Ecology of Riparian Forests in Japan

by Sakio, Hitoshi; Tamura, Toshikazu

• ISBN13: 9784431767367
• ISBN10: 4431767363
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2008-10-04
• Publisher: Springer Verlag

Summary

Riparian forests along streams and rivers are diverse in species, structure, and regeneration processes, and have important ecological functions in maintaining landscape and biodiversity. This book discusses riparian forests from subpolar to warm-temperate zones, covering headwater streams, braided rivers on alluvial fans, and low-gradient meandering rivers. It presents the dynamics and mechanisms that govern the coexistence of riparian tree species, tree demography, the response to water stress of trees, and the conservation of endangered species, and focuses on natural disturbances, life-history strategies, and the ecophysiology of trees. Because many riparian landscapes have been degraded and are disappearing at an alarming rate, the regeneration of the remaining riparian ecosystems is urgent. With contributions by more than 20 experts in diverse fields, this book offers useful information for the conservation, restoration, and rehabilitation of riparian ecosystems that remain in world streams and rivers.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. V
Preface	p. VII
Introduction
Features of riparian forests in Japan	p. 3
Diverse riparian forests in Japan	p. 3
Climate, geography, and disturbance regimes	p. 8
Dynamics and coexistence of riparian forests	p. 9
Research on riparian forests in Japan	p. 10
References	p. 10
Geography, disturbance regime and dynamics of sediments in riparian zone
Occurrence of hillslope processes affecting riparian vegetation in upstream watersheds of Japan	p. 15
Introduction	p. 15
Segmentation of a valley-side slope	p. 16
Groundsurface instability on lower sideslope	p. 17
Function of a valley-head area in a watershed environment	p. 22
Significance of deep-seated landslides and large-scale landslides in an upstream watershed environment	p. 24
Effects of hillslope processes on riparian vegetation	p. 25
Concluding remarks	p. 27
References	p. 28
Sediment dynamics and characteristics with respect to river disturbance	p. 31
Introduction: river and riparian geomorphology in Japan	p. 31
Fluvial geomorphology: landforms and processes	p. 32
Natural disturbances	p. 35
Conclusions	p. 42
References	p. 43
Riparian community
Vegetation-geographic evaluation of the syntaxonomic system of valley-bottom forests occurring in the cool-temperate zone of the Japanese Archipelago	p. 49
Introduction	p. 49
Methods	p. 50
General views of valley-bottom forests in Japan	p. 51
Syntaxonomy and vegetation-geographic evaluation of the valley-bottom forests	p. 53
Relationship between the valley-bottom Pterocarya forests and other azonal vegetation	p. 65
Vegetation-geographic evaluations of the valley-bottom forests in Japan	p. 68
References	p. 69
Riparian forests in headwater stream
Coexistence mechanisms of three riparian species in the upper basin with respect to their life histories, ecophysiology, and disturbance regimes	p. 75
Introduction	p. 75
Disturbance regime of the upper basin riparian zone	p. 76
Population structure	p. 77
Reproductive strategies of riparian tree species	p. 81
Responses to light and water stress	p. 84
Coexistence mechanisms of three riparian species	p. 87
Conclusions	p. 88
References	p. 88
Population dynamics and key stages in two Japanese riparian elements	p. 91
Introduction	p. 91
Riparian habitats and disturbance regimes	p. 91
Study species and their ecological niches	p. 93
Spatio-temporal variations in population growth rate under typhoon disturbances along a riparian environmental gradient	p. 96
What are they key stages for population dynamics?	p. 99
Conclusion	p. 102
References	p. 104
Rodent seed hoarding and regeneration of Aesculus turbinata: patterns, processes and implications	p. 107
Introduction	p. 107
Methods	p. 108
Seed dynamics: cache generation, retrieval and consumption	p. 109
End-points of seed dispersal	p. 111
Seedling regeneration	p. 114
Ecological roles of seed dispersal by rodents	p. 116
Annual variation	p. 118
Implications for life history in the riparian habitats	p. 119
References	p. 120
Longitudinal variation in disturbance regime and community structure of a riparian forest established on a small alluvial fan in warmtemperate southern Kyushu, Japan	p. 123
Introduction	p. 123
General description of the case study site	p. 124
Disturbance regime and site conditions along the stream gradient	p. 125
Habitat segregation and species diversity pattern	p. 127
Occurrence of infrequent species	p. 132
Conclusions	p. 133
References	p. 134
Riparian forests on wide alluvial fan
Structure and composition of riparian forests with reference to geomorphic conditions	p. 139
