Abstract
Fate ofDigitaria adscendens andEleusine indica seedlings under field conditions and their responses to salt spray, drought and nutrients were experimentally investigated in order to evaluate the possible mechanisms controlling the different distributions of the two species in coastal sand dune areas. Salt spray produced no apparent positive effect on the growth or survival of both species. Seeds of each species germinated well in the field, although 80% ofE. indica seedlings died during a summer drought and surviving seedlings neither grew nor bore fruit. The mortality ofD. adscendens seedlings due to the drought was less than 10% and the survivors mostly bore fruit by the end of the growth season. No major difference in the sublethal water saturation deficit was noticed between the two species. However,D. adscendens individuals extended their roots into the deep sandy soil to a much greater extent in water-stressed conditions than in well watered conditions, whereasE. indica showed no such behavior. Additional watering in a dune environment did not help the growth ofE. indica seedlings, but additional nutrients had a markedly stimulatory effect.D. adscendens maintained its growth and fruition with much smaller amounts of nutrients thanE. indica. Soil nitrogen content at a site whereE. indica andD. adscendens were distributed sympatrically was higher than that at a site where onlyD. adscendens was present. Based on these findings, it is proposed thatE. indica seedlings are unable to become established because of their lower resistance to summer drought and the poor nutrient conditions present in a coastal rear sand dune habitat.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
American Public Health Association (1960) Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater, 11th ed. 626 pp. American Public Health Association, Inc., New York.
Boyce, S. G. (1953) The salt spray community. Ecol. Monogr.24: 29–67.
Hewett, D. G. (1970) The colonization of sand dunes after stabilization with marram grass. J. Ecol.58: 657–668.
Kabaya, H. (1981) Causal analyses of poor growth observed at the inner part of the pine plantation on coastal sand dune. Bull. Tokyo Univ. For.70: 11–80 (In Japanese).
Kachi, N. &Hirose, T. (1983) Limiting nutrients for plant growth in coastal sand dune soils. J. Ecol.71: 937–944.
Larcher, W. (1980) Physiological plant ecology, 2nd ed. 303 pp. Springer-Verlag, Berlin.
Maruyama, K. &Miura, S. (1981) Studies on the soil-vegetation system in the west Niigata coastal sand dune, with special reference to the comparison of affected and controlled areas by windblown sand. Bull. Niigata Univ. For.14: 43–78 (In Japanese).
Miyawaki, A. &Kim, J. (1985) Phytosociological study of the vegetation of Shonan seashore, Kanagawa prefecture. Bull. Inst. Sci. Technol. Yokohama Natl. Univ.12: 105–124.
Obata, K., Kobayashi, H., Katagiri, H., Yabuta, H. &Kokubu, M. (1978a) Report of meteorological observations at site of Tokai Research Establishment in 1971. JAERI-M7685: 1–56 (In Japanese).
————— (1978b) Report of meteorological observations at site of Tokai Research Establishment in 1972. JAERI-M.7767: 1–59 (In Japanese).
————— (1980a) Report of meteorological observations at site of Tokai Research Establishment from 1973 to 1975. JAERI-M.8856: 1–130 (In Japanese).
————— (1980b) Report of meteorological observations at site of Tokai Research Establishment from 1976 to 1978. JAERI-M.9128: 1–130 (In Japanese).
————— (1983) Report of meteorological observations at site of Tokai Research Establishment from 1979 to 1981. JAERI-M.83071: 1–130 (In Japanese).
Ohwi, J. &Kitagawa, M. (1983) New flora of Japan, 1716 pp. Shibundo, Tokyo (In Japanese).
Oosting, H. J. &Billings, D. W. (1942) Factors affecting vegetational zonation on coastal dunes. Ecology23: 131–142.
Osonubi, O. &Davies, W. J. (1981) Root growth and water relation of oak and birch seedlings. Oecologia (Berl.)51: 343–350.
Park, Y.-M. (1985) A study of the mechanism of adaptation to water stress on sand dune plants,Wedelia prostrata andCarex kobomugi. M. S. Thesis, University of Tokyo (In Japanese).
Randall, R. E. (1970) Salt measurement on the coast of Barbados, West Indies. Oikos21: 65–70.
Ranwell, D. S. (1958) Movement of vegetated sand dunes at Newborow Warren, Anglesey. J. Ecol.46: 83–100.
Salisbury, E. J. (1952) Down and dunes, 328 pp. Bell, G. & Sons, London.
Takegawa, M. (1972) Hydroponics, 158 pp. Nogyou Tosho Publishing, Tokyo (In Japanese).
Tazaki, T. (1960) On the growth of pine yearlings in coastal dune regions with special reference to their drought resistance. Jap. J. Bot.17: 239–277.
Weinberger, P., Romero, M. &Oliva, M. (1972) Ein methodischer Beitrag zur Bestimmung des subletalen (Kiritischen) Wassersättigungsdefizits. Flora161: 555–561.
Willis, A. J. (1963) Braunton Burrows: The effects on the vegetation of the addition of mineral nutrients to the dune soils. J. Ecol.51: 353–374.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Dedicated to Prof. emeritus Toshiro Saeki for his fruitful career in plant ecology.
About this article
Cite this article
Park, YM. Factors limiting the distribution ofDigitaria adscendens andEleusine indica on coastal sand dunes in Japan. Ecol. Res. 4, 131–144 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02347146
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02347146