Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Pattern of changes in species diversity, structure and dynamics of forest ecosystems along latitudinal gradients in East Asia

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Ecological Research

Abstract

We examined effects of seasonality of climate and dominant life form (evergreen/deciduous, broad-leaf/coniferous) together with energy condition on species diversity, forest structure, forest dynamics, and productivity of forest ecosystems by comparing the patterns of changes in these ecosystem attributes along altitudinal gradients in tropical regions without seasonality and along a latitudinal gradient from tropical to temperate regions in humid East Asia. We used warmth index (temperature sum during growing season, WI) as an index of energy condition common to both altitudinal and latitudinal gradients. There were apparent differences in patterns of changes in the ecosystem attributes in relation to WI among four forest formations that were classified according to dominant life form and climatic zone (tropical/temperate). Many of the ecosystem attributes—Fisher’s alpha of species-diversity indices, maximum tree height and stem density, productivity [increment rate of aboveground biomass (AGB)], and population and biomass turnover rates—changed sharply with WI in tropical and temperate evergreen broad-leaved forests, but did not change linearly or changed only loosely with WI in temperate deciduous broad-leaved and evergreen coniferous forests. Values of these ecosystem attributes in temperate deciduous broad-leaved and evergreen coniferous forests were higher (stem density was lower) than those in tropical and temperate evergreen broad-leaved forests under colder conditions (WI below 100°C). Present results indicate that seasonality of climate and resultant change in dominant life form work to buffer the effects of energy reduction on ecosystem attributes along latitudinal gradients.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adams JM, Woodward FI (1989) Patterns in tree species richness as a test of the glacial extinction hypothesis. Nature 339:699–701

    Google Scholar 

  • Aiba S, Kitayama K (1999) Structure, composition and species diversity in an altitude-substrate matrix of rain forest tree communities on Mount Kinabalu, Borneo. Plant Ecol 140:139–157

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aiba S, Kohyama T (1997) Crown architecture and life-history traits of 14 tree species in a warm-temperate rain forest: significance of spatial heterogeneity. J Ecol 85:611–624

    Google Scholar 

  • Akashi N, Nakashizuka T (1999) Effects of bark-stripping by Sika deer (Cervus nippon) on population dynamics of a mixed forest in Japan. For Ecol Manage 113:75–82

    Google Scholar 

  • Ando T, Chiba K, Nishimura T, Tanimoto T (1977) Temperate fir and hemlock forests in Shikoku. In: Shidei T, Kira T (eds) Primary productivity of Japanese forests (JIBP synthesis 16). University of Tokyo Press, Tokyo, pp 213–244

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown S (1997) Estimating biomass and biomass change of tropical forests. A primer. FAO Forestry Paper 134. A Forest Resource Assessment Publication

  • Clark DA, Brown S, Kicklighter DW, Chambers JQ, Thomlinson JR, Ni J, Holland EA (2001) Net primary production in tropical forests: an evaluation and synthesis of existing field data. Ecol Appl 11:371–384

    Google Scholar 

  • Cornelissen JHC (1996) An experimental comparison of leaf decomposition rates in a wide range of temperate plant species and types. J Ecol 84:573–582

    Google Scholar 

  • Currie DJ (1991) Energy and large-scale patterns of animal- and plant-species richness. Am Nat 137:27–49

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holdridge LR (1947) Determination of world plant formations from simple climatic data. Science 105:367–368

    Google Scholar 

  • Hutchinson GE (1959) Homage to Santa Rosalia, or why are there so many kind of animals? Am Nat 93:145–159

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ikushima I (1964) Productive structure of tree communities. In: National Park Agency of Japan (ed) Report on scientific research of Mount Ohyama in Tanzawa Mountains. Kanagawa Prefecture, Yokohama, pp 106–125

  • Iwasa Y, Sato K, Kakita M, Kubo T (1993) Modeling biodiversity: latitudinal gradient of forest species diversity. In: Schulze ED, Mooney HA (eds) Biodiversity and ecosystem function. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 433–451

    Google Scholar 

  • Kikuzawa K (1991) A cost-benefit analysis of leaf habit and leaf longevity of trees and their geographical pattern. Am Nat 138:1250–1263

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kimura M (1960) Primary production of the warm-temperate laurel forest in the southern part of Oosumi Peninsula, Kyushu, Japan. Misc Rep Res Inst Nat Res 52–53:36–47

    Google Scholar 

  • Kira T (1948) On the altitudinal arrangement of climatic zones in Japan (in Japanese). Kanti-Nogaku 2:142–173

    Google Scholar 

  • Kira T (1976) Terrestrial ecosystems, ecological studies 2 (in Japanese). Kyoritu Shuppan, Tokyo

    Google Scholar 

  • Kitayama K (1992) An altitudinal transect study of the vegetation on Mount Kinabalu, Borneo. Vegetatio 102:149–171

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kohyama T, Suzuki E, Aiba S, Seino T (1999) Functional differentiation and positive feedback enhancing plant biodiversity. In: Kato M (ed) The biology of biodiversity. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York Tokyo, pp 179–191

