Abstract
This study was conducted to clarify the characteristics of landform effects on fire behavior and post-fire regeneration and to examine regional differences in the effects of fire within a mixed-forest area with various topographic conditions in Hokkaido, northern Japan. Fire spread was controlled by topographic barriers such as ridges and valleys, although this was not clear in the areas with serpentinite. Fire frequency was higher on windward slopes of the prevailing wind, and the size of the burned area varied with the underlying geology, which controlled the areal extent of hillside slopes. In areas with terrace deposits, Wakkanai Formation or serpentinized rock, burned areas were large and included few unburned stands. The type of vegetation that grew following the fires varied with slope aspect and topographic position.Sasa grasslands often formed at wind-exposed sites. The grasslands were well developed in the three areas with the previously mentioned geology, where large-scale burning had occurred. Structure of the re-established forest stands was also affected by landforms. Canopy height and the maximum diameter at breast height varied with slope aspect, topographic position and elevation, as well as with stand age. Tree size was found to decrease at wind-exposed sites within high-elevation zones.
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Takaoka, S., Sasa, K. Landform effects on fire behavior and post-fire regeneration in the mixed forests of northern Japan. Ecol. Res. 11, 339–349 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02347791
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02347791