Heavy thinning in hinoki plantations in Shikoku (southwestern Japan) has limited effects on recruitment of seedlings of other tree species

Published Date

First online: 22 April 2016

Title 

Heavy thinning in hinoki plantations in Shikoku (southwestern Japan) has limited effects on recruitment of seedlings of other tree species

• Author 

• Mahoko Noguchi 
• , Kazuki Miyamoto
• , Shiro Okuda
• , Takeharu Itou
• , Atsushi Sakai

• 
  

• Abstract 

• 
  

• Heavy thinning may provide a feasible means to convert single-species coniferous plantations to broadleaved or mixed forests. To assess this possibility, we monitored tree seedling dynamics of other tree species, the understory microenvironment, and seed availability following heavy thinning (50 % by volume) in two hinoki (Chamaecyparisobtusa) plantations in Shikoku, southwestern Japan. Conventional (35 % by volume) and row thinning (50 % by volume) treatments were also applied at one of the sites. Diffuse transmittance in the understory dramatically increased after all thinning treatments then rapidly decreased, except after row thinning. Heavy thinning accelerated recruitment of small seedlings (with stems <30 cm high) at one of the sites. However, the densities of these seedlings declined sharply, and increases in the densities of larger seedlings recorded in subsequent surveys were very small. Furthermore, at the other site, recruitment of small seedlings under heavy thinning was equivalent to that under conventional thinning and lower than that under row thinning. Abundant species in the recruited seedlings were pioneer or subcanopy species found in the soil seed bank. Low seed rain density at both sites appeared to be responsible for the poor recruitment of canopy tree species. Our results suggest that heavy thinning had limited effects on the seedling recruitment of other tree species in these hinoki plantations due to insufficient seed rain and rapid canopy closure.

• 
  

• References 

• 
  

• 1. Augusto L, Dupouey J-L, Picard J-F, Ranger J (2001) Potential contribution of the seed bank in coniferous plantations to the restoration of native deciduous forest vegetation. Acta Oecol 22:87–98CrossRef
  2. Beckage B, Clark JS, Clinton BD, Haines BL (2000) A long-term study of tree seedling recruitment in southern Appalachian forests: the effects of canopy gaps and shrub understories. Can J For Res 30:1617–1631CrossRef
  3. Brockerhoff EG, Jactel H, Parrotta JA, Quine CP, Sayer J (2008) Plantation forests and biodiversity: oxymoron or opportunity? Biodivers Conserv 17:925–951CrossRef
  4. Brown D (1992) Estimating the composition of a forest seed bank—a comparison of the seed extraction and seedling emergence methods. Can J Bot 70:1603–1612CrossRef
  5. Crawley MJ (2002) Statistical computing: an introduction to data analysis using S-Plus. Wiley, Chichester
  6. Felton A, Lindbladh M, Brunet J, Fritz O (2010) Replacing coniferous monocultures with mixed-species production stands: an assessment of the potential benefits for forest biodiversity in northern Europe. For Ecol Manage 260:939–947CrossRef
  7. Forestry Agency of Japan (2012) Statistical handbook of forest and forestry, 2012. Japan Forest Foundation, Tokyo
  8. Gonzales RS, Nakashizuka T (2010) Broad-leaf species composition in Cryptomeria japonica plantations with respect to distance from natural forest. For Ecol Manage 259:2133–2140CrossRef
  9. Grassi G, Minotta G, Tonon G, Bagnaresi U (2004) Dynamics of Norway spruce and silver fir natural regeneration in a mixed stand under uneven-aged management. Can J For Res 34:141–149CrossRef
  10. Harmer R, Morgan G (2009) Storm damage and the conversion of conifer plantations to native broadleaved woodland. For Ecol Manag 258:879–886CrossRef
  11. Hérault B, Thoen D, Honnay O (2004) Assessing the potential of natural woody species regeneration for the conversion of Norway spruce plantations on alluvial soils. Ann For Sci 61:711–719CrossRef
  12. Ishida M (2004) Automatic thresholding for digital hemispherical photography. Can J For Res 34:2208–2216CrossRef
  13. Ito S, Nakayama R, Buckley GP (2004) Effects of previous land-use on plant species diversity in semi-natural and plantation forests in a warm-temperate region in southeastern Kyushu, Japan. For Ecol Manag 196:213–225CrossRef
  14. Ito S, Ishigami S, Mitsuda Y, Buckley GP (2006) Factors affecting the occurrence of woody plants in understory of sugi (Cryptomeria japonica D. Don) plantations in a warm-temperate region in Japan. J For Res 11:243–251CrossRef
  15. Japan Meteorological Agency (2002) Mesh climatic data of Japan 2000 (CD-ROM). Japan Meteorological Agency, Tokyo
  16. Kanninen M (2010) Plantation forests: global perspectives. In: Bauhus J, van der Meer P, Kanninen M (eds) Ecosystem goods and services from plantation forests. Earthscan, London, pp 1–15
  17. Kerr G (1999) The use of silvicultural systems to enhance the biological diversity of plantation forests in Britain. Forestry 72:191–205CrossRef
  18. Kiyono Y (1990) Dynamics and control of understories in Chamaecyparis obtusa plantations. Bull For For Prod Res Inst 359:1–122 (in Japanese with English summary)
  19. Knoke T, Ammer C, Stimm B, Mosandl R (2008) Admixing broadleaved to coniferous tree species: a review on yield, ecological stability and economics. Eur J For Res 127:89–101CrossRef
  20. Kochi Regional Forest Office (1977) Thinning guideline. Kochi Regional Forest Office, Kochi (in Japanese)
  21. Kominami Y, Sato T, Takeshita K, Manabe T, Endo A, Noma N (2003) Classification of bird-dispersed plants by fruiting phenology, fruit size, and growth form in a primary lucidophyllous forest: an analysis, with implications for the conservation of fruit–bird interactions. Ornithol Sci 2:3–23
  22. Lorimer CG, Chapman JW, Lambert WD (1994) Tall understorey vegetation as a factor in the poor development of oak seedlings beneath mature stands. J Ecol 82:227–237CrossRef
  23. Matsuzaki S, Kawahara T (2006) The possibility of natural regeneration in artificial Chamaecyparis obtusa stands. J Agric Sci Tokyo Nogyo Daigaku 51:1–7 (in Japanese with English summary)
  24. Messier C, Doucet R, Ruel JC, Claveau Y, Kelly C, Lechowicz MJ (1999) Functional ecology of advance regeneration in relation to light in boreal forests. Can J For Res 29:812–823CrossRef
  25. Miyamoto K, Okuda S, Inagaki Y, Kodani E, Noguchi M, Itou T (2009) Comparison of growth performance and leaf area index in Hinoki cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa) plantations 5 years after thinning. Jpn J For Environ 51:21–26 (in Japanese with English summary)
  26. Moles AT, Drake DR (1999) Potential contributions of the seed rain and seed bank to regeneration of native forest under plantation pine in New Zealand. N Z J Bot 37:83–93CrossRef
  27. Nagaike T (2000) A review of ecological studies on plant species diversity in plantation ecosystem. J Jpn For Soc 82:407–416 (in Japanese with English summary)
  28. Nagaike T, Hayashi A, Abe M, Arai N (2003) Differences in plant species diversity in Larix kaempferi plantations of different ages in central Japan. For Ecol Manag 183:177–193CrossRef
  29. Nagaike T, Hayashi A, Kubo M (2010) Diversity of naturally regenerating tree species in the overstorey layer of Larix kaempferi plantations and abandoned broadleaf coppice stands in central Japan. Forestry 83:285–291CrossRef
  30. Nakashizuka T (1988) Regeneration of beech (Fagus crenata) after the simultaneous death of undergrowing dwarf bamboo (Sasa kurilensis). Ecol Res 3:21–35CrossRef
  31. Noguchi M, Okuda S, Miyamoto K, Itou T, Inagaki Y (2011) Composition, size structure and local variation of naturally regenerated broadleaved tree species in hinoki cypress plantations: a case study in Shikoku, south-western Japan. Forestry 84:493–504CrossRef
  32. Olson MG, Meyer SR, Wagner RG, Seymour RS (2014) Commercial thinning stimulates natural regeneration in spruce–fir stands. Can J For Res 44:173–181CrossRef
