Measuring Species Spatial Isolation in Mixed Forests

Mingling was used to describe the probability of the closest neighboring tree in a forest being a different species. The minimum spatial structure unit consisting of a reference tree and its 4 closest neighboring trees is more appropriate than the “four group structure method” in analyzing spatial structure of forest stands. When using the distribution or the mean of mingling to analyze the spatial isolation of species in the stands, it is recommended that the species composition and their ratio in the mixture stand be described. The description has significant impacts on the precise analysis of species spatial distribution and structure restoration.