Coexistence of three canopy tree species in a riparian forest in the Chichibu Mountains, central Japan

• Hitoshi Sakio ^[1] ; Masako Kubo ^[2] ; Koji Shimano ^[2] ; Keiichi Ohno ^[2]
  1. [1] Forestry Research Branch, Saitama Prefecture Agriculture and Forestry Research Center, Saitama, Japan
  2. [2] Institute of Environmental Science and Technology, Yokohama National University, Yokohama City, Japan
• Localización: Folia geobotánica: A journal of plant ecology and systematics, ISSN-e 1874-9348, ISSN 1211-9520, Vol. 37, Nº 1, 2002, págs. 45-61
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • Three canopy tree species (Fraxinus platypoda, Pterocarya rhoifolia, and Cercidiphyllum japonicum) coexist in riparian forests in the Chichibu Mountains of central Japan. We compared the forest structure and the reproductive characteristics of these species.F. platypoda was the dominant canopy species. It produced many saplings and grew in abandoned channels and floodplains, and was able to invade both large and small disturbance sites.P. rhoifolia was a subdominant species that occurred on the deposits of large-scale landslides and grew in patches containing even-aged trees.C. japonicum was the other subdominant species that produced few saplings and invaded large disturbance sites together with P. rhoifolia. Establishment sites ofC. japonicum were restricted to fine mineral soils and fallen logs. We found tradeoffs in reproductive characteristics (seed size, seed number, irregular seed production, and sprouting) among the three canopy species.F. platypoda andP. rhoifolia had large seeds and produced fruits irregularly.C. japonicum produced many small seeds every year and sprouted prolifically around the main stem. The causes of the coexistence mechanism of the three riparian canopy tree species may be both niche- and chance-determined to varying degrees. In riparian areas, the three canopy species were well-adapted to disturbances throughout their life-history.