[Effects of wilderness-training Ailuropoda melanoleuca's feeding and artificial harvesting on population structure of Fargesia robusta clone].

From 2003 to 2007, the methods of plot sampling and positioning observation were adopted to investigate the population density, basal diameter, and plant height of Umbrella bamboo (Fargesia robusta) clone in the Wolong Natural Reserve of China. In the meantime, the effects of wilderness-training Ailuropoda melanoleuca's feeding and artificial harvesting on the population regeneration of the clone were studied, and the responses of the population structure (age-, size-, and height-class distribution) to different management modes (A. melanoleuca's feeding, artificial harvesting, control) were approached with the scale- and shape-parameters of Weibull distribution function. The results showed that under the same F. robusta clone population density and the same environmental conditions (P>0.05), A. melanoleuca's feeding and artificial harvesting promoted the clone regeneration. After 3 years natural restoration, the population density of the clone tended to be equal to the control, and came to a steady state (P>0.05). The curves of size- and height-class distribution as well as the scale- and shape-parameters had no significant differences between A. melanoleuca's feeding plot and control plot. The curves of size- and height-class distribution in artificial harvesting plot were in converse "J" shape, and the values of the scale- and shape-parameters were significantly lower than those in the other two plots (P<0.05). The young and adult bamboos in artificial harvesting plot were far poor in shoot quality, and A. melanoleuca rejected to feed with them.