Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Early-stage vegetation recovery in forests damaged by oak wilt disease and deer browsing: effects of deer-proof fencing and clear-cutting

  • Special Feature - Original Paper
  • Ecological Resilience of Ecosystems with Human Impact—Restoration of Plants and Animals
  • Published:
Landscape and Ecological Engineering Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Oak wilt disease and deer browsing have depleted the canopy and forest floor of secondary Quercus serrata and Quercus variabilis forests in Japan. Small-scale clear-cuttings enhance sprouting, and are, therefore, recommended for restoration of the damaged forests. However, most damaged forests are composed of mature stands, and it is not clear whether they would sprout successfully when cut. Moreover, little is known about the regeneration of forests damaged by both oak wilt disease and deer browsing. To determine the appropriate treatment for restoration of damaged Q. serrata and Q. variabilis forests, we established a study site with three different treatments (10 × 30 m each) in Kyoto City: clear-cut and fenced, removed dead oak trees and fenced, and removed dead oak trees and unfenced. After 1-year treatment, the number of species and individual saplings tended to increase at the lower slope of each treatment site with dominance of Ilex pedunculosa. The largest species and individual numbers were observed at the clear-cut fenced site, where pioneer species such as Mallotus japonicus were found. A few seedlings of Q. serrata were found at each treatment site, and no Q. variabilis was recorded. The emergence of Q. serrata seedlings was explained by their location at the slope and not by the treatment. Moreover, many sprouts of Q. serrata and Q. variabilis were observed at the clear-cut fenced site. Although further monitoring is needed, clear-cutting and fencing appear to be an effective method for the rehabilitation of depleted forests.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Chu L, Ishikawa Y, Shiraki K, Wakahara T, Uchiyama Y (2010) Relationship between forest floor cover percentage and soil erosion rate on the forest floor with an impoverished understory grazed by deer (Cervus Nippon) at Doudaira, Tanzawa mountains (in Japanese with English abstract). J Jpn For Soc 92:261–268

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fujiki D (2017) List of food plants and unpalatable plants of sika deer (Cervus nippon) in Hyogo Prefecture (in Japanese). Wildl Monogr Hyogo 9:118–126

    Google Scholar 

  • Fujiki D, Kishimoto Y, Sakata H (2010) Assessing decline in physical structure of deciduous hardwood forest stands under sika deer grazing using shrub-layer vegetation cover. J For Res 15:140–144

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Furusawa H, Miyanishi H, Kaneko S, Hino T (2003) Movement of soil and litter on the floor of a temperate mixed forest with an impoverished understory grazed by deer (Cervus nippon centralis Temminck) (in Japanese with English abstract). J Jpn For Soc 85:318–325

    Google Scholar 

  • Hashimoto Y, Fujiki D (2014) List of food plants and unpalatable plants of sika deer (Cervus nippon) in Japan (in Japanese). Hum Nat 25:133–160

    Google Scholar 

  • Hirayama K, Yamada K, Nishimura T, Kawamura S, Takahara H (2011) Changes in species composition and diversity with respect to the successional stage of urban forests in Kyoto City, western Japan (in Japanese with English abstract). J Jpn For Soc 93:21–28

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Itô H (2013) A sprouting experiment of a Quercus serrata stand aged 64 years since last coppicing (in Japanese with English abstract). Bull FFPRI 427:105–109

    Google Scholar 

  • Itô H (2015) Effects of Sika Deer (Cervus Nippon) on the dynamics of a broadleaved secondary forest after mass mortality of oak trees (in Japanese with English abstract). J Jpn For Soc 97:304–308

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Itô H (2016) Changes in understory species occurrence of a secondary broadleaved forest after mass mortality of oak trees under deer foraging pressure. Peer J 4:e2816. https://doi.org/10.7717/PeerJ.2816

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Itô H, Igarashi T, Kinuura H (2009) Changes in stand structure after the mass mortality of oak trees in Keihoku area, Kyoto city, Japan (in Japanese with English abstract). J Jpn For Soc 91:15–20

