Objective To reveal the niche characteristics of shrub community population in the burned areas of Spruce-fir forest in different years on the northeast edge of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.

Method Levins and Shannon Wiener niche breadth index, Pianka and Schoener niche overlap index were used to calculate the niche breadth and niche overlap degree of population, and the specialized species and generalized species of community were divided.

Result The results of Levins and Shannon Wiener niche breadth index of shrub species in burned and unburned forest land were basically the same, and there were differences in the niche breadth of the same species in burned and unburned forest land. There are three specialized species in the 5-years burned area, two specialized species and 1 generalized species in the 15-years burned area and one specialized species in unburned forest land. The proportion of species logarithms with severe niche overlap among species was 15-year-burned land>5-year-burned land>unfired forest land. The species logarithm proportion of general niche overlap was 5-years-burned land>15-yearly-burned land>unfired Woodland. And the proportion of species logarithm with less niche overlap was unburned forest land > 15 years burned area > 5 years burned area.

Conclusion After severe fire disturbance in the Spruce-fir forest on the northeast edge of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, the degree of niche overlap among species of shrub communities in burned areas of different years is constantly changing, while the degree of niche overlap among species in undergrowth of unburned forest land remains relatively low, and the community is in a positive succession stage.