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Forest structure, productivity and soil properties in a subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest in Okinawa, Japan

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Abstract

Structure, species composition, and soil properties of a subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest in Okinawa, Japan, were examined by establishment of plots at thirty sites. The forest was characterized by a relatively low canopy and a large number of small-diameter trees. Mean canopy height for this forest was 10 m and stands contained an average of 5400 stems·ha−1 (≧3.0 cm DBH); 64% of those stems were smaller than 10 cm DBH. The total basal area was 54.4 m 2·ha−1, of which Castanopsis sieboldii contributed 48%. The forest showed high species diversity of trees. 80 tree species (≧ 3.0 cm DBH) from 31 families was identified in the thirty sampling plots. C. sieboldii and Schima wallichii were the dominant and subdominant species in terms of importance value. The mean tree species diversity indices for the plots were, 3.36 for Diversity index (H′), 0.71 for Equitability index (J′) and 4.72 for Species richness index (S′), all of which strongly declined with the increase of importance value of the dominant, C. sieboldii. Measures of soil nutrients indicated low fertility, extreme heterogeneity and possible Al toxicity. Regression analysis showed that stem density and the dominant tree height were significantly correlated with soil pH. There was a significant positive relationship between species diversity index and soil exchangeable K+, Ca2+, and Ca2+/Al3+ ratio (all p values <0.001) and a negative relationship with N, C and P. The results suggest that soil property is a major factor influencing forest composition and structure within the subtropical forest in Okinawa.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Forestry, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, China

    Xiao-niu Xu & Qin Wang

  2. Field Science Center for Northern Biosphere, Hokkaido University, Nayoro, Hokkaido, 096-0071, Japan

    Xiao-niu Xu & Hideaki Shibata

  3. College of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, PR China

    Xiao-niu Xu

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  1. Xiao-niu Xu
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  2. Qin Wang
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  3. Hideaki Shibata
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Correspondence to Xiao-niu Xu.

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Foundation item: The project was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 30471386) and Japanese Society for Promotion of Sciences (15P03118)

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Xu, Xn., Wang, Q. & Shibata, H. Forest structure, productivity and soil properties in a subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest in Okinawa, Japan. Journal of Forestry Research 19, 271–276 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11676-008-0048-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11676-008-0048-x

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