires. This susceptibility arises from the natural tendency of \u003cem\u003ePinus yunnanensis\u003c/em\u003e to shed its lower branches, combined with its occurrence in regions characterized by dry and warm climates (Tian et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR41\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e). The inherent characteristic of natural pruning in Yunnan pine increases the risk of forest fires if dead needles accumulate on lower branches during the dry season (Ma et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1991\u003c/span\u003e). Prescribed burning, a widely used technique in various regions, refers to controlled fires of low intensity that aim to reduce fire hazards in forest ecosystems and modify the characteristics of fire disturbances by reducing the fuel loads on forest surfaces (Fernandes et al. 2003; Boer et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2009\u003c/span\u003e; Van Wilgen et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR42\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2010\u003c/span\u003e; Burrows et al. 2013; Fernandes et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e; McCaw et al. 2013; Holland et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e; Bradshaw et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e; Price \u003cspan citationid=\"CR35\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). This practice is commonly employed in different ecosystems, including the South African fynbos (Boer et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2009\u003c/span\u003e), woodlands and forests of Australia (McCaw \u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e; Burrows and McCaw \u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e; Fernandes et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e; Holland et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e; Bradshaw et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e; Price \u003cspan citationid=\"CR35\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e), fire-prone areas in Mediterranean regions (Casals et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e; Duane et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e), fire-suppressed forests in the USA (Brockway and Lewis \u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1997\u003c/span\u003e; Carter et al. 2004; Glasgow et al. 2007; Knapp et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e; Kobziar et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e; Chen et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e; Regmi et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR36\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e), and fire-prone ecosystems in China (Franklin et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2003\u003c/span\u003e; Wang et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR45\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e; Su et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR40\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e; Fernandes and Botelho \u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2003\u003c/span\u003e; Dou et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePrescribed burning has an impact on the structure of plant communities and the diversity of species in forests, and these effects varied depending on the different plant strata and types of vegetation (Fernandes et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e; Van Wilgen \u003cspan citationid=\"CR43\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e; C\u0026eacute;spedes et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e; Knapp et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e; Kobziar et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e; Holland et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e; Eales et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e; Wang et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR45\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e; Mahood and Balch \u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e; Barefoot et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e; Koivula and Vanha-Majamaa \u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e; Durigan et al. 2020; Bassett et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e; Zald et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR48\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e; Roberton and Rebar \u003cspan citationid=\"CR38\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e; Kumar \u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e; Vaughan et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR44\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e; Price \u003cspan citationid=\"CR35\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). Although low-intensity prescribed burning has minimal effects on the overstory strata of forests and herbaceous plants, it significantly reduces the cover and stem density of shrubs in the midstory (Van Wilgen et al. 2013; Knapp et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e; Kobziar et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e; Eales et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e; Barefoot et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e; Chen et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e; Koivula and Vanha-Majamaa \u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e; Durigan et al. 2020; Bassett et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e; Vaughan et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR44\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e; Dou et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e; Regmi et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR36\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). Frequent prescribed burning has been found to have detrimental effects on the frequency and relative abundance of important shrubs in fynbos ecosystems (Van Wilgen \u003cspan citationid=\"CR43\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e; Kobziar et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e). However, in dry sclerophyll forests in south-eastern Australia, burning may have a positive impact on species richness of plants less than 1m in height, while negatively affecting taller plants. It can also reduce the density and canopy cover of the overstory, leading to the loss of woody seedlings and saplings, but increasing the abundance and richness of understory species (Kobziar et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e). In broadleaf forests, burning has been shown to significantly enhance the richness of vascular plants, exotic plants, and herbs (C\u0026eacute;spedes et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e; Barefoot et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e). Similarly, in oak savanna ecosystems, burning has been observed to increase canopy openness and the percentage of vegetative cover in the understory (Bassett et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e). On the other hand, the effects of burning on the diversity of vascular plant species and exotic species in Arizona Ponderosa Pine Forests are more subtle (Koivula and Vanha-Majamaa \u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eUnderstory vegetation plays a crucial role in various aspects of the forest ecosystem, including nutrient cycling, water conservation, forest climate regulation, and animal habitats (Kobziar et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e; Knapp et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e). Therefore, maintaining the stability of the community structure and species diversity in the understory is essential for the overall stability of the forest ecosystem. Prescribed burning primarily affects understory plants, while its impact on the overstory is generally minimal (Van Wilgen \u003cspan citationid=\"CR43\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e; C\u0026eacute;spedes et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e; Wang et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR45\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e; Mahood et al. 2019; Koivula and Vanha-Majamaa \u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e; Zald et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR48\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e; Kumar \u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e; Roberton et al. 2022). The changes in understory vegetation structure caused by burning may influence the future development of the forest ecosystem (Kobziar et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e). While \u003cem\u003ePinus yunnanensis\u003c/em\u003e forests generally have a lower abundance of understory vegetation, the importance of understory for the stability of forest ecosystems should not be overlooked (Su et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR40\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e). However, the effects of prescribed burning on the species composition and diversity of the understory in \u003cem\u003ePinus yunnanensis\u003c/em\u003e forests remain uncertain. We hypothesized that prescribed burning could have a significant impact on the species composition and plant heights of the understory. However, we believed that the impact of burning on canopy strata of \u003cem\u003ePinus yunnanensis\u003c/em\u003e forests should be minor. It is possible that these effects could be influenced by other factors, such as altitude and soil nutrient levels. In order to investigate this further, we conducted a comprehensive plant study in both the prescribed burning area and an adjacent unburned area in the \u003cem\u003ePinus yunnanensis\u003c/em\u003e forests of central Yunnan. Our study aimed to address the following questions: 1) How does prescribed burning affect the species richness and diversity of both the overstory and understory in Yunnan Pine forests? 2) Are the effects of prescribed burning on the shrub and herb layers in the understory similar? 3) To what extent do other factors, such as altitude or soil nutrient levels, interact with the effects of prescribed burning on the plant community structure of the understory in this region?\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"2. Materials and Methods","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e2.1 Study area\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis study was conducted in a \u003cem\u003ePinus yunnanensis\u003c/em\u003e forest, which was aerially seeded in Zhaobi Hill, Xinping county, Yunnan province, southwestern China (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e). The region has a south subtropical humid monsoon climate with distinct wet and dry seasons, an average annual temperature of 18.1 ℃, an annual mean precipitation of 869 mm, and an annual total sunshine duration of 2838 hours. The dominant soil type in this region is red soil, and the major forest vegetation is \u003cem\u003ePinus yunnanensis\u003c/em\u003e forest, which was established through afforestation by aerial seeding in the 1970s. The vegetation community of Yunnan pine forests is divided into three layers: the tree layer, the shrub layer, and the herb layer. The tree layer includes \u003cem\u003ePinus yunnanensis\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eKeteleeria evelyniana\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eCyclobalanopsis glaucoides\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eCastanopsis orthacantha\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eCastanopsis delavayi\u003c/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eQuercus acutissima\u003c/em\u003e. The understory includes the shrub layer and herb layer; plants in the shrub layer include \u003cem\u003eVaccinium duclouxii\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eV. fragile\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eLyonia ovalifolia\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eCraibiodendron stellatum\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eDuhaldea cappa\u003c/em\u003e, and the herb layer is mainly composed of \u003cem\u003eAnaphalis\u003c/em\u003e sp., \u003cem\u003eArundinella setosa\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eCapillipedium assimile\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eElsholtzia rugulosa\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eE. bodinieri\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eEulalia pallens\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eE. quadrinervis\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eHedyotis\u003c/em\u003e sp., \u003cem\u003eLeontopodium\u003c/em\u003e sp., \u003cem\u003ePteridium aquilinum\u003c/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eErigeron\u003c/em\u003e sp., \u003cem\u003ePseudognaphalium\u003c/em\u003e sp. and \u003cem\u003eLaggera alata\u003c/em\u003e. Prescribed burning has been a consistent practice in this region since 2016 as a preventative measure against forest fires. These prescribed burns typically occur in late January or early February, with low-intensity fires being utilized between the years 2016 and 2019 and discontinued in 2020 and 2021. The burned area is then restored for three years since the last prescribed burning period.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec4\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e2.2 Field Measurements\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn January 2022, field surveys were conducted in both unburned areas and planned burned areas. Fourteen sample plots were established in each area, with each plot consisting of three 20 m \u0026times; 20 m subplots, The distance between each plot is approximately 200\u0026ndash;500 m, while the distance between each subplot is less than 100 m. This resulted in a total of 84 subplots. All subplots had a similar aspect, and other basic information, such as altitude, slope, and canopy density, showed minimal variation between prescribed burning and unburned plots (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e). The survey plots were strategically placed at least 50 m from the road, with elevations ranging from 1950\u0026ndash;2200 m. These plots were predominantly located on sunny and moderate slopes (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e). Within each 20 m x 20 m plot, the diameters at breast height (DBH) of individual plants, with a DBH greater than 2 cm, were measured and recorded. Additionally, tree height and height under lower branches in the tree layer were recorded. In each 20 m x 20 m plot, five 5 m x 5 m quadrats were set in a clover shape to investigate the height, crown breadth, and number of plant species in the shrub layer. Furthermore, within each of the five shrub quadrats, five 1 m x 1 m sub-quadrats were set to investigate the number and coverage of plants in the herbaceous layer. Lastly, five soil samples were collected from the 0\u0026ndash;10 cm soil layer to measure the chemical stoichiometric characteristics of soil C, N, P, and K.