The Pattern of Budburst Phenology for Castanopsis fargesii in Tiantong Mountain,Zhejiang,China

Bud growth and bud resource development are a reflection of a plant’s adaption to the environment and its life history strategy.To investigate budburst phenology and life history strategies of Castanopsis fargesii,observations on the number of buds,growth phases of the marked standard branch,and analysis of its characteristics were recorded.Results showed that C.fargesii generally bud from March to late April.Bud growth can be divided into three phases:bud dormancy phase (the first phase),bud swelling phase (the second phase),and budburst phase (the third to fifth phase).The phenological parameter difference among population,individual,and twig in each phase was not significant.Budburst phenology appeared in a curve of two major peaks in the third phase and one major peak in the forth and fifth phase.Budburst phenology displayed similar changes in both understory and canopy gap surroundings during the same period in the third phase;while in the forth and fifth phrase,budburst phenology lagged among understory plants compared to those in the canopy gap.As to C.fargesii,no relationship existed in regards to early growth and first completion in the budburst phrase.Although in various phrases,bud growth in different periods developed into leaf almost at the same time.As a subtropical evergreen broadleaved forest,the budburst phenology of C.fargesii is affected by various environmental factors,among which temperature in spring was the most influential.The long term adaptation of plants results in synchronization between budburst phenology and its environment.