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Spatial distribution patterns of trees at different life stages in a warm temperate forest

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Abstract

We have investigated tree distributions in relation to topography between different tree life history stages, from the seed-dispersal stage to the adult stage in a warm temperate evergreen broadleaved forest on Yakushima Island, Japan, to clarify the critical stages in determining adult tree distributions. We conducted a census of all living trees ≥30 cm tall and collected seed falls over three years using 25 seed traps in a 50 m × 50 m quadrat. Four life stages were defined: stage 1, dispersed seed; stage 2, individuals taller than 30 cm and diameter at breast height (DBH) < 1 cm; stage 3, trunks 1 cm ≤ DBH < 10 cm; stage 4, trunks with DBH ≥ 10 cm. We classified 17 common tree species into three groups; group A was distributed mainly on the upper slope, group B on the lower slope, and group C on both. Most of group A and B trees at stages 2–4 showed an aggregated distribution along the topographical gradient. The densities at stage 1 showed weaker aggregations according to slope. Topography-specific tree distribution was probably determined at the regeneration stage, and later survival was less effective as a mechanism of vegetation differentiation.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank our friends and colleagues in Yakushima for their hospitality and help during the fieldwork. We are also grateful for Yakushima Forest Environment Conservation Center for permission to undertake the research. The Sarugoya Committee and the Field Research Center of the Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, offered me excellent facilities. Drs N. Noma, D. Nagamatsu, K. Kitayama, and S. Aiba, and members at Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, offered me helpful suggestions and comments on the manuscript and we would like to thank Dr R. Ejrnæs, and anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments. This study is partly supported by Research Project “Evaluation of sustainable forest use options and their perspectives” and “A new cultural and historical exploration into human-nature relationships in the Japanese archipelago” of the Research Institute for Humanity and Nature, a Grant-in-Aid for the 21st Century COE Research (Kyoto University, A2), and a Research Fellowships of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science for Young Scientists for R.T.

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  1. Research Institute for Humanity and Nature, 457-4, Motoyama, Kamigamo, Kita-ku, Kyoto, 603-8047, Japan

    Riyou Tsujino & Takakazu Yumoto

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  1. Riyou Tsujino
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  2. Takakazu Yumoto
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Correspondence to Riyou Tsujino.

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Tsujino, R., Yumoto, T. Spatial distribution patterns of trees at different life stages in a warm temperate forest. J Plant Res 120, 687–695 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10265-007-0111-2

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