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eBasic information of sample plots\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"8\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c8\" colnum=\"8\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eplots\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAltitude(m)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSlope (\u0026deg;)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCanopy density\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDBH (cm)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eBasal area (m\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e/ha)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHeight(m)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTree density\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e(stems / ha)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCK\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2043\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;42a\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e13.0\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;4.0a\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.43\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.05a\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e17.50\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.92a\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3515.06\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;918.52a\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.27\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.93a\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1235.29\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;361.75a\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePB\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2019\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;33a\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10.0\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.0a\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.38\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.04a\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e18.37\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.56a\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3295.66\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;859.53a\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.93\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;1.40a\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1163.39\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;461.65a\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003ctfoot\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd colspan=\"8\"\u003eThe values in the table are mean\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;standard deviation, and different letters indicate a significance level of α\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.05\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tfoot\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec5\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e2.3. Laboratory Analysis\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eAll trees and shrubs in all sample plots were classified based on their respective species, following the guidelines provided in the Yunnan Flora and the unpublished Xinping Flora. For herbs, identification was done at the specific species level, and unable to identify the species of the herbaceous plant, identified only the genus (refer to Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe sampled soils underwent air-drying and were subsequently passed through a US Standard 60 mesh to exclude small rocks and fine roots. The resulting mineral soils were then analyzed for total soil carbon (TC), soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), hydrolysable nitrogen (A-N), available potassium (A-K), and soil available phosphorus (A-P). Additionally, the C/N ratio was calculated based on the total carbon and total nitrogen content of the soils. The TC analysis was conducted using ZYT-2000 analyzer, while SOC was measured using a Dichromate titration method. TN and A-N was determined using SKD-200 analyzer. A-K was measured using FP6410 analyzer, and A-P was determined using a UV-visible spectrophotometer analyzer.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec6\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e2.4. Statistical Analysis\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo evaluate the structure and composition of the \u003cem\u003ePinus yunnanensis\u003c/em\u003e forest community, plant importance value, species abundance, and height were measured. The α diversity indices, such as the Shannon-Winner diversity index \u003cem\u003e(H'\u003c/em\u003e), Simpson's dominance index (\u003cem\u003eD\u003c/em\u003e), Pielou's evenness index (\u003cem\u003eE\u003c/em\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cem\u003eH\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e), and Margalef's richness index (\u003cem\u003eF\u003c/em\u003e), were calculated to assess community diversity. Additionally, beta diversity indices including the Jaccard Index (\u003cem\u003eβ\u003c/em\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cem\u003ej\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e), Cody index (\u003cem\u003eβ\u003c/em\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cem\u003ec\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e), and Morista-Horn Index (\u003cem\u003eC\u003c/em\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cem\u003eMH\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e) were used. For the shrub layer, \u003cem\u003eH'\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eD\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eE\u003c/em\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cem\u003eH\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eF\u003c/em\u003e were utilized to measure species diversity. Due to the challenges in accurately counting the number of herbs, \u003cem\u003eH'\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eD\u003c/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eE\u003c/em\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cem\u003eH\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e were employed to assess the species diversity in the herb layers. The diversity index was calculated using the methodology described in Ma et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1995\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cspan class=\"InlineEquation\"\u003e \u003cspan class=\"mathinline\"\u003e\\(H\u0026#039;=-\\sum\\limits_{{i=1}}^{S} {{P_i}ln{p_i}}\\)\u003c/span\u003e \u003c/span\u003e (1) \u003cspan class=\"InlineEquation\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"mathinline\"\u003e\\(D=1-\\sum\\limits_{{i=1}}^{S} {{{\\left( {{P_i}} \\right)}^2}}\\)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e (2)\u003cdiv id=\"Equ1\" class=\"Equation\"\u003e\u003cdiv format=\"TEX\" class=\"mathdisplay\" id=\"FileID_Equ1\" name=\"EquationSource\"\u003e\n$${E_H}=H\u0026#039;/lnS$$\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"EquationNumber\"\u003e3\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Equ2\" class=\"Equation\"\u003e\u003cdiv format=\"TEX\" class=\"mathdisplay\" id=\"FileID_Equ2\" name=\"EquationSource\"\u003e\n$$F=\\left( {S-1} \\right)/lnN$$\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"EquationNumber\"\u003e4\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Equ3\" class=\"Equation\"\u003e\u003cdiv format=\"TEX\" class=\"mathdisplay\" id=\"FileID_Equ3\" name=\"EquationSource\"\u003e\n$${P_i}={n_i}/N$$\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"EquationNumber\"\u003e5\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Equ4\" class=\"Equation\"\u003e\u003cdiv format=\"TEX\" class=\"mathdisplay\" id=\"FileID_Equ4\" name=\"EquationSource\"\u003e\n$${\\beta _c}=\\left( {g\\left( H \\right)+l\\left( H \\right)} \\right)/2$$\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"EquationNumber\"\u003e6\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Equ5\" class=\"Equation\"\u003e\u003cdiv format=\"TEX\" class=\"mathdisplay\" id=\"FileID_Equ5\" name=\"EquationSource\"\u003e\n$${\\beta _j}=j/(a+b - j)$$\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"EquationNumber\"\u003e7\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Equ6\" class=\"Equation\"\u003e\u003cdiv format=\"TEX\" class=\"mathdisplay\" id=\"FileID_Equ6\" name=\"EquationSource\"\u003e\n$${C_{MH}}=2 \\times \\sum {a{n_i} \\times b{n_i}/((\\sum {an_{i}^{2}} } /{a^2}+\\sum {bn_{i}^{2}/{b^2}} ) \\times a \\times b)$$\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"EquationNumber\"\u003e8\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ewhere \u003cspan class=\"InlineEquation\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"mathinline\"\u003e\\({P}_{i}\\)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e indicates the proportion of plant species \u003cem\u003ei\u003c/em\u003e in a specific sample site, \u003cspan class=\"InlineEquation\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"mathinline\"\u003e\\({n}_{i}\\)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e denotes the count of individual plants belonging to species \u003cem\u003ei\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eS\u003c/em\u003e denotes the number of plant species in a sample site, and \u003cem\u003eN\u003c/em\u003e denotes the total count of all plant species in the sample site. In the equations of \u003cem\u003eβ\u003c/em\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cem\u003ec\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e, \u003cem\u003eβ\u003c/em\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cem\u003ej\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e and \u003cem\u003eC\u003c/em\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cem\u003eMH\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e, \u003cspan class=\"InlineEquation\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"mathinline\"\u003e\\(\\text{g}\\left(H\\right)\\)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e represents the number of species increasing along the habitat gradient H, \u003cspan class=\"InlineEquation\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"mathinline\"\u003e\\(l\\left(H\\right)\\)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e represents the number of species decreasing along the same gradient, \u003cem\u003ea\u003c/em\u003e represents the number of species in sample A, \u003cem\u003eb\u003c/em\u003e represents the number of species in sample B, and \u003cem\u003ej\u003c/em\u003e represents the number of species shared by both sample A and B, \u003cspan class=\"InlineEquation\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"mathinline\"\u003e\\({\\text{an}}_{\\text{i}}\\)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e and \u003cspan class=\"InlineEquation\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"mathinline\"\u003e\\({\\text{bn}}_{\\text{i}}\\)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e represents the coverage of individual plants belonging to species \u003cem\u003ei\u003c/em\u003e in sample A and sample B, respectively. Different values of the Jaccard similarity index (\u003cem\u003eβ\u003c/em\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cem\u003ej\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e) represent different meanings. Values of 0 to 0.25 indicate extremely dissimilar community compositions, 0.25 to 0.50 represents moderately dissimilar, 0.50 to 0.75 indicates moderately similar, and 0.75 to 1.00 represents extremely similar communities. The Morisita-Horn index (\u003cem\u003eC\u003c/em\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cem\u003eMH\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e) represents the coefficient of similarity between communities undergoing planned burning, while the Cody index (\u003cem\u003eβ\u003c/em\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cem\u003ec\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e) represents the dissimilarity of species composition.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWe utilized the Wilcoxon Rank Sum Test (WX) to identify disparities in species abundance, coverage, height, and species diversity index. Additionally, we employed NMDS to explore differences in understory community structure between the burned area and unburned area. We identified the influential factors of α species diversity by using Spearman correlation. Furthermore, we conducted multivariate regression analysis (MLM) to analyze the relative contribution of factors to the α diversity indexes. Finally, we investigated the associations between species composition and various environmental factors, including fires, altitudes, upper vegetation characteristics, and soil nutrients, using the structural equation model (SEM).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eNMDS is used to visually evaluate the structure of plant communities and their environmental resources (such as soil organic layer thickness, moisture content, pH, total carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus). NMDS is a widely used multivariate analysis method, suitable for complex iterative sorting analysis of nonlinear data. It reflects the relationships between entities in a geometric space using the distances between points in a low-dimensional space through dimensional reduction and sorting, and could simultaneously handle multiple dependent and independent variables and visually display the relationships between variables in a sorting plot.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSEM is a multivariate statistical method used to establish, estimate, and test causal relationships. Compared to traditional statistical methods, SEM can study both observable variables and variables that cannot be directly observed (latent variables), and can indicate direct or indirect relationships between variables. SEM could handle multiple dependent variables simultaneously and visually display the relationships between variables in a path diagram. SEM is used to quantitatively evaluate the direct and indirect impacts of factors such as burning and topography on the surface plant communities of \u003cem\u003ePinus yunnanensis\u003c/em\u003e forests and conduct path analysis.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAll analyses were performed in R version 4.2.1 (R Core Team \u003cspan citationid=\"CR37\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e). The WX test was conducted using the 'Wilcox.test' package, the NMDS analyses were performed using the 'vegan' package, MLM was executed using the 'gvlma' package, and the SEM analysis was conducted using the 'sem' package.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"3. Results","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec8\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e3.1. Effects of prescribed burning on species composition of wood layers\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThere were no significant variations in the species composition or number of tree species in the tree layer between the burned and unburned plots (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e). However, the DBH (diameters at breast height) and tree heights were slightly larger in the prescribed burning plots compared to the unburned plots. On the other hand, the prescribed burning plots showed slightly lower values for canopy density, basal area, and tree density (stems per hectare). No significant changes were observed in the arboreal layer related to the canopy density, canopy height, DBH, tree density, and basal area between the prescribed burning and unburned plots.