Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Decline of Fagus crenata in the Tanzawa Mountains, Japan

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Air Pollution Impacts on Plants in East Asia

Abstract

The Tanzawa Mountains are located in the southwestern part of the Kanto District of Japan, and many hikers and climbers visit the area from several gateways, leading to the overuse of trails and the retreat of vegetation. Siebold’s beech (Fagus crenata) forests are distributed in the high-elevation areas. Beech growth on the southern slopes, along the ridgeline, and around peaks has declined significantly. Recent ozone monitoring data suggest that high ozone concentrations may be a possible chronic cause of the loss of beech vitality. Outbreaks of sawfly and repeated sawfly attacks are fatal for the weakened beech trees. Another indirect biotic factor is the increased population of sika deer (Cervus nippon), which destroy ground vegetation and the related community balance. The factors affecting beech decline in the Tanzawa Mountains are complicated, and further scientific research activities in various fields are required to understand the phenomena and to recover the beech forest vegetation.

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

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 89.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 119.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Aso T, Takeda M, Aihara K (2001) Observational study of acid rain and air pollutants in the western part of Mt. Tanazawa (1995–2000). Bull Kanagawa Environ Res Cent 24:82–89 (in Japanese)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Aso T, Utiyama Y, Yamane M, Koshiji M, and Aihara K (2007) The ozone distribution in Tanzawa Oyama mountainous area at foliage leaf duration of beech, p.396-399, Results of the Scientific Research on the Tanzawa Mountains, Hiraoka Environmental Science Laboratory, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan. (in Japanese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Hosono T, Okochi H, Igawa M (1994) Fog water chemistry at a mountainside in Japan. Bull Chem Soc Jpn 67:368–374

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Igawa M, Kameda H, Maruyama F, Okochi H, Otsuka I (1997) Effect of simulated acid fog on needles of fir seedlings. Environ Exp Bot 38:155–163

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Igawa M, Matsumura K, Okochi H (2001) Fog water chemistry at Mt. Oyama and its dominant factors. Water Air Soil Pollut 130:607–612

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Igawa M, Kase T, Satake K, Okochi H (2002a) Severe leaching of calcium ions form fir needles caused by acid fog. Environ Pollut 119:375–382

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Igawa M, Okuyama K, Okochi H, Sakurai N (2002b) Acid fog removes calcium and boron from fir tree: one of the possible causes of forest decline. J For Res 7:213–215

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Izuta T, Umemoto M, Horie K, Aoki M, Totsuka T (1996) Effects of ambient levels of ozone on growth, gas exchange rates and chlorophyll contents of Fagus crenata seedlings. J Jpn Soc Atmos Environ 31(2):95–105

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kohno Y (2001) A review on effects of acidic deposition on trees by long-term exposure experiments. J Jpn Soc Atmos Environ 36(2):47–59 (in Japanese with English summary)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kohno Y (2005) Study on the impacts of acidic and oxidative substances on vegetation and establishment of tentative critical levels for protecting East Asian vegetation. p 279–284, Summary report of research results under the GERF(Global Environmental Research Fund) in FY2004, Ministry of the Environment, Japan

    Google Scholar 

  • Kohno Y, Matsumura H, Kobayashi T (1994) Effect of simulated acid rain on the development of leaf injury in tree seedlings. J Jpn Soc Air Pollut 29(4):206–219 (in Japanese with English summary)

    Google Scholar 

  • Kohno Y, and Matsumura H (1999) Combined effect of simulated acid rain and ozone on the growth of Japanese conifer seedlings, J Jpn Soc Atmos Environ 34(2):74–85 (in Japanese with English summary)

    Google Scholar 

  • Kohno Y, Matsumura H, Ishii T, and Izuta T (2005) Establishing critical levels of air pollutants for protecting East Asian vegetation – A challenge, p.243–250, In: Omasa K, Nouchi I, De Kok L J (eds) Plant responses to air pollution and global change, Springer-Verlag Tokyo.

    Google Scholar 

  • Konohira Y (2007) The scientific research on theTanzawa Mountains (1995) and the conservation plan. p 1–10, Results of the Scientific Research on the Tanzawa Mountains, Hiraoka Environmental Science Laboratory, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan. (in Japanese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Koshiji M, Suzuki K, Suga K (1996) Investigation of forest decline in the Tanzawa Mountain (1) Distribution of decline of Fagus crenata, Abies firma and other tree species. Bull Kanagawa Prefecture For Res Inst 22:7–18 (in Japanese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Matyssek R, Gunthardt-Goerg M S, Maurer S, and Keller T (1995) Nighttime exposure to ozone reduces whole-plant production in Betula pendula, Tree Physiol 15:159–165.

