Use of direct seeding and seedling planting to restore Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis Sieb. Et Zucc.) in secondary forests of Northeast China

Abstract The poor natural regeneration of Korean pine represents a substantial hurdle limiting the restoration of secondary forests to mixed broad-leaved Korean pine forests (MBKPFs). Active restoration based on direct seeding or planting seedlings is accordingly considered to be a prerequisite for promoting Korean pine recruitment in secondary forests. To evaluate the most effective practices for restoring Korean pine in secondary forests, we studied the effects of microsites associated with gaps of different sizes and within-gap locations on direct seeding (rodent access/exclusion and soil/litter cover) and seedling planting (1-, 2-, and 3-year-old seedlings). We found that an average of 82.4% of sown seeds were eaten by rodents, with only 9.9% germinating and surviving after two growing seasons. Among the germinated seedlings, 37.6% were subsequently excised by rodents, whereas 6% died due to other natural causes. Furthermore, compared with the control sites (forest understorey), we detected no significant differences among the different microsites with respect to an effective reduction in rodent damage or promotion of seed germination, whereas rodent exclusion was more effective in protecting seeds from predation than the effect of microsite. With regards to planted seedlings, we found that the proportion of survival and relative root collar diameter growth were highest in the center (64.1%) and edge (60.0%) sites of large gaps, and that the survival of planted seedlings (43.7%) was considerably higher than that of seedlings derived from directly sown seeds (9.9%). Collectively, our findings indicate that, owing to seed predation and seedling excision by rodents, direct seeding with either mesh or soil cover would not represent an effective strategy for promoting Korean pine recruitment in secondary forests. Accordingly, for the purposes of restoring secondary forests to MBKPFs, we recommend planting 3-year-old Korean pine seedlings in large gaps within secondary forests.