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec9\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e3.2. Effects of prescribed burning on composition structure of understory layers\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec10\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e3.2.1 Effects of prescribed burning on composition structure of shrub layers\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003ePrescribed burning had a significant impact on the plant community in the shrub layer, resulting in changes in species richness and plant height (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e, Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e). The number of plant species in the shrub layer decreased from 26 in the unburned plots to 19 after prescribed burning (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e, Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e). In addition, the abundance of plants within the shrub layer was also affected (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e, Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig4\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e). \u003cem\u003eTetrastigma yunnanense\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eLithocarpus mairei\u003c/em\u003e, and saplings of five tree species including \u003cem\u003ePinus yunnanensis\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eQuercus acutissima\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eQuercus variabilis\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eCastanopsis delavayi\u003c/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eSchima wallichii\u003c/em\u003e, disappeared from the burned plots. The abundance of \u003cem\u003eMorella rubra\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eVaccinium fragile\u003c/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eKeteleeria evelyniana\u003c/em\u003e significantly declined. On the other hand, \u003cem\u003eMelastoma polyanthum\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eRaphiolepis indica\u003c/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eOsteomeles schwerinae\u003c/em\u003e were newly discovered in the burned plots. Compared to the unburned plots, only Duhaldea cappa showed a significant increase in abundance, while the other co-existing species both in burned and unburned plots did not show such a substantial change.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePrescribed burning also resulted in a reduction in the height of most plants in the shrub layer. \u003cem\u003eVaccinium duclouxii, Vaccinium fragile, Rubus calycinus, Lyonia ovalifolia, Keteleeria evelyniana, Symplocos sumuntia, Vaccinium bracteatum, Engelhardtia spicata\u003c/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eAnneslea fragrans\u003c/em\u003e showed significantly lower heights in the burned plots compared to the unburned plots. However, \u003cem\u003eCyclobalanopsis glaucoides\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eFicus tikoua\u003c/em\u003e experienced a significant increase in height, excluding the newly found shrubs. Overall, prescribed burning led to a considerable decrease in the average height of the shrub layer, decreasing from 84.60\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;28.83 cm in the unburned plots to 50.42\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;27.71 cm in the burned plots.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe importance value (IV) of many plants in the shrub layer showed changes in the prescribed burning plots compared to the unburned plots, although most of these changes were not easily noticeable (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e). However, the IV of \u003cem\u003eDuhaldea cappa\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eCraibiodendron stellatum\u003c/em\u003e exhibited a significant increase in the prescribed burning plots, while \u003cem\u003eLyonia ovalifolia\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eVaccinium fragile\u003c/em\u003e clearly decreased. The dominant plants in the shrub layer also shifted from \u003cem\u003eLithocarpus mairei\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eLyonia ovalifolia\u003c/em\u003e in the unburned area to \u003cem\u003eDuhaldea cappa\u003c/em\u003e in the prescribed burning area. Furthermore, the NMDS analysis results provided further evidence of the notable impact of prescribed burning on the vegetation in the shrub layer. This assertion is supported by the graphical representation of NMDS at a 95% confidence interval. It is worth mentioning that the stress value obtained from ranking the NMDS for the shrub layer was 0.135, indicating that NMDS can yield accurate results (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig5\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab2\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 2\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe importance value, plant abundance, and height of shrub layers in prescribed burning and unburned plots\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"7\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSpecies\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c3\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAbundance\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHeight (cm)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eImportance value (IV)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCK\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePB\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCK\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePB\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCK\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePB\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCraibiodendron stellatum\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12.57\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;11.82\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11.08\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;9.05\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e75.42\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;44.9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e54.92\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;28.1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.35\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.05\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.46\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.15*\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eLithocarpus mairei\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e24.00\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;15.66\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-**\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e127.72\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;64.20\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-**\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.47\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.05\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-**\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePinus yunnanensis\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.88\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;7.69\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e51.04\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;15.97\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.35\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.07\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eMorella rubra\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.50\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;2.50\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.64\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.98\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e204.24\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;95.18\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e114.89\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;91.46\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.30\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.08\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.22\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.10\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAnneslea fragrans\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.50\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.50\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.46\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.86\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e43.50\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;22.50\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e22.50\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;2.50*\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.14\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.02\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.13\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.03\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eEngelhardtia spicata\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.33\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;3.30\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.35\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.14\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e106.33\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;33.99\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e43.00\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.82**\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.16\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.03\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.10\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.01\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSchima wallichii\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.00\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;2.00\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e30.50\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;24.50\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.10\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.03\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eVaccinium bracteatum\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7.00\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;5.10\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.00\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;1.56\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e71.44\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;20.86\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e36.25\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;16.14*\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.22\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.01\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.19\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.10\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSymplocos sumuntia\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.50\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.50\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.17\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.37\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e200.00\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;12.50\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e65.00\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;5.60**\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.13\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.01\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.04\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.02\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eKeteleeria evelyniana\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.33\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.94\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.05\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.43\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e89.50\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;57.50\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e22.33\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;3.80**\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.24\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.11\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.12\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.04\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCyclobalanopsis glaucoides\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.50\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.50\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.43\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.25\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e200.60\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;119.40\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e210.00\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;190.00\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.14\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.08\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.24\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.15\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eQuercus acutissima\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.67\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.94\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e75.78\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;19.51\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.11\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.02\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCastanopsis delavayi\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.00\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;1.00\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e72.17\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;48.17\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.19\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.13\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eLithocarpus hancei\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10.00\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;5.00\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.50\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;3.50\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e65.90\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;15.30\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e40.81\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;4.19\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.34\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.03\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.23\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.04\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eQuercus