Does management of upper vegetation improve tolerance to herbivory? A test based on resource allocation theory

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K07471
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Forest science
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Suzuki Maki 東京大学, 大学院新領域創成科学研究科, 准教授 (40396817)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 松木 佐和子 岩手大学, 農学部, 講師 (40443981) ; 楠本 大 東京大学, 大学院農学生命科学研究科(農学部), 講師 (80540608)
• Research Collaborator: TAKAGI Toyohiro ; HISAMOTO Yoko ; MITSUGI Mitsukazu ; KARUKOME Tsutomu ; HARADA Kensuke
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: ニホンジカ / 二次林 / 上層木管理 / 耐陰性 / 耐食害性 / 防御物質

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We examined effects of clearcutting and deer-exclosure installation on the forest floor vegetation of abandoned woodlands. Clearcutting improved light environment of forest floor helped germination of herbivory-tolerant or herbivory-resistant plants. Ground cover of understory vegetation increased to >45% by clearcutting even without installation of deer-exclosure; no significant recovery was found under closed canopy. Clearcutting increased inter- and intra-species variation in traits related to growth, photosynthesis and herbivory defence among forest-floor plants, increasing diversity of functional traits. Improvement of light environment of abandoned woodland would promote regeneration of many herbivory-tolerant species and also benefit growth and defence behaviour. These effects are expected to increase herbivory-toleance of forest vegetation.

Free Research Field

森林生態学