This research is done to quantifiy individual tree growth and mortality within and among different species in the comparative study plots. Local neighbourhood interactions are analysed by the means of competition indices. Questions are: (a) does diversity reduce competition? (b) does competition change with successional stage? The data might provide valuable information to be compared with data from the main experiment. We chose 20 target trees each of the two most abundant evergreen species (Castanopsis eyrei FAGACEAE and Schima superba THEACEAE ) and of the two most abundant decidious species (Quercus serrata and Castanea henryi FAGACEAE). Competitors were defined as all trees with a dbh> 10 cm in middle and old successional forests and >3 cm in early successional forests and within a radius that is 1/2 of the height of the target tree. The positions of the competitors in relation to the respective target tree were evaluated (distance and azimuth). Following parameters were measured of all trees: total height, heigth of bifurcatin point, dbh and the crown width in 8 directions.

Selection of target species: the two most abundant evergreen and decidious species were selected. Selection of target trees: prerequisites for target trees: (a) the crown is part of the upper most canopy layer (b) the tree is single stemmed (c) the crown does not suffer a crown loss of more than 30% of the original crown caused by snow break (2008) (d) there are no completely broken trees in the closest neighbourhood (we assume that the effect of open space would influence the growth of the target tree more than the competitors) (e) the tree's position is within the CSP or in the nearby (not more than 30m away, and only in comparable environment (slope direction, species composition)) If there were several potential target trees they were chosen randomly. Selection of competitors: all neighbours within a radius of 1/2 the height of the target tree were said to be competitors. Additionally, the dbh limit was >10cm in middle and late successional and >3cm in early successional plots. Measurements:(a) Position: the position of the target tree is noted in relation to one corner of the CSP (distance and angle). The positions of the competitors in relation to the middle of the stemfoot of the target tree are assessed (distance and angle) (b) total height was measured by the means of a Vertex Forester hypsometer in cases this was not yet done by SP1 (c) diameter at breast heigth (dbh) was measured by the means of a diameter tape (dbh>10cm) and with a callipper (dbh<10cm) in the direction of the slope and perpendicular to it. In the case of multistemmed trees the average of all stems was calculated. (d) height of bifurcation point was measured by the means of a Vertex Forester hypsometer. The bifurcation point was measured at the lowest real branch with leaves. If the crown was broken it was determined to be at the first branch (including more than one year old Wasserreißer) that was of importance for the crown. In the case that the whole crown was broken the height where the Wasserreißer got very dense creating a secondary crown was measured. (e) crown width Each crown was measured in eight directions (N, NE, E, SE, S, SW,W,NW). The widest extension of the respective direction (as the distance from the middle of the stem foot to the last leaf) was determined by the means of a crown mirror and measured with the Vertex Forester hypsometer. In the case that there was only a one direction measurement, the distance to the crown starting (first leaf) was taken additionally, the middle of the crown claculated and from that point the crown extension in the two perpendicular directions was measured (one point measurement). If there could not be measured any leaf in any of the directions a one point measurement in the direction of the overall widest crown extension was made. The direction was noted (angle in gon). Additional parameters: (a) % coverage:estimation of how much percent of the projected crown area (surroundes by the measured points) are covered by leaves and branches (I-V, in 20% steps) (b) % crown loss: estimation of the percentage of crown loss of the original crown volume because of breaking induced by the heavy snow load in February 2008 (1-4 in 25% steps, 5 complete crownloss)

CSPs 29°08'-29°17'N 118°02'-118°11'E Measurements and calculated variables Crown radii in the eight subcardinal directions were determined by means of a crown mirror. The crown projection area (hereafter crown area) was calculated using the formula for a polygon. In cases of extraordinary crown displacement – the crown projection did not include the stem base – the distances to the proximal and distal edge of the crown were measured in all possible directions (if this was only possible for one direction, four crown radii were measured as follows: the distances to the proximal and distal edge of the crown were determined and, starting at the centre of this crown diameter, on the axis perpendicular to it. In this case, crown area was approximated as a quadrangle). Relative crown displacement (rd) was considered to be the distance of the centre of gravity of the crown area from the stem base, divided by the mean crown radius (Longuetaud et al., 2008). In cases where the centre of gravity perfectly matches the stem base, rd is equal to 0. Main tree stems may deviate from vertical stature in two different ways: stem inclination and stem bendiness, with the former involving straight but leaning stems and the latter bent or curved stems (Schamp et al., 2007). In the forest interior of Gutianshan NNR bent growth forms are confined to a relatively small number of trees. To obtain the degree of stem inclination, we first measured the height of the bifurcation point (height at which the lowest living crown branch of the tree branches off, excluding epicormics or springs), and then the horizontal distance of the bifurcation point from the stem in the direction of the slope. The angle of inclination was calculated as tan alpha of these two distances. If the stem was inclined towards the slope, stem inclination was considered to be negative. This method is similar to that used by Matsuzaki et al. (2006), where stem inclination was defined by referring to a straight line between the stem base and the top of the tree. However, in our study we used the bifurcation point as a reference point in order to separate the effect of crown asymmetry from that of stem inclination.The dbh (measured with a diameter measurement tape) and total height were recorded for all trees. The relative position of the neighbours to the target tree was measured as the horizontal distance from stem base to stem base. All height and distance measurements were conducted using a Forester Vertex Hypsometer (Haglöf, Sweden). All neighbours were determined to species. Local species richness (i.e. the species richness of the group) was estimated using the rarefaction method (Hurlbert’s formula, 1971) of the vegan package in R (subsample size: two trees). We applied the same method to obtain ameasure for local functional diversity. For this purpose we classified the species into seven functional groups. Since our hypotheses are based on growth characteristics of crown and stem, the trees were allocated to the functional groups according to adult tree height (canopy tree vs. sub-canopy tree) (Poorter et al., 2006), leaf longevity (evergreen vs. deciduous) (Deng et al., 2008) and leaf morphology (simple leaves, compound leaves, needles). We decided to establish an additional functional group for Fabaceae, because of their well known ability to fix nitrogen and the resulting differential preconditions for growth.To characterise the competitive power of the target trees competition indices have been calculated. Upper canopy heightwasdefined as themeanheight of the highest 20% trees in the respective group.For each tree group, data for slope inclination and aspect were collected and transformed after Beers et al. (1966).

Tree species in the Comparative study plots

There were different periods, in wich data was measured. This might cause differences in the crown measurements. In December some of the decidious had no leaves any more. If so the tip of the longest twigg was measured (if possible to see). It causes some problems to look through a crown of a competitor with a cover of V. The great steepness caused some problems to the crown measurements since it was sometimes very diffcult to walk in the explicit direction. Also the trees were growing in such strange angles that the crown could only be measures with "one point" measurements which causes some problems to the comparability of the data.

We tested speciesspecific differences of crown area, relative crown displacement and stem inclination using a mixed effects model with species as fixed effect and plot as random effect. We refined our models by testing for main effects of abiotic and biotic environmental variables in order to verify their effects on crown and stem parameters. Biotic variables included species richness, functional diversity, competition index, the dbh of the target tree and mean upper canopy height, while the abiotic variables were slope inclination, slope aspect and soil depth. Target species identity was also included as a categorical predictor variable. Similar to the previous models, plot was included as random effect.