variabilis\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.00\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.30\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e315.00\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;13.50\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.15\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.02\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eMelastoma polyanthum\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.14\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.35\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e65.00\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;6.80\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.07\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.01\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eRaphiolepis indica\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.37\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.17\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e30.00\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.50\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.16\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.05\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eOsteomeles schwerinae\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.00\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.03\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e105.00\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;11.40\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.13\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.02\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTetrastigma yunnanense\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.00\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.02\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5.00\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.90\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.13\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.01\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eVernonia cumingiana\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.50\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.34\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e243.00\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;13.50\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.07\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.02\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eMyrica nana\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.67\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.47\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e246.50\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;9.50\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.20\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.01\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eRhododendron simsii\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e17.00\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.60\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e53.59\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;1.60\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.19\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.04\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDuhaldea cappa\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.00\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;2.00\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e33.45\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;25.87**\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e53.29\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;17.48\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e44.23\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;17.75\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.26\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.07\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.60\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.14**\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eLyonia ovalifolia\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5.92\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;4.68\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.18\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;11.22\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e99.44\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;77.75\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e55.02\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;27.58*\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.45\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.13\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.37\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.08*\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eVaccinium fragile\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e15.9\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;12.21\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.80\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;4.94*\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e20.76\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;11.33\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e14.31\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;3.5*\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.39\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.12\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.24\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.12**\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCampylotropis hirtella\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.50\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.50\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.99\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.86\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e21.00\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;1.50\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e20.25\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.75\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.06\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.02\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.20\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.10\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eVaccinium duclouxii\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5.25\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;4.97\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.64\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;1.38\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e51.60\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;16.37\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e27.18\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;3.70*\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.21\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.05\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.16\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.01\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eRubus calycinus\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.00\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.40\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.12\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.50\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e34.80\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;3.70\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e18.00\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.90**\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.69\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.04\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.10\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.02\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFicus tikoua\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.00\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.20\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.00\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.03\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7.00\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.50\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9.00\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.50\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.03\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.01\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.05\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.02\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e** represents p\u0026thinsp;\u0026le;\u0026thinsp;0.05, * represents 0.05\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;p\u0026thinsp;\u0026le;\u0026thinsp;0.10, and \"-\" indicates that the species was not found in sample plots.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec11\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e3.2.2. Effects of prescribed burning on composition structure of herb layers\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003ePrescribed burning resulted in an increase in the number of herb species from 27 to 40 (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e, Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig6\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e). Three species, including \u003cem\u003eCrassocephalum crepidioides\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eCyperus rotundus\u003c/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eGamochaeta pensylvanica\u003c/em\u003e, disappeared in the burned plots. On the other hand, 15 species, such as\u003cem\u003eParochetus communis\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eThemeda triandra\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eErigeron canadensis\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eGerbera delavayi\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eCentella asiatica\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eClinopodium repens\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eLespedeza bicolor\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eAsteraceae japonica\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eTaraxacum mongolicum\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eScutellaria indica\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eDesmodium concinnum\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eHedyotis diffusa\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eBothriochloa ischaemum\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eImperata cylindrica\u003c/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eAinsliaea yunnanensis\u003c/em\u003e, were only found in the burned plot. The majority of the newly-found species belonged to the Poaceae and Asteraceae families (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig7\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePrescribed burning had minimal impact on the abundance of herbs. Apart from the newly discovered species, no other species showed a significant increase in abundance. Only \u003cem\u003ePteridium aquilinum\u003c/em\u003e exhibited a significant decrease in abundance, apart from undiscovered species (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e, Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig7\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e). The average height of herb layers in unburned plots increased from 25.83\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;9.61 cm to 34.36\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;22.28 cm in the burned plots. The burning treatment partially altered the importance values of the herb layer plants. In the unburned plots, the species with the highest Importance Value (IV) was \u003cem\u003eArundinella setosa\u003c/em\u003e, while in the burned plots, it was \u003cem\u003eElsholtzia rugulosa\u003c/em\u003e. Except for \u003cem\u003eEulalia quadrinervis\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eHedyotis uncinella\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003ePteridium aquilinum\u003c/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eDesmodium microphyllum\u003c/em\u003e, which were no longer present, and the newly added species, most of the coexisting species in the burned and unburned plots showed no significant difference in their importance values.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe NMDS results strongly indicate that the impact of planned burning on herbaceous layer plants can be disregarded. This is confirmed by the graphical representation of NMDS and the 95% confidence interval. The stress values assigned to the NMDS of the herb layer were remarkably low (0.186), which highlights the effectiveness of NMDS in producing accurate results (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig8\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab3\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 3\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe importance value, coverage, and height of herbs in prescribed burning areas and in unburned areas\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"7\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSpecies\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c3\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAbundance\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHeight (cm)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eImportance value (IV)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUnburned\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePB\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUnburned\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePB\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUnburned\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePB\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eElsholtzia rugulosa\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9.01\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;6.96\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.83\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;3.50\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e31.14\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;14.18\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e30.83\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;11.74\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.46\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.06\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.49\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.02\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePteridium aquilinum\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e30.59\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;24.48\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11.71\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;10.43*\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e60.66\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;27.85\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e57.96\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;21.96*\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.31\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.12\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.45\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.05**\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eArundinella