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Effects of topography and planted trees on the distribution of naturally regenerated broad-leaved trees in a 140-year-old Cryptomeria japonica plantation in northern Kyushu, Japan

  • Original Article
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Journal of Forest Research

Abstract

We investigated factors affecting the distribution of naturally regenerated broad-leaved trees in a 140-year-old Cryptomeria japonica plantation. We used path analysis to examine the relationship among microtopography, the biomass of planted trees, and the biomasses of canopy and subcanopy trees of broad-leaved species. The study plot was divided into three topographic types (ridge, slope, and valley), and we discuss how the different topographic types are affected. For all topographic types, the biomass of canopy trees of broad-leaved species decreased with convexity. For slope and valley topographies, the biomass of subcanopy trees of broad-leaved species also decreased with convexity. For ridge topography, the biomass of subcanopy trees of broad-leaved species increased with the biomass of planted trees, and decreased with the biomass of canopy trees of broad-leaved species. These results suggest the effects of microtopography on the biomass of subcanopy trees were much larger than the effects of canopy trees for slope and valley topographies, while the effects of microtopography were smaller for ridge topography.

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Acknowledgment

We would like to thank B. Kusumoto, K. Cho, K. Kaji, Y. Shiiba and K. Inoue of Kyushu University Forests for their assistance with fieldwork and for helpful discussions. This study was financially supported by Monitoring Sites 1000 Project of the Ministry of Environment, Japan, and a grant from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Sciences and Technology of Japan to Dr. K. Otsuki of the Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Kasuya Research Forest, Kyushu University, 394 Tsubakuro, Sasaguri, Fukuoka, 811-2415, Japan

    Takafumi Inoue, Tsutomu Enoki & Susumu Inoue

  2. Ashoro Research Forest, Kyushu University, Hokkaido, Japan

    Naoaki Tashiro

  3. Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan

    Kotaro Sakuta

Authors
  1. Takafumi Inoue
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  2. Tsutomu Enoki
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  3. Naoaki Tashiro
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  4. Kotaro Sakuta
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  5. Susumu Inoue
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Correspondence to Tsutomu Enoki.

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Inoue, T., Enoki, T., Tashiro, N. et al. Effects of topography and planted trees on the distribution of naturally regenerated broad-leaved trees in a 140-year-old Cryptomeria japonica plantation in northern Kyushu, Japan. J For Res 13, 365–371 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10310-008-0095-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10310-008-0095-3

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