Pattern and the limiting factors of species diversity in managed forests


Satoshi ITO(Project leader)
G. Peter Buckley


Funded by:
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research from Japan Society for Promotion of Science (Project No.15380110: 2003-2005)
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B) from Japan Society for Promotion of Science (Project No.10460068: 1999-2002)
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research from Japan Society for Promotion of Science (Project No.09041071: 1997-1999)

Japanese

Contents:

Rationale

Project aims

Methods

Work plan

Participants

Publications

Rationale

Conservation of species diversity in managed forests is one of the important objectives in sustainable forest management. In Japan, establishment of even-aged Sugi (Cryptomeria japonica D. Don) and Hinoki (Chamaecyparis obstusa Endl.) plantations in extensive area has resulted in a simplified forest structure and declined biodiversity. In recovering the biodiversity of these conifer plantations, the limiting factors of biodiversity should be clarified from the view point of forest ecology and landscape ecology.

Project aims

are to clarify the pattern of species diversity from the following view points
  1. Potential biodiversty under constrants of resource availability through topographic variations
  2. Dependency of species diversity upon stand age of plantations
  3. Effect of silvicultural practices and light environments
  4. Influence of former landuse and seedbank availability
  5. Edge effects and seed rain availability
  6. Influence of landscape connectivity

Work plan

Topographic pattern analysis in native woodland
Evaluation of effects of stand age
Evaluation of effects of clear-cut
Evaluation of thinning / weeding effects
Evaluation of edge effects
Evaluation of seed source availability
Evaluation of herbivore effects
Analysis landscape connectivity

Participants

Satoshi ITOiDivision of Forest Science, Miyazaki University: Project leaderj
G. Peter Buckley (Department of Agricultural Science, Imperial College at Wye, UK)

Publications

Ito, S.,Nakayama, R. and Buckley, G. P. , 2004 , Effects of previous land-use on plant species diversity in semi-natural and plantation forests in a warm-temperate region in southeastern Kyushu, Japan , Forest Ecology and Management , 196 , 213-225

Ito, S., Nakagawa, M., Buckley, G. P. and Nogami, K.(2003): Species richness in sugi (Cryptomeria japonica D. Don) plantations in southeastern Kyushu, Japan: The effects of stand type and age on understorey trees and shrubs, Journal of Forest Research Vol.8, 49-57

Buckely, G. P., Ito, S. and McLachlan, S. (2002): Temperate woodlands, In "Handbook of Ecological Restoration Vol. 2. (M. Perrow & A. J. Davy, eds.) ", Cambridge University Press,

Back to Contents

[Division of Forest Science]