Studying the adaptive mechanism of functional characters of dominant woody plants under different degradation background is helpful to explain the succession process of karst mountain community from the perspective of functional ecology. In this study, the dominant woody plants in different degraded background plots in Puding, Guizhou Province were selected as the research objects. Six leaf functional traits(LT, LA, SLA, LDMC, LTD, Chlc) were measured to analyze the effects of soil characteristics on the leaf functional traits of vegetation in the region, and to reveal the adaptation strategies and succession process of plants in karst mountainous areas to different environments.Results indicated: ①under the degraded environment of karst area, the vegetation leaves tended to increase, with the most significant change in the returned land; There were significant differences in vegetation characteristics under burning,burning felling and returning farmland, with the largest change range of LA, LTD and SLA, which could reach 121.90%, 118.08% and 86.00% respectively in the corresponding sample plots. ②In the degraded plots, the leaf traits were significantly different among tree, shrub and vine species. In general, the interspecific variation of shrub and vine species was higher than that of tree species, and the community was in the early and middle stage of succession. ③Soil properties under different degradation background are quite different,and there is a significant correlation between soil properties and vegetation leaf functional properties. SD, soil nutrients and SH are the key soil characteristic factors of vegetation leaf functional properties. ④The results showed that the leaf traits of vegetation in degraded area showed large LA,small LT, low SLA and LTD, high LDMC and low Chlc, which tended to develop drought character combination. This paper reveals the internal differentiation succession law of degraded karst secondary forest in central Guizhou and provides scientific basis for the management and biodiversity protection of karst secondary forest.
 

Degraded karst·Plant·Functional traits·Soil characteristics·Adaptability.