Evaluation of Ecological Function Restoration Effect for Degraded Natural Forests in Xiaoxinganling, China

To study the effect of ecological function restoration in degraded natural forests in Xiaoxinganling, Heilongjiang Province, China, we set up 90 plots of degraded natural forests of different types and ages in the Xinqing Group Branch of Yichun Forestry Industry Group in Xiaoxinganling, Heilongjiang Province, China. Moreover, 43 evaluation indexes, including litter characteristics, species diversity, soil physical properties, soil chemical properties, and canopy structural parameters, were selected to determine the effect of ecological function restoration in the degraded natural forests in the study area. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to comprehensively evaluate the ecological function of the degraded forests. The results of the study showed that, based on the forest type scores, mixed coniferous and broadleaf forests, mixed coniferous forests, and broadleaf forests had higher scores, while the scores of pure Betula platyphylla forests, pure Larix gmelinii forests, and the three low-quality forests were lower. This showed that the ecological restoration effect for mixed forests in the Xinqing Group Branch of Yichun Sengyong Group of Xinjiangqing Group, Xiaoxinganling, Heilongjiang Province, China, was better than that for pure forests and low-quality forests. Based on forest age, the scores of near-mature forests and mature forests were generally higher than those of young forests and over-mature forests, indicating that the ecological restoration effect for near-mature forests and mature forests in Xinqing Group Branch of Yichun Forestry Industry Group in Xiaoxinganling, Heilongjiang Province, China, was better than that for young forests and over-mature forests. These evaluation results can provide a theoretical basis for subsequent research on the ecological restoration effect in degraded natural forests in Xiaoxinganling, Heilongjiang Province, China.