Abstract:Nine natural Kalopanax septemlobus population plots were selected in this study in Fenghuang county, Hunan province. This study analyzed the niche characteristics of 29 plant species in tree layer and shrub layer by adopting Levins, Shannon-Wiener, Pianka and Schoener methods. K. septemlobus showed the highest total of importance value of 1.345 in the tree layer. The niche widths of Cunninghamia lanceolata, Xylosma racemosum and K. septemlobus were higher than other species in the tree layer. The niche overlapping among tree species was relatively high and the environment requirement of was similar (69.23% and 52.75% of the tree pairs showed high niche overlapping and high niche similarity). The niche overlap between K. septemlobus and other species showed positive correlation with the niche breadth of other species. The niche differentiation of shrub layer is not significant, suggesting hot competition between them when the resource is insufficient. The relationship among the niche value width, niche overlap value, and niche similarity value is complicated. K. septemlobus showed high niche breadth. It would lose its competitive advantage under condition with limited resouce, which may impair the population regeneration.