Evaluation of the revegetation potential of coastal plants damaged by the Tohoku tsunami of 2011

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24710279
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Resource conservation science
• Research Institution: Hiroshima Institute of Technology
• Principal Investigator: OKA Kohei 広島工業大学, 環境学部, 助教 (80573253)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 津波 / 海浜植物 / 湿地植物 / 海浜 / 海岸林 / 攪乱

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study examined the revegetation of coastal plants damaged by the Tohoku tsunami of 2011 in a sandy beach to coastal forest ecotone in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. The revegetation of coastal plants was different in each region. Coastal plant density was significantly higher in the forest than on the beach. Coastal plants likely established in the coastal forest from the seedbank or from rhizomes extending from the beach. Also, our results suggest that it is important to maintain diverse conditions of microtopography and salinity to conserve the diversity of wetland plants in this region.

Free Research Field

保全生態学