-• To elucidate the application of natural regeneration to the restocking of evergreen broad-leaved forests in the subtropics, the characteristics of a 20-year-old evergreen broad-leaved forest restocked by natural regeneration after clearcut-burning were studied in Okinawa, Japan. Within a 0.87 ha clearcut area with four 10 m × 10 m sampling plots, two burned and two unburned ones, the tree composition, tree species diversity and vegetation changes were investigated.• The results showed that the species diversity, basal area and density of woody stems 1.0 m in height differed significantly among phanerophyte types, while they were not significantly different between the burned and unburned treatments. A vegetation census also revealed no obvious differences between the treatments.• The primary dominant species, Castanopsis sieboldii, continued to dominate the secondary forest with a broad height distribution.• The structural complexity and high tree species diversity of the regenerating forest after clearcut-burning provides no evidence of degeneration. We can predict that the regeneration forest may gradually develop into stands similar to pre-clearcut primary forest, and that natural regeneration may restore the high tree species diversity of the evergreen broad-leaved forests in Okinawa.forest structure / species diversity / natural regeneration / subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest / clearcut-burning Résumé -Caractéristiques d'une forêt feuillue sempervirente âgée de 20 ans, reconstituée par régénération naturelle après coupe rase et feu.• Pour élucider la pertinence de la régénération naturelle pour la reconstitution des forêts feuillues dans la zone subtropicale, les caractéristiques d'une forêt feuillue sempervirente, âgée de 20 ans, reconstituée par régénération naturelle après coupe rase et feu, ont été étudiées à Okinawa au Japon. Dans une coupe rase de 0,87 ha, 4 placeaux échantillons de 10 m × 10 m ont été établis : deux après coupe rase et feu et deux après coupe rase. On a étudié la composition des arbres, la structure de la forêt, la diversité spécifique des arbres et les changements de végétation.• Les résultats montrent que la diversité spécifique, la surface terrière et la densité des troncs ligneux d'une hauteur supérieure ou égale à 1,0 m différent significativement parmi les phanérophytes, tandis qu'il n'y a pas eu de différences significatives entre les traitements brûlés et les non brûlés. Le recensement de la végétation a aussi révélé qu'il n'y avait pas de différence évidente entre les traitements.• La principale espèce dominante Castanopsis sieboldii a continué à dominer la forêt secondaire avec une large distribution des hauteurs.• La complexité structurelle et la grande diversité des espèces d'arbre de la forêt régénérée après coupe rase et feu fournissent la preuve qu'il n'y a pas eu dégénérescence. Nous pouvons prédire que ces forêts peuvent se développer graduellement en peuplements similaires à la forêt primaire existant avant la coupe et que la régénération nature...
Degradation of old-growth forests is an important issue for global biodiversity conservation. Robust indicator species greatly facilitate the identification of old-growth forests requiring protection. Understanding why particular species are associated with priority forests is necessary for assessing the reliability of indicator species. Here, we surveyed the vegetation of 69 sites in Yambaru forests (Okinawa Island) varying in forest age and analyzed the relationships between the dominance of vascular species and three criterion parameters (forest age and species richness (SR) of epiphytes and endangered plants). Eleven species showing significant positive correlations with three parameters were designated as potential candidate indicator species, ten of which were woody species. Of the above eleven candidate indicator species, Distylium racemosum was considered one of the most useful indicator species because it can be easily identified in the field and its ecological characteristics are well documented. Regarding three woody traits -sprouting ability, annual growth rate and wood density -which are expected as the cause of indexing, endangered SR increased when tree species with low sprouting ability and high wood density were dominant, and epiphyte SR increased when tree species with low annual growth rate and high wood density were dominant. These woody species traits were associated with forest age and could explain why D. racemosum is an indicator of priority forest. These results suggest that large trees with such woody characteristics are effective indicators of priority forests.
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