Empirical solution to functions of canopy gaps in the maintenance of biodiversity of a broadleaved natural forest in Japan.

Research Project

Project/Area Number	21580194
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
Allocation Type	Single-year Grants
Section	一般
Research Field	Forest science
Research Institution	Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute
Principal Investigator	ABE Shin 独立行政法人森林総合研究所, 森林植生研究領域, 主任研究員 (90353557)
Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha)	MASAKI Takashi 独立行政法人森林総合研究所, 森林植生研究領域, 室長 (60353851) TANAKA Hiroshi 独立行政法人森林総合研究所, 森林植生研究領域, 領域長 (80343789)
Research Collaborator	TAKAHASHI Rie 東京農業大学, 地域環境科学部・森林総合科学科卒
Project Period (FY)	2009 – 2011
Project Status	Completed (Fiscal Year 2011)
Budget Amount *help	¥4,160,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥960,000) Fiscal Year 2011: ¥650,000 (Direct Cost: ¥500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥150,000) Fiscal Year 2010: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000) Fiscal Year 2009: ¥2,340,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥540,000)
Keywords	森林生態 / 生物多様性 / ギャップダイナミクス / 保全
Research Abstract	We investigated sapling community at 53 forest canopy gaps in a natural forest in northern Ibaraki, for approximately 20 years. By chasing many samples for a long term in a permanent observation plot, we empirically clarified 1) regeneration process of major tree species that have not be well known and 2) the appropriateness of a popular hypothesis that canopy gaps contribute to maintain the biodiversity of forest tree species. It was shown that there are species which depend on gaps, that some of the species decline if the gaps became old, that regeneration in gaps was influenced by size or topography of the gaps, and that the trees which breed by birds have high dependence to the gaps.