Introduction	p. 139
Overview of the Tokachi River system	p. 140
Variation in site conditions on the floodplain in comparison to the hillslope	p. 141
Site conditions for dominant tree species	p. 144
Temporal and spatial variation among tree species	p. 147
Conservation of riparian forest dynamics	p. 150
References	p. 151
Mosaic structure of riparian forests on the riverbed and floodplain of a braided river: A case study in the Kamikouchi Valley of the Azusa River	p. 153
Introduction	p. 153
Outline of the Kamikouchi Valley	p. 153
Mosaic structure of riparian vegetation	p. 156
Geomorphic process and disturbance regime of the floodplain in Kamikouchi	p. 157
Young pioneer scrubs and forests	p. 159
Seedling growth traits of salicaceous species	p. 160
Old pioneer and late successional forests	p. 161
Conclusion	p. 162
References	p. 163
Coexistence of Salix species in a seasonally flooded habitat	p. 165
Introduction	p. 165
Seed dispersal and snowmelt floods	p. 167
Micro topographic scale distribution of Salix species	p. 169
Soil texture and seedling establishment	p. 169
Habitat segregation along a river	p. 171
Conclusion	p. 173
References	p. 173
Riparian forests in lowland regions
Process of willow community establishment and topographic change of riverbed in a warm-temperate region of Japan	p. 177
Introduction	p. 177
Study area and willow communities on the bar	p. 178
Tolerance of willow seedlings against submerged and drought conditions	p. 180
Actual process of willow bands formation	p. 183
Stabilization of river-system and its influence on riparian ecosystem	p. 186
Conclusion	p. 188
References	p. 189
Growth and nutrient economy of riparian Salix gracilistyla	p. 191
Introduction	p. 191
Growth pattern of Salix gracilistyla	p. 192
Biomass and production of Salix gracilistyla	p. 194
Nutrient economy of Salix gracilistyla	p. 196
Nutrient sources	p. 199
Conclusions	p. 200
References	p. 201
The expansion of woody shrub vegetation (Elaeagnus umbellata) along a regulated river channel	p. 205
Introduction	p. 205
Study sites	p. 208
Spatial and temporal distribution of the population	p. 209
Seed germination and survival of the seedlings	p. 213
Life-history strategies of E. umbellata in relation to the river's disturbance regime	p. 216
Managing E. umbellata populations	p. 218
Conclusions	p. 219
References	p. 220
Riparian forests in wetland
Distribution pattern and regeneration of swamp forest species with respect to site conditions	p. 225
Introduction	p. 225
Topographical features of swamp forests	p. 226
Site conditions of swamp forests	p. 227
Features of swamp forest tree species in cool temperate zone in Japan	p. 230
Conclusions	p. 233
References	p. 234
Flooding adaptations of wetland trees	p. 237
Introduction	p. 237
Tree growth in flooded areas	p. 238
Stem morphology and photosynthetic activity	p. 240
Seasonal changes in morphology	p. 242
Plant growth regulators in relation to stem morphology	p. 243
References	p. 245
Species diversity of riparian forests
Diversity of tree species in mountain riparian forest in relation to disturbance-mediated microtopography	p. 251
Introduction	p. 251
Methods	p. 254
Diversity on a larger scale	p. 256
Diversity at the local stand level	p. 261
Conservation of diversity at different scales	p. 264
References	p. 265
Diversity of forest floor vegetation with landform type	p. 267
Introduction	p. 267
Landform type	p. 268
Species richness of riparian forest floor plants	p. 269
Effect of landform on forest floor vegetation	p. 271
Conclusions	p. 276
References	p. 276
Endangered species and its conservation
Ecology and conservation of an endangered willow, Salix hukaoana	p. 281
Introduction	p. 281
Taxonomy and morphology	p. 282
Distribution	p. 283
Community structures	p. 287
Ecological succession and species diversity	p. 291
Life-history strategy of S. hukaoana	p. 292
Impacts of river engineering on species conservation	p. 293
Conservation strategy of Salix hukuoana	p. 295
References	p. 296
Strategy for the reallocation of plantations to semi-natural forest for the conservation of endangered riparian tree species	p. 299
Needs and problems for the conservation of rare riparian trees	p. 299
Case study 1: Estimation of potential habitat for an endangered riparian species	p. 300
Case study 2: Reallocation of plantation to semi-natural forests based on expected tree density	p. 303
Conclusion	p. 308
References	p. 309
Conclusion
General conclusions concerning riparian forest ecology and conservation	p. 313
Riparian forest research in Japan	p. 313
Disturbance regime, life history, and dynamics	p. 313
Conservation of species diversity	p. 323
Riparian forest management	p. 324
Future research	p. 326
References	p. 326
Subject Index	p. 331
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