    Google Scholar 

  • Kubota Y (1995) Effects of disturbance and size structure on the regeneration process in a sub-boreal coniferous forest, northern Japan. Ecol Res 10:135–142

    Google Scholar 

  • Kubota Y (2000) The spatial dynamics of regeneration in a conifer/broadleaf mixed forest in northern Japan. J Veg Sci 11:633–640

    Google Scholar 

  • Kubota Y, Hiura T, Konno Y (1994) Stand structure and growth patterns of understory trees in a coniferous forest, Taisetsuzan National Park, Japan. Ecol Res 9:333–341

    Google Scholar 

  • Lieth H (1975) Modeling the primary productivity of the world. In: Lieth H, Whittaker RH (eds) Primary productivity of the biosphere. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York Tokyo, pp 237–263

    Google Scholar 

  • Luna AC, Osumi K, Gascon AF, Lasco RD, Palijon AM, Castillio ML (1999) The community structure of a logged-over tropical rain forest in Mt. Makiling Forest Reserve, Philippines. J Trop For Sci 11:446–458

    Google Scholar 

  • Miura M, Manabe T, Nishimura N, Yamamoto S (2001) Forest canopy and community dynamics in a temperate old-growth evergreen broad-leaved forest, south-western Japan: a 7-year study of a 4-ha plot. J Ecol 89:841–849

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nagano M (1978) Dynamics of stand development. In: Kira T, Ono Y, Hosokawa T (eds) Biological production in a warm-temperate evergreen oak forest of Japan (JIBP synthesis 18). University of Tokyo Press, Tokyo, pp 21–32

    Google Scholar 

  • Nakagawa M, Tanaka K, Nakashizuka T, Ohkubo T, Kato T, Maeda T, Sato K, Miguchi H, Nagamasu H, Ogino K, Teo S, Hamid AA, Seng LH (2000) Impact of severe drought associated with the 1997–1998 El Nino in a tropical forest in Sarawak. J Trop Ecol 16:355–367

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nakao T (1985) Ecological studies of Abies and Tsuga forests in Kyushu, Japan. Bull Miyazaki Univ For 25:1–156

    Google Scholar 

  • Nakashizuka T (1984) Regeneration process of climax beech (Fagus crenata) forests V. Population dynamics of beech in a regeneration process. Jpn J Ecol 34:411–420

    Google Scholar 

  • Nakashizuka T (1991) Population dynamics of coniferous and broad-leaved trees in a Japanese temperate mixed forest. J Veg Sci 2:413–418

    Google Scholar 

  • Nakashizuka T, Matsumoto Y (2002) Diversity and interaction in a temperate forest community. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York Tokyo

    Google Scholar 

  • Niiyama K, Kassim AR, Iida S, Kimura K, Ripin A, Appanah S (2003) Regeneration of a clear-cut plot in a lowland dipterocarp forest in Pasoh Forest Reserve, Peninsular Malaysia. In: Okuda T, Manokaran N, Matsumoto Y, Niiyama K, Thomas SC, Ashton PS (eds) Pasoh: ecology of a lowland rain forest in Southeast Asia. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York Tokyo, pp 559–568

    Google Scholar 

  • Ohsawa M (1995) Latitudinal comparison of altitudinal changes in forest structure, leaf-type, and species richness in humid monsoon Asia. Vegetatio 121:3–10

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Phillips OL, Hall P, Gentry AH, Sawyer SA, Váquez R (1994) Dynamics and species richness of tropical rain forests. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 91:2805–2809

    Google Scholar 

  • Reich PB (1993) Reconciling apparent discrepancies among studies relating life span, structure and function of leaves in contrasting plant life forms and climates: ‘the blind men and the elephant retold’. Funct Ecol 7:721–725

    Google Scholar 

  • Reich PB, Bolstad P (2001) Productivity of evergreen and deciduous temperate forests. In: Roy J, Saugier B, Mooney HA (eds) Terrestrial global productivity. Academic, San Diego, pp 245–283

    Google Scholar 

  • Research group on forest productivity of the four universities (1960) Studies on the productivity of the forest. Part I. Essential needle-leaved forests of Hokkaido. Kokusaku Pulp, Tokyo

  • Runkle JR (1989) Synchrony of regeneration, gaps, and latitudinal differences in tree species diversity. Ecology 70:546–547

    Google Scholar 

  • Suzuki E, Tsukahara J (1987) Age structure and regeneration of old growth Cryptomeria japonica forests on Yakushima Island. Bot Mag Tokyo 100:223–241

    Google Scholar 

  • Suzuki W, Osumi K, Masaki T, Takahashi K, Daimaru H, Hoshizaki K (2002) Disturbance regimes and community structure of a riparian and an adjacent terrace stand in the Kanumazawa Riparian Research Forest, northern Japan. For Ecol Manage 157:285–301

    Google Scholar 

  • Takahashi K (1979) Estimate of evapotranspiration based on monthly temperature and precipitation (in Japanese). Tenki 26:759–762

