Under the guidance of research professor REN Hai, Dr YANG Long and their research fellows in Vegetation and Landscape Ecology Research Group carried out controlled experiments in situ on nurse effects of typical subtropical grassland/shrubland. They found that only the basal diameter and shoot height of Schima superba seedlings can be facilitated under the pioneer shrub Rhodomyrtus tomentosa, which spreads widely on degraded lands in South China and, therefore, can be considered as a nurse plant. Partial shading under the canopy of R. tomentosa can buffer soil temperature, increase soil moisture, and therefore protect S. superba seedlings from photoinhibition. The use of nurse plants in restoration differs from the traditional reforestation methods (clearing and or burning to reduce interspecific competition between target tree species and non-target species) because it focuses on the positive interactions between nurse plants and target plants that increase establishment of target species and reduce the required time for restoration.

It can be inferred that there is no need to burn or clear the afforestating land in R. tomentosa shrubs. Planting S. superba seedlings under the canopy of R. tomentosa can not only reduce fire risks, but also save afforestation costs and avoid the risks of soil and water loss. These results have been published in Journal of Vegetation Science on line.