setosa\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e33.75\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;26.40\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e17.37\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;7.72\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e35.96\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;18.53\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e68.94\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;32.78*\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.52\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.13\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.35\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.13\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAgeratina adenophora\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11.56\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;8.02\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.53\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;9.07\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e28.70\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;14.11\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16.16\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;7.07\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.30\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.03\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.29\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.07\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eHedyotis uncinella\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.29\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;1.04\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.45\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.57\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.38\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;4.69\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7.63\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;4.07\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.28\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.04\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.25\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.03*\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eEulalia pallens\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e26.57\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;24.53\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e17.10\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;12.55\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e54.17\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;26.05\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e74.66\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;43.48\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.39\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.15\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.36\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.10\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eEulalia quadrinervis\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e15.68\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;11.01\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16.66\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;9.49\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e23.25\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;11.62\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e29.42\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;21.91\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.43\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.11\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.28\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.11*\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eParochetus communis\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.65\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;1.42**\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.73\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.30**\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.34\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.01**\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCarex cruciata\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e20.92\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;19.34\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e19.22\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;11.5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e25.92\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;9.46\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e36.35\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;9.34\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.27\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.07\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.33\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.05\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThemeda triandra\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e22.40\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;12.61**\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e65.75\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;33.8**\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.33\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.12**\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCapillipedium assimile\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e29.61\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;12.25\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12.06\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;7.31\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e45.67\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;17.17\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e47.25\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;16.18\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.25\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.06\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.26\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.06\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eHedyotis auricularia\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.57\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.49\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.77\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.65\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5.33\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;4.03\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9.00\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;8.39\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.18\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.03\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.18\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.03\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePseudognaphalium adnatum\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.15\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.81\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.31\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.43\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.33\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;4.03\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.88\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.22\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.14\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.06\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.16\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.04\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eLeontopodium dedekensii\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.16\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;5.14\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.64\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.47\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e18.57\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;5.95\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e17.81\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;14.93\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.28\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.16\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.18\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.01\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDesmodium microphyllum\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.68\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;1.55\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.82\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.40\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5.75\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;2.75\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e22.97\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;19.92\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.08\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.02\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.16\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.03*\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eHeteropogon contortus\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e29.77\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;27.67\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.60\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;3.78\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e27.92\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;1.56\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11.50\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;4.50\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.26\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.12\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.11\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.02\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eJuucus effusus\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e13.38\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;4.49\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.84\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;1.19\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12.17\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;1.03\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e15.75\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;8.61\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.22\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.01\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.15\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.01\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAnaphalis margaritacea\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.44\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;1.68\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.52\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;1.29\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.88\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;6.62\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11.25\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;8.32\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.17\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.03\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.16\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.06\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eErigeron canadensis\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.48\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.99**\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5.78\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;2.27**\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.19\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.01**\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDuchesnea indica\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.09\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.05\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.07\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;2.66\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.00\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.40\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5.78\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;2.64\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.05\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.02\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.19\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.02\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eElsholtzia bodinieri\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e14.34\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;13.90\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.67\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;2.33\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5.38\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;2.22\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.57\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;2.56\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.15\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.04\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.17\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.06\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eRubia podantha\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e20.81\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.60\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.92\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.56\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e39.00\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.80\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5.88\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;2.13\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.15\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.02\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.12\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.03\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eGalium bungei\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.03\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;1.20\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.84\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;1.36\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.00\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;1.00\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.83\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;1.55\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.10\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.01\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.12\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.01\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eLaggera alata\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.95\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;3.34\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.36\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;1.02\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e29.50\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;14.50\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e22.00\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;19.91\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.10\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.01\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.13\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.06\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eOphiopogon