    Google Scholar 

  • Takahashi K (1994) Effect of size structure, forest floor type and disturbance regime on tree species composition in a coniferous forest in Japan. J Ecol 82:769–773

    Google Scholar 

  • Takahashi K, Yoshida K, Suzuki M, Seino T, Tani T, Tashiro N, Ishii T, Sugata S, Fujito E, Naniwa A, Kudo G, Hiura T, Kohyama T (1999) Stand biomass, net production and canopy structure in a secondary deciduous broad-leaved forest, northern Japan. Res Bull Hokkaido Univ For 56:70–85

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Takyu M, Ohsawa M, Ozaki K, Ohtsuka Y, Yoshida N, Honma K, Ono M, Egusa K (1994) Community dynamics of a Cryptomeria japonica forest during 10 years in the Yakushima wilderness area, Yakushima island, southern Japan. In: Environment Agency, Nature Conservation Bureau (ed) Long term ecological studies in the Yakushima wilderness area and its surrounding areas, 1994 reports (in Japanese with English summary). Nature Conservation Society of Japan, Tokyo, pp 3–19

  • Takyu M, Aiba S, Kitayama K (2002) Effects of topography on tropical lower montane forests under different geological conditions on Mount Kinabalu, Borneo. Plant Ecol 159:35–49

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tanouchi H, Yamamoto S (1995) Structure and regeneration of canopy species in an old-growth evergreen broad-leaved forest in Aya district, southwestern Japan. Vegetatio 117:51–60

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tanouchi H, Sato T, Takeshita K (1994) Comparative studies on acorn and seedling dynamics of four Quercus species in an evergreen broad-leaved forest. J Plant Res 107:153–159

    Google Scholar 

  • Thornthwaite CW (1948) An approach toward a rational classification of climate. Geogr Rev 21:633–651

    Google Scholar 

  • Uchijima Z, Seino H (1985) Agroclimatic evaluation of net primary productivity of natural vegetations. I. Chikugo model evaluating net primary productivity. J Agr Meteorol 40:343–352

    Google Scholar 

  • Wada N, Ribbens E (1997) Japanese maple (Acer palmatum var. matsumurae, Aceraceae) recruitment patterns:seeds, seedlings, and saplings in relation to conspecific adult neighbors. Am J Bot 84:1294–1300

    Google Scholar 

  • Waring RH, Franklin JF (1979) Evergreen coniferous forests of the Pacific Northwest. Science 204:1380–1386

    Google Scholar 

  • Whitmore TC (1990) An introduction to tropical rain forests. Clarendon Press, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Yamakura T, Hagiwara T, Sukardjo S, Ogawa H (1986) Aboveground biomass of tropical rain forest stands in Indonesian Borneo. Vegetatio 68:71–82

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank Prof. T. Kohoyama and Prof. T. Nakashizuka for their valuable comments. We would also like to thank the following people who allowed us to use their plot data: Dr. H. Ida, Dr. K. Takahashi, Dr. A. C. Luna, Dr. K. Niiyama, Dr. T. Masaki, Dr. N. Akashi, Dr. M. Nakagawa, Dr. T. Manabe, Dr. Y. Kominami, Dr. Abd. Rahman Kassim, and Dr. Nur Supardi Md. Noor. Research in Pasoh Forest Reserve was supported by an NIES/FRIM/UPM Joint Research Project grant (Global Environment Research Program, Ministry of the Environment, Japan).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Tokyo University of Agriculture, 1-1-1 Sakuragaoka, Setagaya, Tokyo, 156-8502, Japan

    Masaaki Takyu

  2. Faculty of Education, Kagoshima University, Korimoto, Kagoshima, 890-0065, Japan

    Yasuhiro Kubota

  3. Faculty of Science, Kagoshima University, Korimoto, Kagoshima, 890-0065, Japan

    Shin-ichiro Aiba

  4. Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, Kamitanakami Hirano-cho, Ohtsu, Shiga, 520-2113, Japan

    Tatsuyuki Seino

  5. Yokohama Institute for Earth Sciences, 3173-25 Showa-machi, Kanazawa, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 236-0001, Japan

    Takashi Nishimura

Authors
  1. Masaaki Takyu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Yasuhiro Kubota
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Shin-ichiro Aiba
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Tatsuyuki Seino
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Takashi Nishimura
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Masaaki Takyu.

Appendices

Appendix1

Table 3 List of study plots
Full size table

Appendix2

Table 4 Allometric regressions among aboveground tree mass Wt (kg), stem diameter DBH (cm), and tree height H (m) in each forest formation. Wt is total of stem (Ws), branch (Wb), and leaf weights (Wl)
Full size table

About this article

Cite this article

Takyu, M., Kubota, Y., Aiba, Si. et al. Pattern of changes in species diversity, structure and dynamics of forest ecosystems along latitudinal gradients in East Asia. Ecol Res 20, 287–296 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11284-005-0044-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11284-005-0044-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation