[Age- and organ-related variances in fire resistance traits of typical tree species in subtropical China].

We investigated the fire resistance conferred by different forest age groups (young, middle-age and mature forest) and organs (leaf, branch, and bark) of six typical tree species (Myrica rubra, Schima superba, Symplocos sumuntia, Machilus pingii, Castanopsis eyrei, and Quercus glauca) in Qingshigang national forest farm, Yanling County, Hunan Province, subtropical China. We measured morphological, physical, and chemical properties that could be used as proxies for fire resistance and examined the variances of fire resistance among different organs and age groups in the same tree species. Further, we comprehensively ranked all the tree species by their capacity in fire resistance.