Abstract: This paper used tree ring analysis to study growth patterns of Castanopsis carlesii, Schima superba and Lithocarpus glaber. The results indicate that: (1) Castanopsis carlesii has the fastest diameter growth rate and height growth rate among three species. Schima superba has bigger variation in growth rate among individuals and size classes, suggesting greater growth plastic for Schima superba and steadier growth rate for Castanopsis carlesii and Lithocarpus glaber. (2) Six canopy accession types are divided basing on the number of releases and suppressions happened in canopy accession process. The average growth rates are contrasted among different canopy accession types and species. The growth rate decreased with the increasing of releases and suppressions trees experienced. Schima superba experienced more releases and suppressions than Castanopsis carlesii, which expanding their difference in canopy accession speed. (3) Castanopsis carlesii and Schima superba have different growth patterns: the former takes its own growth way insensibly to variation in light, however the latter changes its growth way. Differentiation of growth pattern, which is the synthesis of adaptive strategies to variation in light, may be an important mechanism to explain the coexistence of so much species in evergreen broadleared forest(EBLF).

Key words: canopy accession types, release and suppression, tree ring analysis, evergreen broad-leaved forest, growth patterns, canopy accession types, release and suppression, tree ring analysis, evergreen broad-leaved forest