ABSTRACT Generalized height (h)–diameter (d) models were developed for Crimean pine stands in the Kastamonu Regional Directorate of Forestry, northwestern Turkey. Nine generalized h-d models were fitted and evaluated based on data set consisting of 2697 h-d measurements obtained from 274 sample plots located in three ecoregions of the studied region. The best results were obtained by modified Richards

ABSTRACT Tree-cavities are considered as key components that support multiple species, including endemic ones, in subtropical forests in Yambaru, the northern area of Okinawa Island, Japan. Here, we established two study plots in mature subtropical forests in Yambaru and surveyed for tree-cavities with depths ≥ 10 cm. The density of tree-cavities was 198 per ha, which is exceptionally high compared

ABSTRACT To clarify the factors affecting the level of spring frost damage in seed orchards of pine wood nematode (PWN)-resistant Pinus thunbergii, we investigated the frost damage to the female strobili of 13 PWN-resistant P. thunbergii clones in an experimental crossing garden during the spring of 2020. Monthly air temperatures from January to March 2020 were higher than the corresponding temperatures

ABSTRACT Habitat loss of forest tree species distributed in cold temperate and alpine zones is a serious issue in the context of global warming. Considering that intraspecific variation is essential for adaptation to changing environments, intraspecific variation in seed weight, leaf traits, and sapling size of a sub-alpine broad-leaved tree species, Betula ermanii, was examined in this study using

ABSTRACT The uncontrolled invasive spread of exotic Acacias is a growing concern for many tropical ecosystems, particularly due to their negative impact upon nutrient cycling. Studies investigating the effects of Acacia invasion on nutrient cycling have focused on litterfall and litter decomposition, although its impact on ion deposition in tropical ecosystems is less understood. We quantified and

ABSTRACT The responses of forest production and nitrogen (N) utilization to belowground resource availability may be stronger in Moso bamboo forests than in woody forests because the former have higher N and water demands than the latter. The aim of this study was to clarify the different effects of mountain slope-induced belowground resource limitation on forest production between a Moso bamboo forest

ABSTRACT Forest ecosystems have high biodiversity with ecologically diverse animals and plants. The forest canopy supports high biodiversity, and canopy insects are important components owing to their high species richness and abundance. Although many studies have investigated the vertical stratification of arboreal insects, the formation process of geographic patterns in the arboreal insect community

ABSTRACT In the present study, a set of ten Expressed Sequence Tag-Simple Sequence Repeats (EST-SSR) markers have been developed to contribute to the genetic studies of Pinus thunbergii. The number of alleles in the developed EST-SSR markers ranged from one to six. Observed heterozygosity was 0.000 to 0.707; the expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.000 to 0.720. Polymorphism information content (PIC)

ABSTRACT In 2010, the Vietnamese government initiated the Payment for Forest Environmental Services (PFES) program to conserve forests and improve local livelihoods. While some researches have demonstrated the effectiveness of PFES, other studies reported inappropriate implementation and distribution at the initial stage. This study aimed to examine how PFES was implemented, and explore the challenges

ABSTRACT Plantations have been reconsidered as important habitats for wildlife, including bats, in recent decades. Although Japan has a high proportion of plantations used for timber production in the forest area, knowledge of the effects of forest management practices such as clearcuttings and thinning on bats is still lacking. We investigated bat activity using bat detectors in evergreen coniferous

ABSTRACT The performance of a selected microbial consortia (Rhizophagus fasciculatus, Azotobacter chroococcum, Bacillus coagulans and Trichoderma harzianum) on Dalbergia sissoo Roxb. ex DC. was investigated through large-scale nursery trials at three locations in the Mandya district of Karnataka state, India. At each nursery, 500 microbial consortia inoculated seedlings and 500 uninoculated seedlings

ABSTRACT The Dehdez forest provides various services for both humans and animals, including food and timber production, carbon storage, air purification, wildlife habitation, and socio-cultural benefit. During the last decades, these ecosystems have considerably lost the fauna and flora because of economic expansion in the early 1990s in Iran. Hence, this study valued the main functions of the Dehdez

ABSTRACT This paper presents a review of our current understanding of the process of wind damage to trees and forests, with a particular, but not exclusive focus, on planted and managed forests. It makes a direct comparison with the state of knowledge just over 50 years ago when systematic research on wind damage to forests was beginning and discusses how our knowledge has changed over that period

ABSTRACT Around 6.5 million ha state-owned forests are certified by Forest Stewardship Council in Turkey. Roundwood originated from certified forests has been in the market for nearly a decade. Little is known about the impact of forest certification on the roundwood price. Price models were constructed to explore the price premium for certified roundwood using sales data collected from state forest

