2003 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Effects of thinning and mixing canopy tree species on species diversity of forest plants in cool temperate Satoyama area
| Project/Area Number |
14560118
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
林学
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| Research Institution | NIIGATA UNIVERSITY |
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Principal Investigator |
KAMITANI Tomohiko NIIGATA UNIVERSITY, Faculty of Agriculture, Professor, 農学部, 教授 (40152855)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2002 – 2003
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| Keywords | forest in Satoyama / plant species diversity / artificial forest / secondary forest / artificial gap / thinning / forest management |
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| Research Abstract |
A lot of forest areas in Japan have been dominated by abandoned coppice and artificial coniferous forests. Natural forests which have not been affected by forestry activity are restricted to small areas. Forest structure in the abandoned coppice forests and artificial coniferous forests is relatively homogeneous due to interruption of succession by repeated cutting in a short period. Therefore heterogeneous mosaic structure which is comprised of various regeneration phases has been disappeared in the abandoned coppice and artificial coniferous forests.
This project examined how different canopy conditions and forest management affected specie diversity of forest plants in representative forests of cool temperate zone. The study of this project is conducted in Kamikawa village, Niigata Prefecture, central Japan.
In the first chapter, potential plant species diversity was estimated in the abandoned coppice forest areas. In the second chapter, the effect of different canopy condition on light environment of forest floor and plant species diversity was examined in artificial Japanese cedar forests, broadleaf-conifer mixed forests and abandoned coppice forests. The guilds of plant species in each forest type with different canopy conditions were revealed. In the third chapter, forest management system conserving forest plant species was examined. In the forth chapter, regeneration of broad-leaf tree species in artificial canopy gaps was investigated after successive three years after creating the gaps. In each section, management method which restores the species diversity of forest plants in Satoyama area was discussed.
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