Abstract:Studying the interspecific associations, niche width and overlap, and community stability of main species of plant community will help to understand the community structure and ecological habits of dominant species on resource utilization, which is of great significance to forest management and vegetation restoration and reconstruction. Utilizing July 2021 survey data in the karst region of Wudang District, Guiyang, the interspecific associations, niche width and overlap and community stability of main species in the Pinus massoniana community were studied by various methods including variance ratio (VR), Chi-square test (χ2 test), Spearman's rank correlation coefficient test, Levins's niche width index, Pianka niche overlap index, and M. Godron stability analysis. The overall associations among the main species in the tree, shrub and herb layers of Pinus massoniana community were insignificantly positive. The Chi-square test showed that most of the species' pairs (66.67%-80.95%) in each vertical layer were insignificantly associated, reflecting weak interspecific associations and independent distribution patterns among the species. Spearman's rank correlation test indicated that most species' pairs in each vertical layer were not significantly correlated, and the correlation between species was weak. Pinus massoniana exhibited the highest important value and niche width (20.78), and had niche overlap with all other species. There was no significant correlation between niche width and important value, and species with larger niche width had a higher probability of generating niche overlap with other species, while there was also a high level of niche overlap between species with smaller niche width. M. Godron stability analysis indicated that the ratios of cumulative inverse of species number to the cumulated relative frequency ratios of species in the tree layer, shrub layer, herb layer, and the whole community were 30.16/69.84, 46.84/53.16, 45.27/54.73, and 46.91/53.09, respectively, which were all far from 20/80, indicating that both the whole community and its vertical layers were in an unstable state. Therefore, the ecological restoration and conservation of karst mountain areas, it is important to select species of trees, shrubs and herbs that have similar ecological habits and biological characteristics, and also have low ecological niche overlap and strong positive interspecific associations. For example, the pairing of Castanea mollissima and Camellia oleifera in the tree layer, Camphora officinarum and Rubus corchorifolius in the shrub layer, and Paederia cruddasiana and Parthenocissus semicordata in the herb layer. By rationally adjusting and optimizing the species composition at each layer, it will contribute to enhancing the vertical structural diversity and functional complexity of the community, ultimately leading to improved community stability.