Abstract
Previous studies have indicated that recruitment of Abies sachalinensis, a representative conifer species of northern Japan, decreased following single-tree selection harvesting in stands with dense dwarf bamboo understory. We tested the hypothesis that growth and survival of A. sachalinensis seedlings are reduced by canopy opening in that type of stand. A 0.75 ha study plot was examined, and all the seedlings (defined as trees with height 0.5–2 m) were identified and their shoot extensions measured for three years after single-tree selection harvesting (26% intensity in terms of basal area). The leader extensions of A. sachalinensis seedlings that experienced canopy opening were greatly improved. However, a negative effect on survival was also apparent; nearly 40% of seedlings died at the sites that experienced canopy opening. These results were supported by generalized linear models that examined variations of local harvesting intensity for individual seedlings. Despite the ability of A. sachalinensis to respond rapidly to exposure, some physiological stresses may have appeared, and presumably were amplified by co-occurring dwarf bamboos. With regard to the low seedling density (156 stems ha−1), common in this type of stands, local harvesting intensity in the selection system should be reduced to maintain survival of advanced regeneration, thus sustaining stand structure and composition.
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Acknowledgments
We are grateful to anonymous reviewers for helpful comments. We thank the staff of the Uryu Experimental Forest for their assistance in establishing the study plot. Thanks are also extended to Yoko Iga, Mio Nagai, and the members of the Research Group of the Boreal Forest Conservation, Hokkaido University for their assistance in the fieldwork. This research was partially funded by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology of Japan (No. 17580123) and a Sasakawa Scientific Research Grant from the Japan Science Society. We declare that all the experiments complied with the current Japanese laws.
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Yoshida, T., Noguchi, M. Growth and survival of Abies sachalinensis seedlings for three years after selection harvesting in northern Hokkaido, Japan. Landscape Ecol Eng 6, 37–42 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11355-009-0080-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11355-009-0080-9