    Google Scholar 

  • Okochi H, Igawa M (2001) Elevational patterns of acid deposition into a forest and nitrogen saturation on Mt. Oyama. Japan. Water Air Soil Pollut 130:1091–1096

    Google Scholar 

  • Research Group of the Tanzawa Mountains (RGTM) (2007) Results of the Scientific Research on the Tanzawa Mountains, pp.794, Hiraoka Environmental Science Laboratory, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan. (in Japanese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Sasakawa et al (2005) Identifying declining forests – a case of beech forests in Tanzawa Mountain- Proceedings of ACRS (Asian Conference on Remote Sensing) 2005, D2-P27

    Google Scholar 

  • Shigihara A, Matsumoto K, Sakurai N, Igawa M (2008a) Leaching of cell wall components caused by acid deposition on fir needles and trees. Sci Total Environ 398:185–195

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shigihara A, Matsumoto K, Sakurai N, Igawa M (2008b) Growth and physiological responses of beech seedlings to long-term exposure of acid fog. Sci Total Environ 391:124–131

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shigihara A, Matsumura Y, Matsumoto K, Igawa M (2009) Effect of simulated acid fog on membrane-bound calcium (mCa) in fir (Abies firma) and cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) mesophyll cells. J For Res 14:188–192

    Google Scholar 

  • Suto H, Hattori Y, Tanaka N, Kohno Y (2008) Effects of strong wind and ozone on localized tree decline in the Tanzawa Mountains of Japan. Asian J Atmos Environ 2(2):81–89

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Suzuki K (1992) Fluctuation of Momi (Abies firma) dead standing trees and change of annual ring width at Mt. Ohyama and the around areas in Kanagawa Pref. Bull Kanagawa Prefecture For Res Inst 19:23–42 (in Japanese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Takeda M, Aihara K (2007) Effect of ambient ozone concentrations on beech (Fagus crenata) seedlings in the Tanzawa Mountains, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. J Jpn Soc Atmos Environ 42(2):107–117 (in Japanese with English summary)

    Google Scholar 

  • Takeda M, Aihara K, Aso T (1999) Leakage of cation species from leaves by exposure of simulated acidic fog. Bull Kanagawa Environ Res Center 22:22–25 (in Japanese)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Takeda M, Komatsu H, Iida N (2011) Evaluations of ozone-flux and wind-speed by using flux-type passive sampler in Mt. Tanzawa. Bull Kanagawa Environ Res Cent 34:14–20 (in Japanese)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tamura A (2016) Potential of soil seed banks in the ecological restoration of overgrazed floor vegetation in a cool-temperate old-growth damp forest in eastern Japan. J For Res 21:43–56

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Watanabe M, Yamaguchi M, Matsumura H, Kohno Y, Koike Y, Izuta T (2011) A case study of risk assessment of ozone impact on forest tree species in Japan. Asian J Atmos Environ 5(4):205–215

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Watanabe M, Yamaguchi M, Matsumura H, Kohno Y, Izuta T (2012) Risk assessment of ozone impact on Fagus crenata in Japan: consideration of atmospheric nitrogen deposition. Eur J For Res 131:475–484

    Google Scholar 

  • Yamagami A, Tani S, Banno H (2007) Death of Siebold’s beech trees, Fagus crenata, and decline of the beech forest damaged by feeding of a saw fly, Fagineura crenativora (Hymenoptera, Tenthredinidae), in the Tanzawa Mountains, Central Japan. p 256–268, Results of the Scientific Research on the Tanzawa Mountains, Hiraoka Environmental Science Laboratory, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan. (in Japanese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Yonekura T, Honda Y, Oksanen E, Yoshidome M, Watanabe M, Funada R, Koike T, Izuta T (2001) The influences of ozone and soil water stress, singly and in combination, on leaf gas exchange rates, leaf ultrastructural characteristics and annual ring width of Fagus crenata seedlings. J Jpn Soc Atmos Environ 36(6):333–351

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry, 1646 Abiko, Abiko City, Chiba, 270-1194, Japan

    Yoshihisa Kohno

Authors
  1. Yoshihisa Kohno
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yoshihisa Kohno .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Fuchu, Tokyo, Japan

    Takeshi Izuta

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2017 Springer Japan

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Kohno, Y. (2017). Decline of Fagus crenata in the Tanzawa Mountains, Japan. In: Izuta, T. (eds) Air Pollution Impacts on Plants in East Asia. Springer, Tokyo. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-56438-6_10

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation