Abstract
We investigated an upstream area of the 1926 Taisho Mudflow that occurred at Mount Tokachi, a volcano in central Hokkaido, Japan, to clarify the relationship between natural forest succession and mudflow-induced sediment characteristics. The study area was divided into three parts, i.e., undisturbed, deposition, and scoured areas, based on disturbance regimes. The deposition area was further divided into three different forest stands for a final total of five forest stand types. We assumed that the mudflow regimes created sediment edaphic heterogeneity and undisturbed and island forests supplied seeds for natural revegetation. The undisturbed forest stand comprised pioneer species, whereas a mosaic forest consisting of almost pure stands characterized by Betula ermanii and Picea glehnii developed in the mudflow. This indicates that each plant species has a characteristic ability to establish and adapt initially and later develop into a mosaic forest according to sediment edaphic conditions, particularly depth, grain size distribution, and water and nutrient gradients. The differences in forest species composition and a 30-year time lag between the development of forest stands at the distal edges and the center explain how the cross-sectional sediment edaphic heterogeneity created by the mudflow regimes affected succession and forest development. Furthermore, plants are specific to sediment depth and texture, as well as moisture and nutrient availability, which play important roles in their growth and development; thus, forest stands with contrasting species and age structures developed in the mudflow.
Zusammenfassung
Der obere Bereich des 1926 abgegangenen Schlammstroms Taisho, der in Zentralhokkaido im nördlichen Japan gelegen ist, wurde untersucht, um die Beziehung zwischen natürlicher Pflanzensukzession und der durch einen Schlammstrom erzeugten Sedimentheterogenität zu klären. Der Wald im Untersuchungsgebiet wurde anhand des Prozessregimes in einen ungestörten Bereich, das Anrissgebiet und einen Ablagerungsbereich gegliedert. Der Ablagerungsbereich wurde in drei Waldbestände eingeteilt, so dass sich insgesamt fünf Bestandstypen ergaben. Es wurde angenommen, dass der Schlammstrom edaphische Heterogenität verursachte und dass sowohl der ungestörte als auch der inselförmige Waldbestand Samen für die natürliche Wiederbesiedlung lieferte. Der ungestörte Waldbestand setzte sich aus verschiedenen Pionierarten zusammen, wobei sich auf dem Schlammstrom ein Waldmosaik aus fast reinen Betula ermanii und Picea glehnii Beständen entwickelte. Das deutet darauf hin, dass jede Pflanzenart ein bestimmtes Vermögen hat sich erst anzusiedeln und sich dann später in ein Waldmosaik zu entwickeln, was von den edaphischen Bedingungen, insbesondere Bodenmächtigkeit, Korngrößenverteilung, und Wasser- und Nährstoffgradienten, abhängt. Die unterschiedliche Artenzusammensetzung des Walds und eine 30-jährige Entwicklungsverzögerung der Waldbestände im mittleren Bereich im Vergleich zum Randbereich verdeutlichen, wie die durch den Schlammstrom erzeugte edaphischen Heterogenität die Sukzession und Waldentwicklung beeinflusste. Zudem hängen Pflanzen sowohl von Sedimentmächtigkeit und—textur als auch vom Feuchtigkeits- und Nährstoffangebot ab, was eine wichtige Rolle für deren Wachstum und Entwicklung spielt; dementsprechend entwickelten sich Waldbestände mit unterschiedlichen Arten und Alter auf dem Schlammstrom.
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Acknowledgments
We thank the staff of the Hokkaido Asahikawa Public Works Office in Furano, who assisted us during our field research and also provided reference materials, which included very important complementary information necessary for completing this study. Thank to Thomas Parkner of Hokkaido University for helping with the German translation. This research was funded by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science and the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (Grant No. 14-2219).
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Adikari, Y., Kikuchi, Si., Makinow, . et al. Naturally revegetated forest governed by mudflow induced sediment heterogeneity. New Forests 33, 53–65 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11056-006-9013-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11056-006-9013-8