japonicus\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.09\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.03\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.92\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;1.52\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e20.00\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.40\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e18.25\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;6.25\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.05\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.01\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.08\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.01\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eGerbera delavayi\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.85\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;6.19\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.50\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;2.04\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.12\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.07\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eArthraxon hispidus\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e17.24\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.70\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.24\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.52\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e30.00\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.80\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e20.00\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;1.70\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.11\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.02\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.09\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.01\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCentella asiatica\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.03\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.01\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.00\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.40\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.04\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.01\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCrassocephalum crepidioides\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.06\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.05\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7.00\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.40\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.03\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.01\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eLespedeza bicolor\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.90\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.40\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10.67\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;5.3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.07\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.03\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAsteraceae japonica\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.67\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.01\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.00\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;2.00\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.05\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.01\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eClinopodium repens\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.33\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.20\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.00\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.30\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.06\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.03\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTaraxacum mongolicum\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.36\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.10\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.00\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.06\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.03\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.04\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eScutellaria indica\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.34\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.20\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.50\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.03\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.03\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.01\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDesmodium concinnum\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.07\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.04\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10.00\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.70\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.02\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.02\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eHedyotis diffusa\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.54\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.30\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.00\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.05\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.03\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.01\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBothriochloa ischaemum\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.02\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.01\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e14.00\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;2.50\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.02\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.01\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eMiscanthus sinensis\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.07\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.30\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e40.00\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;3.20\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.06\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.03\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCyperus rotundus\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.46\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.30\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.00\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.20\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.05\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.01\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eGamochaeta pensylvanica\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.13\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.50\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.05\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.02\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eImperata cylindrica\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e20.53\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;19.00\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e34.17\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;20.17\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.09\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.04\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eScutellaria barbata\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.27\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;2.95\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.23\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;2.87\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e19.67\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;8.96\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e31.80\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;3.66\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.34\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.01\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.40\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.07\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAinsliaea yunnanensis\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.50\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.03\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e17.00\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;4.10\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.20\u0026thinsp;\u003cspan type=\"Underline\" class=\"Underline\" name=\"Emphasis\"\u003e\u0026plusmn;\u003c/span\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.01\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003ctfoot\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd colspan=\"7\"\u003e** represents p\u0026thinsp;\u0026le;\u0026thinsp;0.05, * represents 0.05\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;p\u0026thinsp;\u0026le;\u0026thinsp;0.10, and \"-\" indicates that the species was not found in sample plots\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tfoot\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec12\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e3.3. Effects of prescribed burning on diversity indices of understory species\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe effects of prescribed burning on species diversity indexes differed between shrub layers and herb layers (Fig.\u0026nbsp;8). Prescribed burning had a significant impact on the Shannon-Winner diversity index (\u003cem\u003eH'\u003c/em\u003e), Simpson's dominance index (\u003cem\u003eD\u003c/em\u003e), Pielou's evenness index (\u003cem\u003eE\u003c/em\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cem\u003eH\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e), and Margalef's richness index (\u003cem\u003eF\u003c/em\u003e) of shrub layers (Fig.\u0026nbsp;8a), resulting in a decrease in these indexes. However, the positive effects of prescribed burning on \u003cem\u003eH'\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eD\u003c/em\u003e of herb layers were limited, and it had slightly negative effects on \u003cem\u003eE\u003c/em\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cem\u003eH\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e of herb layers (Fig.\u0026nbsp;8b).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eDifferent β diversity indexes showed varying responses in herbs and shrubs to prescribed burning. The Jaccard index (\u003cem\u003eβ\u003c/em\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cem\u003ej\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e) indicated that there was a moderate similarity in the number of plant species between the areas subjected to prescribed burning and those that were not burned, with slightly higher similarity in the herbaceous layer compared to the shrub layer. On the other hand, the Cody index (\u003cem\u003eβ\u003c/em\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cem\u003ec\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e) suggested a higher species turnover in the herbaceous layer compared to the shrub layer. However, the Morista-Horn index (\u003cem\u003eC\u003c/em\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cem\u003eMH\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e) indicated a higher similarity in the herbaceous layer in both the burned and unburned areas.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe same letter represents no significant difference, different letters indicate a significance level of α\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.05.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab4\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 4\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEffects of prescribed burning on beta diversity index of the understory\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"7\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLayer\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTreatments\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNumber of increased species\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNumber of decreased species\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCody (\u003cem\u003eβ\u003c/em\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cem\u003ec\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eJaccard (\u003cem\u003eβ\u003c/em\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cem\u003ej\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMorista-Horn (\u003cem\u003eC\u003c/em\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cem\u003eMH\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eShrub layer\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUnburned-burned\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.000\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10.000\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.500\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.552\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.269\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHerb layer\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUnburned-burned\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16.000\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.000\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9.500\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.558\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.736\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec13\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e3.4. Analysis of major factors affecting species biodiversity of understory\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eIt had notable differences of influenced factors between the shrub and herb layers (Table\u0026nbsp;5, Table\u0026nbsp;6, and Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig9\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e9\u003c/span\u003e). The multiple regression analysis (MLM) showed that the diversity index of the shrub layer calculated by Shannon's index was mainly affected by soil pH, which accounted for 26.08% of its importance. Similarly, Margalef's index was primarily influenced by pH, with an importance value of 29.81%. When considering Pielou's index, the dominant influencing factor was found to be altitude, with an importance of 19.53%. On the other hand, fire regimes emerged as the most influential factor for Simpson's index, with an importance value of 19.92%. Moving on to the herb layer, both Pielou's index and Shannon's index were predominantly affected by tree diameter at breast height, with importance values of 30.57% and 26.25% respectively. Lastly, Simpson's index in the herb layer was primarily influenced by altitude, with an importance value of 17.51%.