  33. Onaindia M, Amezaga I (2000) Seasonal variation in the seed banks of native woodland and coniferous plantations in Northern Spain. For Ecol Manag 126:163–172CrossRef
  34. Osem Y, Zangy E, Bney-Moshe E, Moshe Y, Karni N, Nisan Y (2009) The potential of transforming simple structured pine plantations into mixed Mediterranean forests through natural regeneration along a rainfall gradient. For Ecol Manag 259:14–23CrossRef
  35. Otto R, García-del-Rey E, Méndez J, Fernández-Palacios JM (2012) Effects of thinning on seed rain, regeneration and understory vegetation in a Pinus canariensis plantation (Tenerife, Canary Islands). For Ecol Manag 280:71–81CrossRef
  36. Paquette A, Messier C (2010) The role of plantations in managing the world’s forests in the Anthropocene. Front Ecol Environ 8:27–34CrossRef
  37. Parker WC, Elliott KA, Dey DC, Boysen E, Newmaster SG (2001) Managing succession in conifer plantations: converting young red pine (Pinus resinosa Ait.) plantations to native forest types by thinning and underplanting. For Chron 77:721–734CrossRef
  38. R Core Team (2015) R: a language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna
  39. Sakai A, Sato S, Sakai T, Kuramoto S, Tabuchi R (2005) A soil seed bank in a mature conifer plantation and establishment of seedlings after clear-cutting in southwest Japan. J For Res 10:295–304CrossRef
  40. Seiwa K, Ando M, Imaji A, Tomita M, Kanou K (2009) Spatio-temporal variation of environmental signals inducing seed germination in temperate conifer plantations and natural hardwood forests in northern Japan. For Ecol Manag 257:361–369CrossRef
  41. Seiwa K, Etoh Y, Hisita M, Masaka K, Imaji A, Ueno N, Hasegawa Y, Konno M, Kanno H, Kimura M (2012) Roles of thinning intensity in hardwood recruitment and diversity in a conifer, Criptomeria japonica plantation: a 5-year demographic study. For Ecol Manag 269:177–187CrossRef
  42. Senbeta F, Teketay D, Näslund B-Å (2002) Native woody species regeneration in exotic tree plantations at Munessa-Shashemene Forest, southern Ethiopia. New For 24:131–145CrossRef
  43. Shibata M, Tanaka H, Iida S, Abe S, Masaki T, Niiyama K, Nakashizuka T (2002) Synchronized annual seed production by 16 principal tree species in a temperate deciduous forest, Japan. Ecology 83:1727–1742CrossRef
  44. Shimoda K, Kimura K, Kanzaki M, Yoda K (1994) The regeneration of pioneer tree species under browsing pressure of Sika deer in an evergreen oak forest. Ecol Res 9:85–92CrossRef
  45. Soil Survey Staff (2010) Keys to soil taxonomy, 11th edn. USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Washington, DC
  46. Sugita H, Kunisaki T, Takahashi T, Takahashi R (2008) Effects of previous forest types and site conditions on species composition and abundance of naturally regenerated trees in young Cryptomeria japonica plantations in northern Japan. J For Res 13:155–164CrossRef
  47. Takatsuki S (2009) Effects of sika deer on vegetation in Japan: a review. Biol Conserv 142:1922–1929CrossRef
  48. Utsugi E, Kanno H, Ueno N, Tomita M, Saitoh T, Kimura M, Kanou K, Seiwa K (2006) Hardwood recruitment into conifer plantations in Japan: effects of thinning and distance from neighboring hardwood forests. For Ecol Manag 237:15–28CrossRef
  49. Washitani I, Takenaka A (1986) ‘Safe sites’ for the seed germination of Rhus javanica: a characterization by responses to temperature and light. Ecol Res 1:71–82CrossRef
  50. Washitani I, Takenaka A (1987) Gap-detecting mechanism in the seed germination of Mallotus japonicus (Thunb.) Muell. Arg., a common pioneer tree of secondary succession in temperate Japan. Ecol Res 2:191–201CrossRef
  51. Yamagawa H, Ito S (2006) The role of different sources of tree regeneration in the initial stages of natural forest recovery after logging of conifer plantation in a warm-temperate region. J For Res 11:455–460CrossRef
  52. Yamagawa H, Ito S, Nakao T (2008) Early establishment of broadleaved trees after logging of Cryptomeria japonicaand Chamaecyparis obtusa plantations with different understory treatments. J For Res 13:372–379CrossRef
  53. Yamagawa H, Ikebuchi M, Ito S, Ito H, Hirata R (2010a) Acorn dispersal by wood mice in a secondary lucidophyllous forest on a steep slope in a warm-temperate region of Japan. J Jpn For Soc 92:157–161 (in Japanese with English summary)CrossRef
  54. Yamagawa H, Ito S, Nakao T (2010b) Restoration of semi-natural forest after clearcutting of conifer plantations in Japan. Landsc Ecol Eng 6:109–117CrossRef
  55. Yamamoto S-i, Tsutsumi T (1985a) The population dynamics of naturally regenerated hinoki seedlings in artificial hinoki stands (V): the development and survivorship of seedlings on the various kinds of forest floors. J Jpn For Soc 67:427–433 (in Japanese with English summary)
  56. Yamamoto S-i, Tsutsumi T (1985b) The population dynamics of naturally regenerated hinoki seedlings in artificial hinoki stands (IV): process of seedling emergence. J Jpn For Soc 67:20–27 (in Japanese with English summary)
  57. Yamanaka T (1978) The vegetation and flora of Kochi prefecture. Rinya Kosaikai, Kochi (in Japanese)
  58. Yeo US, Lee DK (2006) Early regeneration of Fraxinus rhynchophylla in the understorey of Larix kaempferi stands in response to thinning. Forestry 79:167–176CrossRef
  59. Zamora R, Hodar JA, Matias L, Mendoza I (2010) Positive adjacency effects mediated by seed disperser birds in pine plantations. Ecol Appl 20:1053–1060CrossRefPubMed
  60. Zerbe S (2002) Restoration of natural broad-leaved woodland in Central Europe on sites with coniferous forest plantations. For Ecol Manag 167:27–42CrossRef
  61. Zhu J, Yang K, Yan Q, Liu Z, Yu L, Wang H (2010) Feasibility of implementing thinning in even-aged Larix olgensisplantations to develop uneven-aged larch–broadleaved mixed forests. J For Res 15:71–80CrossRef

• 
  

• For further details log on website :

• http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10310-016-0522-9