Forest gap,though an interference at local scale,is an important driving force forest reqeneration nutrient cycling and ecosystem functioning of forests. By thoroughly reviewing the literature of forest gap studies,this paper was intended to advance the knowledge for both scientific research and forest management. Traditionally,forest gap ecology focuses on the formation and characteristics of gaps,and the consequent impacts on above-ground ecological processes( e. g. microclimate and plant community characteristics ) . Nowadays,a growing body of the research shifts sights to the effects of forest gap on under ground ecological processes ( e. g. fine roots and litter decomposition,soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics,soil enzyme activities) and ecophysiological traits of animals and soil microorganism. However,current knowledge of these new spots is limited by the small spatial and temporal research scales. With the purposes of improving stand structures,ecological services function and process of forests,future work should focus more on the effects of forest gap on under ground ecological processes( e. g. fine roots decomposition and rhizosphere effect,distribution,cycling and immobilization of soil carbon and nitrogen) and ecophysiological traits of organisms. Furthermore,future studies should enlarge their research scales,and should also integrate above-and under ground ecological ecosystem,biotic and abiotic factors,as well as micro-and macro-scales.%林窗是森林生态系统中的一种中小尺度干扰，是促进森林更新、养分循环、功能提高的重要推动力。本文阐述林窗生态学的研究进展与展望，以期为今后的林窗理论研究和森林经营实践提供参考。林窗生态学研究集中于林窗的形成、基本特征以及林窗对森林小气候和植物群落特征等地上结构与过程的影响；近年来，林窗对细根与枯落物分解、土壤碳氮动态及酶活性以及对森林动物和土壤微生物的生理生态学特征影响研究逐渐增多，但研究的时空尺度较小且不够全面、深入。今后应着重研究林窗如何调控林分结构和森林生态服务过程与功能，重点阐明林窗对土壤碳氮分配、循环和固持，细根分解及根际效应等地下生态过程，以及对动植物与微生物生理生态学的影响与影响机制；同时，应进一步拓展研究的时空尺度，并加强地上与地下生态系统、生物与非生物因子、宏观与微观尺度等的整合研究。
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