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe structural equation model (SEM) revealed the relations among α species diversity indexes of the understory vegetation and their possible influenced factors (Fig.\u0026nbsp;10). For the shrub layer (Fig.\u0026nbsp;10a), it existed significant negative correlations between Simpson's index and Shannon's index and fire (prescribed burning), with path coefficients of -0.25 and \u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;0.34 (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.01) respectively (Fig.\u0026nbsp;10). Additionally, Margalef's index, Simpson's index, Shannon's index, and Pielou's index displayed significant correlations with soil pH, with path coefficients of -0.52, -0.50, -0.47, and \u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;0.34 (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05) respectively. Similarly, Simpson's index, Shannon's index, and Pielou's index exhibited positive correlations with altitude, with path coefficients of 0.44, 0.37, and 0.54 (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.01) respectively. For the herb layer (Fig.\u0026nbsp;10b), Simpson's index had a significant correlation with fire (prescribed burning) and altitude with path coefficients of 0.46 and 0.72 (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001) respectively. Additionally, Shannon's index was found to be significantly influenced by tree diameter at breast height and soil pH, with path coefficients of 0.78 and 0.31 (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001) respectively, and Pielou's index was also significantly correlated with tree diameter at breast height and soil A-N, with path coefficients of 0.72 and 0.44 (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.01) respectively.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eDensity represents tree density, Trees.H represents tree height, C/N represents soil total carbon/total nitrogen, A-K represents soil available potassium, A-P represents soil available phosphorus, A-N represents soil hydrolyzable nitrogen, SOC represents soil organic carbon, DBH represents tree diameter at breast height, Fire represents prescribed burning, Alt represents altitude. The size of the circle represented the importance of each variable. Orange represented a positive correlation, blue represents a negative correlation. The darker the color, the stronger the correlation. The bar graph represents the total explanatory power of canopy structure factors, environmental factors, and soil nutrient factors on plant diversity variation.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eDensity represents tree density of overstory, DBH represents tree diameter at breast height, Fire represents prescribed burning, A-K represents soil available potassium, SOC represents soil organic carbon, A-N represents soil hydrolyzable nitrogen. Red represents negative correlation, black represents positive correlation, dashed lines represent insignificant correlations. Solid lines represent significant causal relationships between two variables, with significance levels of P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05 (*), 0.01 (**), and 0.001 (***)\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"4. Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003ePrescribed burning had minimal impacts to overstory trees of the \u003cem\u003ePinus yunnanensis\u003c/em\u003e forest (Franklin et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2003\u003c/span\u003e; Bassett et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e; Cowman and Russell \u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e), while its effects on understory were relatively larger (Penman et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2008\u003c/span\u003e; Fuentes et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePrescribed burning altered species composition in the shrub layer of the understory and impacted species individual amount and the height of shrubs layer species with frequent burning resulting a decline of species richness for species taller than 1 m and a relative increase of smaller species less than this height, this was similar with the effects of frequency fire on shrubby dry sclerophyll forests of south-eastern Australia (Penman et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2008\u003c/span\u003e), Mediterranean-Climate Shrublands (Van Wilgen et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR42\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2010\u003c/span\u003e) and understory vegetation of Arizona ponderosa pine forests (Fowler et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2008\u003c/span\u003e), a \u003cem\u003ePinus halepensis\u003c/em\u003e forest in Northeastern Spain (Fuentes et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e), and Appalachian oak-dominated forests (Perles et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR34\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e). Three years after prescribed burning, species richness of the shrub layer in the prescribed burning plots is still clearly lower than that in unburned plots (McCaw \u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e), McCaw (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e) showed the effects of prescribed burning on the Shannon-Winner diversity index (\u003cem\u003eH'\u003c/em\u003e), Simpson\u0026rsquo;s dominance index (\u003cem\u003eD\u003c/em\u003e), Margalef\u0026rsquo;s richness index (\u003cem\u003eF\u003c/em\u003e), and Pielou\u0026rsquo;s evenness index (\u003cem\u003eE\u003c/em\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cem\u003eH\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e) of understory of \u003cem\u003ePinus halepensis\u003c/em\u003e forests in Northeastern Spain were negative. On the contrary, Perles et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR34\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e) indicated understory species richness of Appalachian oak-dominated forests was not affected by burning, and Borden et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e) showed periodic burning increase understory plant density and diversity of an open New England woodland and caused a shift in understory composition. The varied impacts of prescribed burning on understory of forests might because the different of forest types and the post-fire time (Eales et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e; Borden et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e; Perles et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR34\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e). Missing the saplings of \u003cem\u003ePinus yunnanensis\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eSchima wallichii\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eQuercus acutissima\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eLithocarpus mairei\u003c/em\u003e in understory this \u003cem\u003ePinus yunnanensis\u003c/em\u003e forest after prescribed burning may affect forest regeneration processes and the future of the forest ecosystem (Casals et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e), Perles et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR34\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e) also showed prescribed burning promoted oak seedlings over maple seedling of Appalachian oak-dominated forests, though it did not affected understory species richness. Prescribed burning obviously declined the height of shrubs, the decreased height of shrubs in burned area may strongly reduce fuel load and spatial continuity (Fuentes et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePrescribed burning has been shown to enhance species richness of herbaceous plants in \u003cem\u003ePinus yunnanensis\u003c/em\u003e forests, with the highest increase observed in pioneer plants belonging to the Compositae and Gramineae families. These findings align with the effects of frequent fires on herbaceous vegetation in upland oak forests in the eastern United States (Burton et al. 2011). The dominant species in the herb layer remained unchanged in the prescribed burning plots, while the changes in herbaceous understory abundance and height were also minimal, resembling patterns observed in Ponderosa Pine forests (Kerns et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2006\u003c/span\u003e; Cowman and Russell \u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFires could directly impact the structure of forest plant communities and indirectly influence them by altering soil nutrient content (Scharenbroch et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR39\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2012\u003c/span\u003e; Weiser et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR46\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e; L\u0026oacute;pez-Cruz et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e). Our study also indicated that fire is the most influential factor affecting species diversity in the shrub layer, the α diversity index of the shrub layer exhibited a significant correlation with soil pH, A-K, and A-P content, while the α species diversity of the herbaceous layer was closely related to soil pH, SOC, and A-N.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"5. Conclusions","content":"\u003cp\u003eWe here investigated the impact of prescribed burning on plant community structure characteristics of the understory in the \u003cem\u003ePinus yunnanensis\u003c/em\u003e forests of central Yunnan. We compared the plant community structure in a prescribed burning area with an unburned area. Results showed:\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e(1) Prescribed burning significantly altered the structure of the understory vegetation community in the shrub layers of the \u003cem\u003ePinus yunnanensis\u003c/em\u003e forests. The number of species in the shrub layers decreased from 26 to 19, and all tree saplings disappeared. Additionally, the dominant species in the shrub layer changed from \u003cem\u003eLithocarpus mairei\u003c/em\u003e to \u003cem\u003eDuhaldea cappa\u003c/em\u003e, and there was a considerable decrease in the height of shrub layer species. The Shannon-Winner diversity index (\u003cem\u003eH'\u003c/em\u003e), Simpson's dominance index (\u003cem\u003eD\u003c/em\u003e), and Margalef's richness index (\u003cem\u003eF\u003c/em\u003e) for the shrub layer experienced a significant decrease.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e(2) Prescribed burning had a slight effect on the species composition in the herb layers. It increased the number of herbs from 27 to 40, the effects of prescribed burning on species abundance, height and α diversity indexes of herbs was minimal, though there was an overall increase in the height of most herbs. Although the effects of prescribed burning on overstory were little, our study demonstrated that prescribed burning partly altered the community structure of the understory vegetation in \u003cem\u003ePinus yunnanensis\u003c/em\u003e forest, particularly the shrub layers.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e(3) The impact of prescribed burning on the species composition of shrub layers and herb layers was found to be influenced by other factors. Prescribed burning emerged as the primary factor shaping the community structure and species diversity of the shrub layer, whereas the diversity of herbaceous plant species was largely influenced by forest canopy structure factors and soil nutrient levels.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAcknowledgments:\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThanks are due to Jun Pu and Xiyan Zhang in forest Fire prevention office of Xinping Forestry Bureau, Yunnan province, China.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor Contributions:\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;Conceptualization, Xiaona Li, Qiuhua Wang, Huiping Pan and Lizhen Jiang; data curation, Huiping Pan and Lizhen Jiang; investigation, Xiaona Li, Huiping Pan, Han Yang, Lizhen Jiang and Jin Wang; methodology, Xiaona Li, Qiuhua Wang, Yuanjie Xu, Huiping Pan and Lizhen Jiang; formal analysis, Xiaona Li, Huiping Pan and Yinqianxue Pan; writing\u0026mdash;original draft, Xiaona Li, Huiping Pan, Lizhen Jiang and Yuanjie Xu; investigation, Xiaona Li and Qiuhua Wang; project administration, Xiaona Li and Qiuhua Wang; supervision and funding acquisition, Xiaona Li and Qiuhua Wang. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFunding:\u003c/strong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis research was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China- (grant number: 31901322, 2017FG001-075, 32160376, 32360395).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAvailability of data and materials\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere were no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that may have affected this work.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBarefoot, C.R., Willson, K.G., Hart, J.L., et al. 2019. Effects of thinning and prescribed fire frequency on ground flora in mixed Pinus-hardwood stands. \u003cem\u003eForest Ecology and Management\u003c/em\u003e 432:729\u0026ndash;740. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBassett, T.J., Landis, D.A., Brudvig, L.A. 2020. Effects of experimental prescribed fire and tree thinning on oak savanna understory plant communities and ecosystem structure. \u003cem\u003eForest Ecology and Management\u003c/em\u003e 464:118047. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBoer, M.M., Sadler, R.J., Wittkuhn, R.S., et al. 2009. Long-term impacts of prescribed burning on regional extent and incidence of wildfires\u0026mdash;Evidence from 50 years of active fire management in SW Australian forests. \u003cem\u003eForest\u003c/em\u003e \u003cem\u003eEcology and Management\u003c/em\u003e 259(1):132\u0026ndash;142.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBorden, C.G., Duguid, M.C., \u0026amp; Ashton, M.S. 2021. The legacy of fire: long-term changes to the forest understory from periodic burns in a New England oak-hickory forest. \u003cem\u003eFire Ecology\u003c/em\u003e 17:1\u0026ndash;17.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBradshaw, S.D., Dixon, K.W., Lambers, H., et al. 2018. Understanding the long-term impact of prescribed burning in mediterranean-climate biodiversity hotspots, with a focus on south-western Australia. \u003cem\u003eInternational Journal of Wildland Fire\u003c/em\u003e 27(10):643\u0026ndash;657.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBrockway, D.G., Lewis, C.E. 1997. Long-term effects of dormant-season prescribed fire on plant community diversity, structure and productivity in a longleaf pine wiregrass ecosystem. \u003cem\u003eForest Ecology and Management\u003c/em\u003e 96(1\u0026ndash;2):167\u0026ndash;183.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBurrows, N., McCaw, L. 2013. Prescribed burning in southwestern Australian forests. \u003cem\u003eFrontiers in Ecology and the Environment\u003c/em\u003e 11(s1):e25\u0026ndash;e34.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCasals, P., Valor, T., Besal\u0026uacute;, A., Molina-Terr\u0026eacute;n, D. 2016. Understory fuel load and structure eight to nine years after prescribed burning in Mediterranean pine forests. \u003cem\u003eForest Ecology and Management\u003c/em\u003e 362:156\u0026ndash;168. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eC\u0026eacute;spedes, B., Torres, I., P\u0026eacute;rez, B., et al. 2014. Burning season does not affect post-fire regeneration but fire alters the balance of the dominant species in a seeder-dominated Mediterranean shrubland. \u003cem\u003eApplied Vegetation Science\u003c/em\u003e 17(4):711\u0026ndash;725.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChen, Y., Cao, J., Zhou, L., et al. 2019. Effects of prescribed burning on carbon accumulation in two paired vegetation sites in subtropical China. \u003cem\u003eForest Ecosystems\u003c/em\u003e 6:1\u0026ndash;9. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCowman, D., \u0026amp; Russell, W. 2021. Fuel load, stand structure, and understory species composition following prescribed fire in an old-growth coast redwood (\u003cem\u003eSequoia sempervirens\u003c/em\u003e) forest. \u003cem\u003eFire Ecology\u003c/em\u003e (1): 1\u0026ndash;13. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDou, X., Yu, H., Wang, J., et al. 2023. Effect of prescribed burning on the small-scale spatial heterogeneity of soil microbial biomass in Pinus koraiensis and Quercus mongolica forests of China. \u003cem\u003eJournal of Forestry Research\u003c/em\u003e 34(3):609\u0026ndash;622.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDuane, A., Aquilu\u0026eacute;, N., Canelles, Q., et al. 2019. Adapting prescribed burns to future climate change in Mediterranean landscapes. \u003cem\u003eScience of The Total Environment\u003c/em\u003e 677:68\u0026ndash;83. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEales, J., Haddaway, N.R., Bernes, C., et al. 2018. What is the effect of prescribed burning in temperate and boreal forest on biodiversity, beyond pyrophilous and saproxylic species? A systematic review. \u003cem\u003eEnvironmental Evidence\u003c/em\u003e 7:1\u0026ndash;33.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFernandes, P.M., Botelho, H.S. 2003. A review of prescribed burning effectiveness in fire hazard reduction. \u003cem\u003eInternational Journal of Wildland Fire\u003c/em\u003e 12(2):117\u0026ndash;128.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFernandes, P.M., Davies, G.M., Ascoli, D., et al. 2013. Prescribed burning in southern Europe: developing fire management in a dynamic landscape.\u003cem\u003e Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment\u003c/em\u003e 11(s1):e4\u0026ndash;e14.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFranklin, S.B., Robertson, P.A., Fralish, J.S. 2003. Prescribed burning effects on upland Quercus forest structure and function.\u003cem\u003e Forest Ecology and Management\u003c/em\u003e 184(1\u0026ndash;3):315\u0026ndash;335.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFowler, J.F., Sieg, C.H., Dickson, B.G., Saab, V. 2008. Exotic Plant Species Diversity: Influence of Roads and Prescribed Fire in Arizona Ponderosa Pine Forests. \u003cem\u003eRangeland Ecology \u0026amp; Management\u003c/em\u003e 61(3):284\u0026ndash;293.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFuentes, L., Duguy, B., \u0026amp; Nadal-Sala, D. 2018. Short-term effects of spring prescribed burning on the understory vegetation of a Pinus halepensis forest in Northeastern Spain. \u003cem\u003eScience of the Total Environment\u003c/em\u003e 610:720\u0026ndash;731. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHolland, G.J., Clarke, M.F., Bennett, A.F. 2017. Prescribed burning consumes key forest structural components: implications for landscape heterogeneity. \u003cem\u003eEcological Applications\u003c/em\u003e 27(3):845\u0026ndash;858. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJin, Z.Z.; Peng, J. 2004. Pinus yunnanensis. Yunnan Science \u0026amp; Technology Press, Yunnan, YN, CHN. pp.401-466.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKerns, B.K., Thies, W.G., Niwa, C.G. 2006. Season and severity of prescribed burn in ponderosa pine forests: Implications for understory native and exotic plants. \u003cem\u003e\u0026Eacute;coscience\u003c/em\u003e 13(1):44\u0026ndash;55.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKnapp, B.O., Stephan, K., Hubbart, J.A. 2015. Structure and composition of an oak-hickory forest after over 60 years of repeated prescribed burning in Missouri, U.S.A. \u003cem\u003eForest Ecology and Management\u003c/em\u003e 344:95\u0026ndash;109. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKobziar, L.N., Godwin, D., Taylor, L., Watts, A.C. 2015. Perspectives on Trends, Effectiveness, and Impediments to Prescribed Burning in the Southern U.S. \u003cem\u003eForests\u003c/em\u003e 6(3):561\u0026ndash;580.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKoivula. M., Vanha-Majamaa, I. 2020. Experimental evidence on biodiversity impacts of variable retention forestry, prescribed burning, and deadwood manipulation in Fennoscandia. \u003cem\u003eEcological Processes\u003c/em\u003e 9(1):11.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKumar, R. 2022. Response of understorey vegetation in chir pine forests to prescribed burning in Shiwalik region of Himalaya.\u003cem\u003e Journal of Environmental Biology\u003c/em\u003e 43(4):622-630. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eL\u0026oacute;pez-Cruz, S. del. C., Aryal. D.R., Vel\u0026aacute;zquez-Sanabria, C.A., et al. 2022. Effect of Prescribed Burning on Tree Diversity, Biomass Stocks and Soil Organic Carbon Storage in Tropical Highland Forests. \u003cem\u003eForests\u003c/em\u003e 13(12):2164. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMahood, A.L., Balch, J.K. 2019. Repeated fires reduce plant diversity in low-elevation Wyoming big sagebrush ecosystems (1984\u0026ndash;2014). \u003cem\u003eEcosphere\u003c/em\u003e 10:e02591.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMa, K.P., Liu, C.R., Liu, Y.M. 1995. Measures of biome diversity II Measures of beta diversity. Biodiversity Science (01):38-43. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMa, K.P., Wang, E.M. 1994. Measures of Biome Diversity I Measures of Alpha Diversity (below). \u003cem\u003eBiodiversity Scienc\u003c/em\u003e (04):231-239. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMa, Z.G., Wang, J.X, Mou, K.H., Yang, D.G., \u0026amp; Su, Y.M. 1991. An Initial Exploration of Forest Fires and Fire Hazard Zoning in Pinus yunnanensis forest Area. \u003cem\u003eJournal of Sichuan Forestry Science and Technology\u003c/em\u003e (1):23-30.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMcCaw, W.L. 2013. Managing forest fuels using prescribed fire \u0026ndash; A perspective from southern Australia. \u003cem\u003eForest Ecology and Management\u003c/em\u003e 294:217\u0026ndash;224.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePenman, T.D., Binns, D.L., Shiels, R.J., et al. 2008. Changes in understorey plant species richness following logging and prescribed burning in shrubby dry sclerophyll forests of south-eastern Australia. \u003cem\u003eAustral Ecology\u003c/em\u003e 33(2):197\u0026ndash;210. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePerles, S.J., Niu, X.M., Ruth, A.D., \u0026amp; Gibbons, L.D. 2021. Initial conditions influence effects of prescribed burns and deer exclosure fences on tree regeneration and understory diversity in Appalachian oak-dominated forests. \u003cem\u003eForest Ecology and Management\u003c/em\u003e 495:119353.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePrice, O. 2023. Prescribed burning in Australian forests: characteristics, impacts and effects. \u003cem\u003eAustralia\u0026apos;s Megafires: Biodiversity Impacts and Lessons from 2019-2020\u003c/em\u003e 273.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRegmi, A., Kreye, M.M., Kreye, J.K. 2023. Forest landowner demand for prescribed fire as an ecological management tool in Pennsylvania, USA. \u003cem\u003eForest Policy and Economics\u003c/em\u003e 148:102902. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eR Core Team. 2022. \u003cem\u003eR: a language and environment for statistical computing.\u003c/em\u003e Vienna: R Foundation for Statistical Computing URL https://www.R-project.org/.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRoberton, B., Rebar, D. 2022. Timing of prescribed burns impacts plant diversity but not investment in pollinator recruitment in a tallgrass prairie. \u003cem\u003eEcosphere\u003c/em\u003e 13(1):e3914.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eScharenbroch, B.C., Nix, B., Jacobs, K.A., Bowles, M.L. 2012. Two decades of low-severity prescribed fire increases soil nutrient availability in a Midwestern, USA oak (\u003cem\u003eQuercus\u003c/em\u003e) forest. \u003cem\u003eGeoderma\u003c/em\u003e 183:80\u0026ndash;91.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSu, W.H., Shi, Z., Zhou, R., et al. 2015. The role of fire in the Central Yunnan Plateau ecosystem, southwestern China. \u003cem\u003eForest Ecology and Management\u003c/em\u003e 356:22\u0026ndash;30.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTian, X.R., Shu, L.F., Zhao, F.J., \u0026amp; Wang, M. 2017. Impacts of Climate Change on Forest Fire Danger in China. \u003cem\u003eScientia Silvae Sinicae\u003c/em\u003e 53:159-169.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVan Wilgen, B.W., Forsyth, G.G., De Klerk, H., et al. 2010. Fire management in Mediterranean-climate shrublands: a case study from the Cape fynbos, South Africa: Fire regimes in Cape fynbos, South Africa. \u003cem\u003eJournal of Applied Ecology\u003c/em\u003e 47(3):631\u0026ndash;638.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVan Wilgen, B.W. 2013. Fire management in species‐rich Cape fynbos shrublands. \u003cem\u003eFrontiers in Ecology and the Environment\u003c/em\u003e 11(s1):e35-e44.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVaughan, M.C., Hagan, D.L., Bridges, W.C., et al. 2022. Effects of burn season on fire-excluded plant communities in the southern Appalachian Mountains, USA. \u003cem\u003eForest Ecology and Management\u003c/em\u003e 516:120244.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWang, Q.H., ShanB.J., Gong, J.P., Pu, J., Kou, W.L., et al. 2018. A Study on Prescribed Burning in Pure Forest of Pinus yunnanensis Franch in Central Yunnan Province. \u003cem\u003eActa Agriculturae Universitatis Jiangxiensis\u003c/em\u003e 40:235-240. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWeiser, F., Sauer, A., Gettueva, D., et al. 2021. Impacts of Forest Fire on Understory Species Diversity in Canary Pine Ecosystems on the Island of La Palma. \u003cem\u003eForests\u003c/em\u003e 12(12):1638.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWu, Z.Y., Zhu, Y.C., Jiang, H.Q. 1987. Yunnan Vegetation; Beijing Science Publishing House: Beijing, BJ, CHN, pp.401-466.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eZald, H.S.J., Kerns, B.K., Day, M.A. 2020. Limited Effects of Long-Term Repeated Season and Interval of Prescribed Burning on Understory Vegetation Compositional Trajectories and Indicator Species in Ponderosa Pine Forests of Northeastern Oregon, USA. \u003cem\u003eForests \u003c/em\u003e11(8):834.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Prescribed burning, plant community structure, understory vegetation, Pinus yunnanensis forest, southwest China","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-3470107/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-3470107/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003ch2\u003eBackground\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe \u003cem\u003ePinus yunnanensis\u003c/em\u003e forest in southwestern China is a unique and significant vegetation type. However, it is susceptible to frequent fires. To mitigate the risk of hazardous fires, prescribed burning has often been employed in these forests. Nevertheless, it is important to consider the potential impact of prescribed burning on the structure of plant communities and species diversity in \u003cem\u003ePinus yunnanensis\u003c/em\u003e forests. To investigate the specific changes in plant community characteristics of caused by prescribed burning, a study was conducted in the \u003cem\u003ePinus yunnanensis\u003c/em\u003e forest located in Zhaobi Hill, Xinping county.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eResults\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003ePrescribed burning has had minimal effects on canopy trees, but has partially altered the characteristics of the understory community. It has decreased the number of shrub species from 26 to 19, with a shift in dominance from saplings of \u003cem\u003eLithocarpus mairei\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003ePinus yunnanensis\u003c/em\u003e in the unburned area to \u003cem\u003eDuhaldea cappa\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eCraibiodendron stellatum\u003c/em\u003e in the burned area. Additionally, prescribed burning has partially altered the abundance of species and reduced the average height of shrubs. Furthermore, prescribed burning has increased the number of herb species from 27 to 40, but has had minimal impact on their abundance, height, and importance value. It is worth noting that prescribed burning has different impacts on the species diversity of shrubs and herbs. It significantly decreases the α species diversity of shrubs, but only has minimal effects on the α species diversity indices of herbs. The β diversity indices indicate that the species composition in both burned and unburned areas is similar, but the impact of prescribed burning on shrubs is greater than on herbs. Overall, prescribed burning appears to be the primary factor affecting the species diversity index of shrubs, while altitude, forest structure, and soil nutrient content exert greater influences on the species diversity index of the herbaceous layer.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eConclusions\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003ePrescribed burning had little impacts on overstory trees of the \u003cem\u003ePinus yunnanensis\u003c/em\u003e forest, it had slightly positive effects on the height of herbs, and increased species richness of herbs from 27 to 40. However, the effects of prescribed burning on the species diversity and the height of shrub layers were significant and negative. Prescribed burning was the dominant factor shaping the community structure and species diversity of the shrub layer, and the missing saplings of trees in shrub layers might influence future forest succession in a long time.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Effects of prescribed burning on species diversity of understory in Pinus yunnanensis forests of southwest China","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2024-01-08 18:43:29","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-3470107/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"10abd232-78c2-4ac5-9b1d-03df54ccf6d2","owner":[],"postedDate":"January 8th, 2024","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2024-03-20T15:27:48+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2024-01-08 18:43:29","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-3470107","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-3470107","identity":"rs-3470107","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"qtupq5eGEP_6zYnWcrvyt","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}