Hardwood recruitment into conifer plantations in Japan: Effects of thinning and distance from neighboring hardwood forests

Early establishment of broadleaved trees after logging ofCryptomeria japonicaandChamaecyparis obtusaplantations with different understory treatments

“…With respect to seedlings that establish from sexual reproduction, many useful timber tree species in cool-temperate Japan can disperse their seeds over a considerable distance by wind dispersal and can regenerate by the dispersed seeds after disturbances (Higuchi and Higo 1994;Haruki and Tsuyuzaki 2001;Kamada 2005;Utsugi et al 2006). However, warm-temperate forests in Japan have few wind-dispersed species, and the others consist mainly of frugivore-and gravity-dispersed species (Kominami et al 1995).…”

Review of Plant Species Diversity in Managed Forests in Japan

“…The most extensively planted 2 ISRN Forestry [48] Distance from seed sources Gonzales and Nakashizuka [54] (seedling) Takahashi and Kamitani [51] Gonzales and Nakashizuka [54] (saplings) Utsugi et al [55] (seedlings and saplings in unthinned, seed fall and seed bank in thinned)…”

“…Utsugi et al [55] (seedlings and saplings in thinned) species in Japan are the indigenous evergreen conifers Cryptomeria japonica (Japanese ceder, 4.5 million ha, 43% of area under plantation) and Chamaecyparis obtusa (Hinoki cypress, 2.6 million ha, 26% of area under plantation). Since the function of plantations has changed from being single purpose (i.e., timber production) to multipurpose (e.g., habitats for wild animals and plants), studies of plant species diversity [15,16] as well as ecosystem services and goods [17] provided by plantations have increased markedly (Table 1).…”

“…Gonzales and Nakashizuka [54] demonstrated that although there were no marked or general trends in the frequency and species diversity (Shannon's index) of saplings of naturally regenerated broad-leaved species in relation to distance from old-growth forest in C. japonica plantations in central Japan, the frequency and species richness of seedlings decreased as distance from the old growth forest increased. Utsugi et al [55] clarified the interactive effects of distance from hardwood forests and thinning on species diversity and abundance of hardwoods in C. japonica plantations in northern Japan and showed that the interactive effects did not decrease the diversity of seedlings and saplings, probably due to distance-independent improvements in environmental conditions resulting from thinning. However, most of these studies were only conducted at the stand level; these effects need to be examined at the landscape level to more accurately reflect the practical management conditions of forested landscapes.…”

Lluvia de semillas, depredación de semillas y germinación de especies nativas en plantaciones de Pinus radiata en Chile centro-sur: efecto de la distancia a bosque nativo y presencia de sotobosque

“…Estos eventos determinan la probabilidad de reclutamiento de una especie, y pueden verse afectados tanto por factores bióticos como abióticos (Grubb 1977). En plantaciones forestales, la distancia al borde colindante con bosque nativo puede afectar la dispersión de las semillas provenientes del bosque, ya que en general la lluvia de semillas es dependiente de la distancia a la fuente de semillas (Utsugi et al 2006). Por ejemplo, en plantaciones de Cryptomeria japonica (L.f.) D. Don.…”