Restoring natural forests after field abandon- ment is a land management objective that fosters the re- covery of forest biodiversity. We performed seeding and transplanting of native tree species 40 years after the a...Restoring natural forests after field abandon- ment is a land management objective that fosters the re- covery of forest biodiversity. We performed seeding and transplanting of native tree species 40 years after the abandonment of an arable field that became dominated by a dwarf bamboo （Pleioblastus chino （Franch. et Sav.） Makino） and by kudzu （Pueraria lobata （Willd.） Ohwi）. By permutation tests, the removal of competing vegetation （gap creation） significantly increased the survival of three seeded species of Fagaceae and of eight transplanted spe- cies. In contrast, intact vegetation prevented most indi- viduals of all species from surviving for 1 year after planting. The lack of natural recruitment of Fagaceae in the nonseeded subplots indicated that seed limitation was a cause of the slow afforestation. Although litter accumula- tion in gaps at the time of seeding slightly increased sur- vival for late-germinating Quercus myrsinifolia Blume andCastanopsis sieboldii （Makino） Hatus. ex T. Yamaz. et Mashiba, the effect was not consistent among plots and was not statistically significant. Our results suggest that for successful afforestation using native trees in abandoned fields, it will be necessary to remove competitive native species to avoid severe limitations on microsite availability and that simultaneous tree establishment by seeding or transplanting should be implemented to accelerate the establishment of native tree species.展开更多
Natural forest recovery on abandoned farmland is hindered by a variety of factors and active restoration plays an important role when quick afforestation is desired. We investigated seedling survival of four transplan...Natural forest recovery on abandoned farmland is hindered by a variety of factors and active restoration plays an important role when quick afforestation is desired. We investigated seedling survival of four transplanted native tree species （Quercus myrsinifolia, Quercus serrata, Aphananthe aspera, and Rhus sylvestris） by experimentally manipulating the vegetation cover, which was mainly dominated by dwarf bamboo （Pleioblastus chino）, and herbivore access to the planting sites on farmland that had been abandoned for 15 years at the start of the study. Few transplanted seedlings of any species survived under intact vegetation cover, irrespective of herbivore presence. In gaps in the vegetation cover, winter browsing by Japanese hare （Lepus brachyurus） damaged all species. However, lower browsing frequency and higher resprouting ability after grazing of the seedlings enabled both Quercus species to survive better than the other species. These results indicate that dwarf bamboo and the hare jointly limit the establishment of native trees in old fields. If active afforestation by transplanting seedlings at sites dominated by dwarf bamboo is planned, a combination of vegetation removal, selection of suitable species, and temporary seedling protection will be most effective.展开更多
文摘Restoring natural forests after field abandon- ment is a land management objective that fosters the re- covery of forest biodiversity. We performed seeding and transplanting of native tree species 40 years after the abandonment of an arable field that became dominated by a dwarf bamboo （Pleioblastus chino （Franch. et Sav.） Makino） and by kudzu （Pueraria lobata （Willd.） Ohwi）. By permutation tests, the removal of competing vegetation （gap creation） significantly increased the survival of three seeded species of Fagaceae and of eight transplanted spe- cies. In contrast, intact vegetation prevented most indi- viduals of all species from surviving for 1 year after planting. The lack of natural recruitment of Fagaceae in the nonseeded subplots indicated that seed limitation was a cause of the slow afforestation. Although litter accumula- tion in gaps at the time of seeding slightly increased sur- vival for late-germinating Quercus myrsinifolia Blume andCastanopsis sieboldii （Makino） Hatus. ex T. Yamaz. et Mashiba, the effect was not consistent among plots and was not statistically significant. Our results suggest that for successful afforestation using native trees in abandoned fields, it will be necessary to remove competitive native species to avoid severe limitations on microsite availability and that simultaneous tree establishment by seeding or transplanting should be implemented to accelerate the establishment of native tree species.
文摘Natural forest recovery on abandoned farmland is hindered by a variety of factors and active restoration plays an important role when quick afforestation is desired. We investigated seedling survival of four transplanted native tree species （Quercus myrsinifolia, Quercus serrata, Aphananthe aspera, and Rhus sylvestris） by experimentally manipulating the vegetation cover, which was mainly dominated by dwarf bamboo （Pleioblastus chino）, and herbivore access to the planting sites on farmland that had been abandoned for 15 years at the start of the study. Few transplanted seedlings of any species survived under intact vegetation cover, irrespective of herbivore presence. In gaps in the vegetation cover, winter browsing by Japanese hare （Lepus brachyurus） damaged all species. However, lower browsing frequency and higher resprouting ability after grazing of the seedlings enabled both Quercus species to survive better than the other species. These results indicate that dwarf bamboo and the hare jointly limit the establishment of native trees in old fields. If active afforestation by transplanting seedlings at sites dominated by dwarf bamboo is planned, a combination of vegetation removal, selection of suitable species, and temporary seedling protection will be most effective.