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Itô H, Kinuura H, Oku H (2011) Stand structure of a broadleaved forest with Sasa-type floor after mass mortality by oak wilt disease (in Japanese with English abstract). J Jpn For Soc 93:84–87

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Japan Meteorological Agency (2017) Search for the past meteorological data. http://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stas/etrn/index.php. Accessed 17 Jan 2018

  • Kinuura H, Kobayashi M (2006) Death of Quercus crispula by inoculation with adult Platypus quercivorus (Coleoptera: Platypodidae). Appl Entomol Zool 41:123–128

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kobayashi M, Ueda A (2005) Wilt disease of Fagaceae trees caused by Platypus quercivorus (Murayama) (Coleoptera: Platypodidae) and the associated fungus: aim is to clarify the damage factor (in Japanese with English abstract). J Jpn For Soc 87:435–450

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kuroda K, Yamada T (1996) Discoloration of sapwood and blockage of xylem sap ascent in trunks of wilting Quercus spp. following attack by Platypus quercivorus (in Japanese with English abstract). J Jpn For Soc 78:84–88

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuroda K, Itô H, Osumi K, Oku H, Kinuura H, Takahara Y, Matsumoto K (2009) How to manage “Satoyama” forest: instruction for the volunteers and local governments (in Japanese). Forest and Forest Products Research Institute, Kyoto

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuroda K, Osumi K, Oku H (2012) Reestablishing the health of secondary forests “Satoyama” endangered by Japanese oak wilt: a preliminary report. J Agric Ext Rural Dev 4(9):192–198

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kyoto City (2011) Guideline for conserving and restoring forest landscapes in Kyoto city, Kyoto City, Kyoto (in Japanese)

  • Matsuura M, Kobayashi T, Arita Y (2002) Limiting factors in the coppicing of the over-grown secondary forest of Quercus serrata Thunb (in Japanese with English abstract). J Jpn Soc Reveg Tech 28:115–120

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Matsuura M, Azuma K, Kobayashi T (2004) Plant species composition of the herbaceous layer in relation to coppicing and bush cutting in secondary forest of Quercus serrata Thunb. In Sayama hill, central Japan (in Japanese with English abstract). J Jpn Soc Reveg Tech 30:121–126

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCune B, Mefford MJ (1999) PC-ORD: multivariate analysis of ecological data, ver 4. MJM Software Design, Gleneden Beach

    Google Scholar 

  • Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (2018) Oak wilt disease damage by prefectures. http://www.rinya.maff.go.jp/j/press/hogo/attach/pdf/170927-1.pdf. Accessed 17 Jan 2018

  • Miura S, Hirai K, Yamada T (2002) Transport rates of surface materials on steep forested slopes induced by raindrop splash erosion. J For Res 7:201–211

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morishita M, Ando M (2002) Change in cover types of urban forests damaged by pine wilt disease in the northern part of Kyoto City (in Japanese with English abstract). For Res 74:35–45

    Google Scholar 

  • Morisita M (1959) Measuring of interspecific association and similarity between communities. Bulletin of faculty of science, ser E3. Kyushu University, Fukuoka, pp 65–80

    Google Scholar 

  • Nagashima K (2017) Seedling establishment and its factors in forests damaged by oak-wilt disease and deer browsing (in Japanese with English abstract). J Jpn Soc Reveg Tech 43(1):80–85

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nakajima H, Ishida M (2014) Decline of Quercus crispula in abandoned coppice forests caused by secondary succession and Japanese oak wilt disease: stand dynamics over twenty years. For Ecol Manag 334:18–27

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nakamori Y, Takii T, Miura S (2012) Variation in fine earth, sediment, and litter movement with different forest management practices on a steep slope in a Chamaecyparis obtusa plantation (in Japanese with English abstract). J Jpn For Soc 94:120–126

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nishimura N, Yamamoto S, Chiba K (1990) Structure and dynamics of a Quercus serrata stand near urban areas (I): stand structure and the population characteristics of Quercus serrata (in Japanese with English summary). J Jpn Soc Reveg Tech 16:8–17

