Abstract:In order to figure out the spatial distribution of natural Korean pine in habitat gradients, researchers study the Korean pine populations in four types of habitat (Habitat I, moist valley; Habitat II, humid gentle slope in the lower part; Habitat III, semi-humid slope in the upper part; Habitat IV, semi-arid steep slope on the top) from the bottom to top of the slope hills in Liangshui National Nature Reserve in Heilongjiang Province. We analyze Korean pine population characteristics in different forest layers (main canopy layer, sub-canopy layer, succession layer, regeneration layer). Then with replicated sampling pattern, the spatial distribution of Korean pine population is analyzed with O-ring function. The following are the results. (1) The population of Korean pine in regenerative layer of downhill (Habitat I, II) is significantly larger than that in the uphill (Habitat III, IV) (P < 0.05), and the difference in succession layer is not significant. With the rise of slope position, the proportion of Korean pine in the main canopy layer and sub-canopy layer increases, and the structure of the Korean pine population changes from inverted-J-type to J-type. (2) The aggregation scale and density of Korean pine in the regeneration layer and succession layer of primitive Korean pine forest in downhill habitats (Habitat I, II) are larger than those in uphill habitats (Habitat III, IV). The aggregation scale and density of Korean pine population in the regeneration layer of up slope (Habitat III) are larger than of top slope (Habitat IV). (3) In all habitats, the Korean pine population in main canopy layer and regeneration layer are spatially irrelevant in general, but show weak spatially positive or negative correlations on certain scales. In downhill habitats (Habitat I, II), Korean pine population in succession layer and main canopy layer show negative correlation in the range of 0-5 m. At the same research scale, there is a positively spatial correlation between two forest layers in uphill habitats (Habitat III, IV). In all habitats, spatial relationship between the Korean pine population in main canopy layer and sub-canopy layer is relatively weak. It can be concluded that Korean pines' fewer population in regenerative and succession layers in downhill habitats accounts for the weaker aggreation scale and density of their saplings and seedlings in uphill habitats. Influenced by both biological and abiotic factors, the spatial correlations between main canopy layer and regeneration layer as well as main canopy layer and succession layer change from negative to positive with the rise of slope position. The research results provide a theoretical basis for the management and ecological restoration of broad-leaved Korean pine forest.