Bark Stripping by Deer Was More Intensive on New Recruits than on Advanced Regenerants in a Subalpine Forest
Research Highlights: To ensure sustainable forest regeneration, it is important to clarify whether new recruits or advanced regenerants are more likely to be stripped. Therefore, the effects of bark stripping on saplings in subalpine forests with abundant saplings should be analyzed by regeneration...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-04-01
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| Series: | Forests |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/11/5/490 |
| _version_ | 1797569598885724160 |
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| author | Takuo Nagaike |
| author_facet | Takuo Nagaike |
| author_sort | Takuo Nagaike |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Research Highlights: To ensure sustainable forest regeneration, it is important to clarify whether new recruits or advanced regenerants are more likely to be stripped. Therefore, the effects of bark stripping on saplings in subalpine forests with abundant saplings should be analyzed by regeneration mode, but there have been no such studies until now. Background and Objectives: I investigated the effects of bark stripping by <i>Cervus nippon</i> on saplings in a subalpine coniferous forest in central Japan to (1) reveal differences in bark stripping between new recruits and advanced regenerants and (2) clarify the factors affecting survivorship. Materials and Methods: A 50 m × 140 m (0.7 ha) plot was set in the old-growth subalpine coniferous forest. All trees in the plot that were ≥2 m in height were tagged, identified to species, measured diameter at breast height and recorded bark stripping by deer. These trees and new recruits were counted and measured in 2005, 2007, 2012, and 2017. I compared saplings recruited in 2007, 2012, and 2017 (“new recruits”) with existing saplings of the same size (“advanced regenerants”). Results: The density of new recruits of <i>Abies mariesii</i> and <i>Tsuga diversifolia</i> increased, whereas that of <i>Abies veitchii</i> decreased. The proportion of stripped saplings was greater in new recruits than in advanced regenerants, significantly so in <i>A. veitchii</i>, which also had the highest maximum bark stripping ratio. Factors affecting the survivorships applied by the regression tree analysis were the maximum stripping ratio of stems for the two <i>Abies</i> species and the initial size for the <i>T. diversifolia</i>. Conclusions: Bark stripping by deer was more intensive on new recruits than on advanced regenerants in a subalpine forest, and regeneration in canopy gaps might fail because of intensive bark stripping in areas overabundant in deer. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T20:13:19Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d8c1ecca3d494a14be17587da9434066 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4907 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T20:13:19Z |
| publishDate | 2020-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Forests |
| spelling | doaj.art-d8c1ecca3d494a14be17587da94340662023-11-19T22:46:58ZengMDPI AGForests1999-49072020-04-0111549010.3390/f11050490Bark Stripping by Deer Was More Intensive on New Recruits than on Advanced Regenerants in a Subalpine ForestTakuo Nagaike0Yamanashi Forest Research Institute, Forest Research Division, Saisyoji 2290-1, Fujikawa, Yamanashi 400-0502, JapanResearch Highlights: To ensure sustainable forest regeneration, it is important to clarify whether new recruits or advanced regenerants are more likely to be stripped. Therefore, the effects of bark stripping on saplings in subalpine forests with abundant saplings should be analyzed by regeneration mode, but there have been no such studies until now. Background and Objectives: I investigated the effects of bark stripping by <i>Cervus nippon</i> on saplings in a subalpine coniferous forest in central Japan to (1) reveal differences in bark stripping between new recruits and advanced regenerants and (2) clarify the factors affecting survivorship. Materials and Methods: A 50 m × 140 m (0.7 ha) plot was set in the old-growth subalpine coniferous forest. All trees in the plot that were ≥2 m in height were tagged, identified to species, measured diameter at breast height and recorded bark stripping by deer. These trees and new recruits were counted and measured in 2005, 2007, 2012, and 2017. I compared saplings recruited in 2007, 2012, and 2017 (“new recruits”) with existing saplings of the same size (“advanced regenerants”). Results: The density of new recruits of <i>Abies mariesii</i> and <i>Tsuga diversifolia</i> increased, whereas that of <i>Abies veitchii</i> decreased. The proportion of stripped saplings was greater in new recruits than in advanced regenerants, significantly so in <i>A. veitchii</i>, which also had the highest maximum bark stripping ratio. Factors affecting the survivorships applied by the regression tree analysis were the maximum stripping ratio of stems for the two <i>Abies</i> species and the initial size for the <i>T. diversifolia</i>. Conclusions: Bark stripping by deer was more intensive on new recruits than on advanced regenerants in a subalpine forest, and regeneration in canopy gaps might fail because of intensive bark stripping in areas overabundant in deer.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/11/5/490debarkingMt. Fujimortalityregenerationsika deer |
| spellingShingle | Takuo Nagaike Bark Stripping by Deer Was More Intensive on New Recruits than on Advanced Regenerants in a Subalpine Forest Forests debarking Mt. Fuji mortality regeneration sika deer |
| title | Bark Stripping by Deer Was More Intensive on New Recruits than on Advanced Regenerants in a Subalpine Forest |
| title_full | Bark Stripping by Deer Was More Intensive on New Recruits than on Advanced Regenerants in a Subalpine Forest |
| title_fullStr | Bark Stripping by Deer Was More Intensive on New Recruits than on Advanced Regenerants in a Subalpine Forest |
| title_full_unstemmed | Bark Stripping by Deer Was More Intensive on New Recruits than on Advanced Regenerants in a Subalpine Forest |
| title_short | Bark Stripping by Deer Was More Intensive on New Recruits than on Advanced Regenerants in a Subalpine Forest |
| title_sort | bark stripping by deer was more intensive on new recruits than on advanced regenerants in a subalpine forest |
| topic | debarking Mt. Fuji mortality regeneration sika deer |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/11/5/490 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT takuonagaike barkstrippingbydeerwasmoreintensiveonnewrecruitsthanonadvancedregenerantsinasubalpineforest |