Abstract:Dragon spruce (Picea asperata Mast.) is one of the dominant conifers of the subalpine forested areas in western Sichuan and southern Gansu provinces of China. Naturally it develops into blocks of pure forests of the species or coniferous mixed forests dominated by purplecone spurce (P. purpurea), faxon fir (Abies faxoniana), or other species of spruce and fir. Dragon spruce is widely used for artificial regeneration after clear-felling of natural subalpine coniferous forests in western Sichuan because it is...