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Obora T, Watanabe H, Yokoi S (2013) The effect of sika deer browsing damage on regeneration in mass mortality area of Japanese oak trees (in Japanese). J Jpn Soc Reveg Tech 39(2):260–263

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Osaki S (2006) Damages of forest vegetation by Sika deer in natural forests at Tonomine, Okawati-town. Hyogo Prefecture. Appl For Sci 15:41–46

    Google Scholar 

  • Osawa T, Chiaki Igehara G, Ito C, Michimata S, Sugiyama D (2015) A method for the early detection of vegetation degradation caused by Sika deer. Jpn J Conserv Ecol 20:167–179

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Saito S, Shibata M (2012) The forest structure and tree death rate of forest stands damaged by Japanese oak wilt in Yamagata prefecture (in Japanese with English abstract). J Jpn For Soc 94:223–228

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Suzuki M (2013) Succession of abandoned coppice woodlands weakens tolerance of ground-layer vegetation to ungulate herbivory: a test involving a field experiment. For Ecol Manag 289:318–324

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Suzuki M, Ito E (2014) Combined effects of gap creation and deer exclusion on restoration of belowground systems of secondary woodlands: a filed experiment in warm-temperate monsoon Asia. For Ecol Manag 329:227–236

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Takahara H (1986) Effects of shading on the growth of some Quercus seedlings (in Japanese with English abstract). J Jpn For Soc 68:289–292

    Google Scholar 

  • Takatsuki S (1989) Effects of deer on plants and plant communities. Jpn J Ecol 39:67–80

    Google Scholar 

  • Takatsuki S (2009) Effects of sika deer on vegetation in Japan: a review. Biol Conserv 142:1922–1929

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Takenaka, A. (2009) CanopOn 2. http://takenaka-akio.org/etc/canopon2/. Accessed 28 Oct 2016

  • Ward JS, Williams SC, Linske MA (2018) Influence of invasive shrubs and deer browsing on regeneration in temperate deciduous forests. Can J For Res 48:58–67

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yamamoto S (1994) Gap regeneration in primary evergreen broadleaved forests with or without a major canopy tree, Distylium racemosum, southwestern Japan: a comparative analysis. Ecol Res 9:295–302

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yamase K (1999) Stump sprouting of main woody species in secondary forest of pine mass-dieback under different thinning intensity (in Japanese with English summary). J JILA 63:465–468

    Google Scholar 

  • Yamase K (2000) The growth environment and the seed dispersal form of the recruitment on different managements (in Japanese). J Jpn Soc Reveg Tech 25:547–550

    Google Scholar 

  • Yamase K, Sekioka H, Tochimoto D, Todo C (2009) Seedbank potential in the movement soil (in Japanese). J Jpn Soc Reveg Tech 35:130–133

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yamase K, Todo C, Shibahara T (2014) Evaluation of topsoil seedbank potential during 10 years after felling in a site heavily used by sika deer (Cervus nippon Temminck) (in Japanese). J Jpn Soc Reveg Tech 40:265–268

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yoshii Y, Kobayashi M (2016) Characteristics of initial damage sites of Japanese oak wilt disease vectored by Platypus quercivorus (Murayama). Appl For Sci 25(1):7–14

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This study was conducted as a part of JSPS Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research C (no. 26450202).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Kyoto Prefectural University, 1-5, Shimogamohangi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8522, Japan

    Keiko Nagashima & Kazuhiro Tanaka

  2. Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, Kyoto Prefectural University, 1-5, Shimogamohangi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8522, Japan

    Tomotaka Shimomura

Authors
  1. Keiko Nagashima
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Tomotaka Shimomura
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Kazuhiro Tanaka
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Keiko Nagashima.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Nagashima, K., Shimomura, T. & Tanaka, K. Early-stage vegetation recovery in forests damaged by oak wilt disease and deer browsing: effects of deer-proof fencing and clear-cutting. Landscape Ecol Eng 15, 155–166 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11355-019-00372-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11355-019-00372-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation