Realm: Terrestrial
Climate: Temperate
Biome: Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests
Central latitude: 36.533333
Central longitude: 139.416667
Duration: 2 years, from 2008 to 2014

7183 records

268 distinct species

Across the time series Acer pictum is the most frequently occurring species

Methods

The study site is the Field Museum (FM) Kusaki, an experimental forest of the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, and a part of the Japan Long-Term Ecological Research Network (JaLTER). FM Kusaki is located at the upper Watarase river basin, in Midori City, Gunma Prefecture, central Japan (36°32?N, 139°25?E; 640?m to 1,140?m?a.s.l., Figure 1). This site belongs to a cool temperate region (warmth index, 69.6°C; coldness index 21.7°C). The mean annual temperature and mean annual precipitation from 1997 to 2013 were 9.0°C and 1807?mm, respectively (Koyanagi et al., 2003; Urakawa et al., 2015). Precipitation increases in mid-summer and decreases in winter, and snow precipitation is at most approximately 300?mm (Urakawa et al., 2015). The bed rock in this area is mainly composed of sandstone and clayslate. Sika deer (Cervus nippon) population has been increasing since 2000 in Gunma Prefecture, and was estimated to be more than 1,500 in Midori City (ca. 208?km2) in 2012 (Gunma Prefecture, 2015). In FM Kusaki, herbivory by Sika deer is markedly increasing yearly. A 1-ha permanent plot (100?m?×?100?m) for elucidating long-term forest dynamics was established at a deciduous broad-leaved forest in a wide valley bottom of FM Kusaki in 2005 shown in Figure 1. This plot was subdivided into horizontal 10 m?×?10 m grid cells (Watanabe, Kuwabara, Hoshino, Kuwabara, & Kaneko, 2007), according to methods of the Monitoring Sites 1000 Project in Japan (Ministry of the Environment, 2011). To include vegetation from the valley bottom to the ridge condition, we expanded the plot by increasing the number of grid cells (10 m?×?10 m), resulting in a total of ca. 3-ha plot in the forest, although the dataset only currently includes data from the 1 ha plot. There are active channels (less than 1 m width) and microtopographies such as alluvial fans, talus slopes, foot slopes, head hollows and channel walls, leading to various ground disturbances in this plot. In addition, deer fences were built with 2-m wooden poles and iron wires or nylon nets at 6 grid cells in 2009 for elucidating effects of deer grazing on vegetation as shown in Figure 1. The dominant tree species were F. platypoda on the valley bottom, and Quercus crispula and Castanea crenata on the side slope in the 1 ha permanent plot (Fukamachi, Hoshino, Yoshikawa, & Watanabe, 2011). On the western exterior of the plot, there was a conifer plantation. This oak and chestnut secondary forest may have been used for cutting fuelwood because there was a trace of charcoal grill kiln at the valley bottom. The forest stand including the plot, belonged to the national forest and the last record of forest operations was in 1893. Our dataset was based on the standardized methods of the Monitoring Sites 1000 Project in Japan (Ministry of the Environment, 2011). All living trees including lianas with girth at breast height (GBH)???15?cm in the 1-ha plot were attached with aluminum numbering tags (Racetrack Aluminum Tags, Forestry Supplies Inc.), and were identified at species level. The position of each tree base was measured from one corner of the grid cell as the X and Y coordinates in the grid cells. A tree census was conducted at this plot in August and September of each year since 2005. The census included GBH, tree height, death, tree vigor and recruitment (individuals growing GBH???15?cm in the survey year). About tree vigor,” we have checked visually and recorded in remarks in the table such as condition of tree tip, presence of rot and damages by nearby tree and deer.SUMMARY: Data collected in censuses of trees, litter fall and vegetation in a mountain riparian forest, upstream of the Watarase river, Gunma Prefecture in central Japan. A 1 - ha permanent plot (100m × 100m) subdivided into horizontal 10m × 10m grid cells was established in the forest in 2005. Tree census with woody species larger or equal to 15 cm girth at breast height was conducted every year from 2005. Twenty - five litter traps were set in the permanent plot. The samples of litter fall were collected monthly, except in winter, between 2005 and 2008. And we sorted into leaves, branches, reproductive organs and other plant material, at species level as much as possible. The percentage cover of vascular plants was recorded at each vertical stratification (tree layer, subtree layer, shrub layer and herb layer) in 2008 and 2014 at the plot. These data are valuable for elucidating long - term forest dynamics at mountain upstream areas experiencing frequent ground disturbances.

Citation(s)

@Article{BioTIME_cit346, Study_id = {581}, Citation_id = {346}, Author = {Fukamachi, A. S. and Watanabe, N. and Hoshino, Y. and Yoshikawa, M. and Yoshida, T}, Journal = {Ecological Research}, Pages = {1035-1044}, Title = {Structure and dynamics of a mountain riparian forest at an upstream valley in central Japan}, Volume = {35}, Year = {2020}, Doi = {10.1111/1440-1703.12150}, Language = {English} }