Abstract
The development of the Pinus pumila zone of Hokkaido, northern Japan is discussed on the basis of an examination of the Warmth Index (WI). The Pinus pumila zone is developed on deforested areas in the boreal subalpine belt, and is characterized by strong wind and heavy snow accumulation in winter, and by the presence of rocky fields. It is concluded that in Japan, including Hokkaido, this high mountain zone generally is intrazonal, belonging mainly to the subalpine belt, and that such zones are not common in Europe and North America. Its formation is due mainly to present-day wind, snow and substrate conditions and partly to conditions prevailing during the glacial period.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alblová B. 1970. Die Wald- und Baumgrenze im Gebirge Hruby Jesenik (Hohes Gesenke), Tschechoslowakei. Folia Geobot. Phytotax. 5: 1–42.
Bliss L. C. 1966. Plant productivity in alpine microenvironments on Mt. Washington, New Hampshire. Ecol. Monogr. 36: 125–155.
Daubenmire R. 1954. Alpine timberlines in the Americans and their interpretation. Bulter Univ. Bot. Stud. 11: 119–136.
Fanta J. 1981. Fagus silvatica L. und das Aceri-Fagetum an der alpinen Waldgrenze in mitteleuropäischen Gebirgen. Vegetatio 44: 13–24.
Franz H. 1979. Oecologie der Hochgebirge. Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart.
Gorchakovsky P. L. & Shiyatov S. G. 1978. The upper forest limit in the mountains of the boreal zone of USSR. Arct. Alp. Res. 10: 349–363.
Hämet-Ahti L. 1979. The dangers of using the timberline as the ‘zero line’ in comparative studies on altitudinal vegetation zones. Phytocoenologia 6: 49–54.
Hämet-Ahti L., Ahti T. & Koponen T. 1974. A scheme of vegetation zones for Japan and adjacent regions. Ann. Bot. Fenn. 11: 59–88.
Hultén E. 1972. The plant cover of southern Kamchatka. Ark. Bot. Ser. 2, 7(3): 181–257.
Ito K. & Nishikawa T. 1977. Alpine communities of the northern Taisetsu mountain (2). Syntaxonomy of plant communities. Rep. Taisetsuzan Inst. Sci., Asahikawa Coll. Hokkaido Univ. Education 12: 1–26.
Kira, T. 1949. Forest zones in Japan. Ringyo-Kaisetsu-Shiriizu 17. Nihon-Ringyo-Kyokai, Sapporo. (In Japanese)
Kira T. 1977. Production rates. In: Shidei T. & Kira T. (eds), Primary production of Japanese forests. Productivity of terrestrial communities. JIBP Synthesis Vol. 16, pp. 101–105. Univ. of Tokyo Press, Tokyo.
Kobayashi K. 1971. Phytosociological studies on the scrub of dwarf pine (Pinus pumila) in Japan. J. Sci. Hiroshima Univ., Ser. B. Botany 14: 1–52.
Kojima S. 1979. Biogeoclimatic zones of Hokkaido Islands, Japan. J. Coll. Liberal Arts, Toyama Univ. 12: 97–141.
Löve D. 1970. Subarctic and subalpine: Where and What? Arct. Alp. Res. 2: 63–73.
Miller P. C., Webber P. J., Oechel W. C. & Tieszen L. L. 1980. Biophysical processes and primary production. In: Brown J., Miller P. C. Tieszen L. L. & Bunnel F. L. (eds.), An arctic ecosystem, the coastal tundra at Barrow, Alaska, pp. 61–101. Dowden Hutchinson & Ross, Stroudsburg.
Neshatayev Yu. N, & Neshatayeva V. Yu. 1975. Patterns in the distribution of communities of Pinus pumila (Pinaceae) in the Kronotsk State Reserve. Bot. Zhur. 70: 382–389. (In Russian)
Nogami M., Fukuda M. & Koaze T. 1980. Periglacial environment in Japan: past and present. Geojournal 4: 125–132.
Okitsu S. 1981. Biomass and productivity of Pinus pumila scrub in the Taisetsu mountain range. Rep. Hokkaido Branch Jap. For. Soc. 30: 149–151. (In Japanese)
Okitsu S. 1984. Control factors of the forest limit in Mt. Taisetsu, central Hokkaido, Japan. Jap. J. Ecol. 34: 439–444. (English summary)
Okitsu S. 1985. Consideration on vegetational zonation based on the establishment process of a Pinus pumila zone in Hokkaido, northern Japan. Jap. J. Ecol. 35: 113–121. (English summary)
Okitsu S. & Ito K. 1984a. The relation of forest limit to the WI15 in mountains of Hokkaido. Jap. J. Ecol. 34: 341–346. (English summary)
Okitsu S. & Ito K. 1984b. Vegetation dynamics of the Siberian dwarf pine (Pinus pumila Regel) in the Taisetsu mountain range, Hokkaido, Japan. Vegetatio 58: 105–113.
Plesnik P. 1973. Some problems of the timberline in the Rocky mountains compared with central Europe. Art. Alp. Res. 5: A77-A84.
Sakai A. 1982. Freezing resistance and cold adaptation of plants. Physiological ecology of plants in winter. Gakkai Shuppan, Tokyo. (In Japanese)
Shidei T. 1963. Productivity of Haimatsu (Pinus pumila) community in alpine zone of Tateyama range. J. Jap. For. Soc. 45: 169–173. (English summary)
Tuhkanen S. 1984. A circumboreal system of climatic-phytogeographical regions. Acta Bot. Fenn. 127: 1–50.
Tikhomirov, B. A. 1946. On the origin of the dwarf pine (Pinus pumila Rgl.) association. Materials on the history of the flora and vegetation of the USSR. Fasc. II. Moscow. (In Russian with an English summary)
Troll C. 1973. The upper timberlines in different climatic zones. Arct. Alp. Res. 5: A3-A18.
Yoshino M. M. 1968. Climatology. Chijin-Shoin, Tokyo. (In Japanese)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Okitsu, S., Ito, K. Conditions for the development of the Pinus pumila zone of Hokkaido, northern Japan. Vegetatio 84, 127–132 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00036513
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00036513