Abstract
Large, trees have survived for a long time, and their complex crown structure can serve as habitat for epiphytic plants. Canopy plants are not as well studied in the temperate zones as in the tropics, because many of them are accidental epiphytes, epiphytic individuals of normally terrestrial species. We hypothesized that the canopy can serve as a refuge for terrestrial species that have difficulty establishing on the ground (e.g., insufficient light, deer over-browsing), promoting and conserving forest species diversity. Terrestrial species may also vary in their ability to adapt to a wide range of canopy growth conditions. Here, we investigated canopy vascular plants hosted on a large Cercidiphyllum japonicum tree in a temperate old-growth forest, Japan. The canopy plant community was diverse comprising 39 vascular plant species (6 of which were threatened species), including 31 accidental epiphytes and 8 obligate epiphytes. We found at least 14 species could escape deer over-browsing by establishing in the canopy. Most accidental epiphytes were found on multiple and large reiterated trunks bifurcated from the main trunk as well as on large horizontal branches. Leaves of canopy plants had higher nitrogen concentration compared to those of plants on the ground, and higher water-use efficiency with increasing height was achieved by controlling transpirational water loss. Our results show one large tree crown can be defined as a local hotspot for current and future plant species diversity in a temperate old-growth forest, reinforcing its ecological value for conservation purposes.
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Acknowledgements
We greatly appreciate the substantial contribution of Dr. Kae Takahashi, Dr. Keisuke Nishida, Mr. Takeshi Hirai, Mr. Yusaku Sasabe, and members of the Field Science, Education and Research Center (FSERC) of Kyoto University, to field survey and logistics. We also deeply thank Dr. Keisuke Koba for significant advises on support for the isotope analysis and Dr. Keitaro Fukushima for providing useful information about the study site. Isotope analysis was conducted using Cooperative Research Facilities (Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometer) of Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University. This study was financially supported in part by Expo ’90 Foundation and Kansai Organization for Nature Conservation.
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WAA conceived the study and acquired funding. All authors conducted field studies and WAA, NK, YO conducted laboratory studies. WAA wrote the original draft, NK, YO, HI, AN edited the manuscript, and all authors reviewed the manuscript.
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Azuma, W.A., Komada, N., Ogawa, Y. et al. One large tree crown can be defined as a local hotspot for plant species diversity in a forest ecosystem: a case study in temperate old-growth forest. Plant Ecol 223, 99–112 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-021-01192-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-021-01192-8