Blog List

Sunday 24 July 2016

The spatial distributions of understory trees in relation to dwarf bamboo cover in a cool-temperate deciduous broadleaf forest in Japan

Published Date
Volume 20, Issue 3, pp 357-362
First online: 

Title 

The spatial distributions of understory trees in relation to dwarf bamboo cover in a cool-temperate deciduous broadleaf forest in Japan

  • Author 
  • Muneto Hirobe 
  • Sho Miyamoto
  • Keiji Sakamoto
  • Junji Kondo
  • Takashi Otoda
  • Yasuaki Akaji
  • Norikazu Yamanaka

Abstract

Dwarf bamboo is a major understory vegetation in Japanese forests, and is recognized to be an ecological filter for the seedlings of overstory tree species. However, the effects of dwarf bamboo cover on the entire understory tree community, including shrubs, have not been fully assessed. Using spatial analysis by distance indices (SADIE), we analyzed the spatial distributions of, and the spatial associations between, Sasa palmata cover and understory trees (diameter at breast height <2 cm, height ≥50 cm) in a cool-temperate deciduous broadleaf forest dominated by Fagus crenata. In a 20 m × 240 m area, we found 49 total species, among 11,686 stems. Cephalotaxus harringtonia var. nana, plus Lindera umbellata and F. crenata stems accounted for about 50 % of the overall total. The SADIE analysis based on 5 m × 5 m quadrats demonstrated that most species, among the 20 tree species we examined, showed significantly aggregated distributions (P < 0.05) and/or significant spatial dissociations (P < 0.05) with S. palmatacover. However, for C. harringtonia var. nanaL. umbellataMeliosma tenuis, and Ligustrum tschonoskii, their spatial distributions were independent, or significantly associated (P < 0.05) with S. palmata cover. Our results indicates that dwarf bamboo acts as an ecological filter, not only for the seedlings of overstory tree species but also for other understory trees, in the cool-temperate deciduous broadleaf forest.

References

  1. Abe M, Izaki J, Miguchi H, Masaki T, Makita A, Nakashizuka T (2002) The effects of Sasa and canopy gap formation on tree regeneration in an old beech forest. J Veg Sci 13:565–574
  2. Akaji Y, Hirobe M, Harada M, Otoda T, Yamanaka N, Sakamoto K (2013) Microphysical environmental factors affecting the local distribution of dwarf bamboo (Sasa palmata) in a cool-temperate deciduous broadleaf forest in Japan. Écoscience 20:339–344CrossRef
  3. Doležal J, Matsuki S, Hara T (2009) Effects of dwarf-bamboo understory on tree seedling emergence and survival in a mixed-oak forest in northern Japan: a multi-site experimental study. Commun Ecol 10:225–235CrossRef
  4. Hiura T, Sano J, Konno Y (1995) Age structure and response to fine-scale disturbances of Abies sachalinensisPicea jezoensisPicea glehnii, and Betula ermanii growing under the influence of a dwarf bamboo understory in northern Japan. Can J For Res 26:289–297CrossRef
  5. Hukusima T, Takasuna H, Matsui T, Nishio T, Kyan Y, Tsunetomi Y (1995) New phytosociological classification of beech forests in Japan. Jpn J Ecol 45:79–98
  6. Itô H, Hino T (2007) Dwarf bamboo as an ecological filter for forest regeneration. Ecol Res 22:706–711CrossRef
  7. Kubo T, Ida H (1998) Sustainability of an isolated beech–dwarf bamboo stand: analysis of forest dynamics with individual based model. Ecol Model 111:223–235CrossRef
  8. Nakashizuka T (1987) Regeneration dynamics of beech forests in Japan. Vegetatio 69:169–176CrossRef
  9. Nakashizuka T (1988) Regeneration of beech (Fagus crenata) after the simultaneous death of undergrowing dwarf bamboo (Sasa kurilensis). Ecol Res 3:21–35CrossRef
  10. Perry JN, Dixon P (2002) A new method to measure spatial association in ecological count data. Écoscience 9:133–141
  11. Perry JN, Winder L, Holland JM, Alston RD (1999) Red–blue plots for detecting clusters in count data. Ecol Lett 2:106–113CrossRef
  12. Shidei T (1974) Forest vegetation zones. In: Numata M (ed) The flora and vegetation of Japan. Kodansha, Tyokyo, pp 87–124
  13. Soil Survey Staff (2010) Keys to soil taxonomy. 11th edn. USDA–Natural Resources Conservation Service, Washington DC
  14. Torimaru T, Nishimura N, Matsui K, Hara T, Yamamoto S (2009) Variations in resistance to canopy disturbances and their interactions with the spatial structure of major species in a cool-temperate forest. J Veg Sci 20:944–958CrossRef
  15. Umeki K, Kikuzawa K (1999) Long-term growth dynamics of natural forests in Hokkaido, northern Japan. J Veg Sci 10:815–824CrossRef
  16. Yamamoto S, Nishimura N, Matsui K (1995) Natural disturbance and tree species coexistence in an old-growth beech–dwarf bamboo forest, southwestern Japan. J Veg Sci 6:875–886CrossRef

For further details log on website :
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10310-015-0480-7

No comments:

Post a Comment

Advantages and Disadvantages of Fasting for Runners

Author BY   ANDREA CESPEDES  Food is fuel, especially for serious runners who need a lot of energy. It may seem counterintuiti...