The growth of seedlings in the alpine treeline ecotone is closely related to the formation of the alpine treeline. An ex situ germination of Abies faxoniana was conducted in greenhouse. A full factorial experiment with community type (shrub vs. herb community), seeds (sowing vs. non-seed addition), and fencing (with vs. without) was carried out in situ in the alpine treeline ecotone beyond the A. faxoniana treeline on Balang Mts., western Sichuan, to study the effects of community types and fencing on the survival and growth of A. faxoniana seedlings in the alpine treeline ecotone. The results showed that (1) the ex situ germination rate of A. faxoniana was 31.4%, and the survival rate decreased with time. (2) The annual mean daily air temperature and humidity were significantly higher in shrub community than in herbaceous community, whereas the annual mean soil temperature did not differ between the two communities. (3) A. faxoniana seedlings were not found in the plots without seed addition, indicating that the treeline A. faxoniana trees did not provide seeds to the treeline ecotone. (4) Compared to non-fence plots, fencing significantly increased the survival rate of A. faxoniana seedlings by 2.0% (2015) and 2.2% (2016). Compared to the shrub community, the survival rate of A. faxoniana in the herb community increased significantly by 0.8% (2015) and 1.2% (2016), suggesting that the shrubs have much stronger competitive effects on seedlings than herbs. Within the fence treatment, the survival rate of A. faxoniana was significantly higher in the herb community than in the shrub community. Within the non-fence treatment, the survival rate of A. faxoniana seedlings was significantly lower in the herb community than in the shrub community, and no seedlings survived in the non-fence plots in 2017, indicating that animal disturbance strongly impedes survival and growth of seedlings in the treeline ecotone. The present study showed that the recruitment of trees in the alpine ecotone is strongly determined by seed availability, plant competition, and animal disturbance. Therefore, target seed addition, vegetation removal, and fencing can be used to promote recruitment and growth of trees in the alpine treeline ecotone.