Abstract: The ice storm in 2008 had serious impact on forest ecosystems in Nanling Mountain. Almost all kinds of plantations and natural forests were subjected to varying degrees of influence. By investigating the understory saplings of different communities in the Nanling Arboretum 4 years after the storm occurred to depict the sapling biodiversity and its distribution patterns. The results showed that the seed germinating and root sucker sprouting made each community structure emerged a more significant stratification. There were significant differences of reserved seedlings and saplings among different communities: 8 870 per hm2 in deciduous broad-leaved forest (DBF), 7 160 per hm2 in evergreen broad-leaved forest (EBF) and 5 920 per hm2 in coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forest (MF). The diameter at breast height (DBH) distribution of understory saplings focused broad-leaved mixed forest(MF).The diameter at breast height(DBH)distribution of understory saplings focused in 0.6—1.8 cm, and had a maximal DBH of 1.0 cm. While DBH ranged from 1.8—3.0 cm, the sapling amount of EBF was slightly different from that of DBH and MF, the former was more than the latter. there were few understory saplings with DBH between 3.0—5.0 cm in these communities, which presents that the community structure had no significant stratification and the ice storm contributed to the regeneration and succession of different communities.Using of data processing software SPSS 21.0 to analysis the difference and correlation of biodiversity index between conopy trees and understory splings, there was no significant difference of biodiversity index among different community canopy trees, but the understory splings. The sapling species richness(S) was significantly higher than tree species, and the Pielou index(J)of understory saplings and canopy tree species was basically between 0.5—0.6, which had no significant differences. The canopy species composition and uniformity of distribution affected the distribution of understory saplings.The variance mean ratio(V/m) was applied to measure the distribution pattern of the dominant species of understory saplings in different communities. The results indicated that all of dominant sapling species of each community appeared aggregated distribution. Among them saplings through seeds(by some canopy species spreading) germinating and root suckering occurred often gather greater strength. Neolitsea chui (K=18.584) and Daphniphyllum calycinum (K=9.792 5) approach Poisson distribution in DBF which Choerospondias axillaris as the dominant species. The interspecific association of Choerospondias axillaris and Neolitsea chui could be obtained by interspecific link analysis.