ABSTRACT Sixteen polymorphic nuclear microsatellite markers were developed for Meliosma arnottiana (Wright) Walp. (Sabiaceae), a deciduous or half-evergreen tree. In Japan, the species is disjunctively distributed in the Izu Islands and the southern part of the Japanese archipelago, and the Izu population (var. hachijoensis) is regarded as a threatened species. Variations in the 16 markers were compared

ABSTRACT Adventitious rhizogenesis was achieved successfully from mature culms of five commercially important bamboo species. Experiments were conducted to find out the effect of three auxins, namely, Indole-3 acetic acid (IAA), Indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) and Napthalene acetic acid (NAA) each at 200 ppm concentration in cuttings of three diameter classes (1–2 cm, 2–3 cm and 3–4 cm) in three different

ABSTRACT Sugi (Cryptomeria japonica) forests are devastated and abandoned in Japan. Although mushroom products are profitable, with the marketable ones expected to originate from Japanese forests, a few fungi mainly develop fruiting bodies in sugi forests in nature. With white mushrooms (Sugi-take) being popularly eaten by local residents in Mie prefecture, it is thus important that the mode of occurrence

ABSTRACT Abies kawakamii (Taiwan fir) typically constitutes pure forest distributed at 3,100–3,600 m above sea level in Taiwan. Its volume was first investigated in 1963 using aerial photography to identify the growing stock of the forest. In 1973, Taiwan Forestry Bureau established a fir volume estimation equation by considering Taiwan spruce and Taiwan fir stands. However, due to cutting natural

ABSTRACT Eucalyptus plantations at higher elevations in Sri Lanka are being confronted by a conflict between their industrial need maintenance and ecological need conservation. Increasing carbon sequestration can offer income through carbon markets to minimize profit reductions. Changing the main species and extending the rotation length (ERL) can increase carbon sequestration; thus, this study aimed

ABSTRACT A field experiment was conducted involving deer exclosures and planting of Quercus acutissima, a deciduous oak, to reveal forest recovery patterns and factors following clear-cutting at overcrowded conifer plantation sites. Sites were selected in a warm temperate region in western Japan, which is dominated by deciduous broad-leaved secondary forests and extensive conifer plantations. Thirteen

ABSTRACT In this study, we compared the medium and long-term effects of logging on tropical rain forest ecosystems in Suriname using reduced impact logging (RIL), CELOS Management System (CMS), and conventional logging (CL) with forest without logging (NAT). In 18 forest plots with different times since logging ended and 9 unlogged forest plots, assessments were conducted on indicators of forest structure

ABSTRACT Nest tree availability is a critical reproductive requirement for woodpeckers. To inform off-reserve management strategies for Okinawa woodpecker (OW) Dendrocopos noguchii (Syn. Sapheopipo noguchii) nest trees, we assessed the characteristics of 213 nest trees as well as the detailed forest age of the nest sites by using aerial photographs and the local forest registers. The woodpecker used

(2021). Correction. Journal of Forest Research. Ahead of Print.

(2021). Ecological management of insular forests: conservation of endangered species and native ecosystems in Ryukyu Archipelago. Journal of Forest Research. Ahead of Print.

ABSTRACT This study examined the combined impacts of reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) activities in Houaykhing village cluster (ca. 31,000 ha) in northern Lao People’s Democratic Republic in 2011–2018. We quantitatively evaluated the effectiveness of REDD+ activities in this area by comparing the estimated reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for Houaykhing

ABSTRACT Ecosystem service assessment has become an emerging lobbying tool in recent years, relatively, less studies use non-economic methods to explore the society’s demand for ecosystem services from the perspective of human values, attitudes and beliefs. With Taiwan household registration records, this study conducted a survey involving mailing out questionnaires to ordinary households as sampling

ABSTRACT To better understand the long-term response of boreal forests to increasing environmental changes, we applied the u-w method to detect growth changes triggered by environmental factors. Three species (Picea mariana, Picea glauca, and Populus tremuloides) of various sizes and ages were sampled in a boreal forest in northern Canada. Several stem disks were collected from the base to the crown

ABSTRACT Amphibians are among the most threatened taxa in the world. Anthropogenic habitat alteration is possibly the most important driver of their population decline and can occur through many different factors. To develop effective conservation measures when multiple factors are involved, we need to know the relative impact of each factor. I aimed to reveal breeding site choice by two endangered

ABSTRACT Teak (Tectona grandis) is among the most valuable tropical hardwoods, but silvicultural guidelines are needed to improve the growth and quality of trees in teak plantations, particularly those owned by smallholders in Asia. We analyzed the diameter growth of individual trees to determine the effects of density control in the early stages of growth in a teak plantation in northern Thailand

ABSTRACT For the conservation of mangrove forests, management plans should be prepared after evaluating the decreases of mangrove forests explicitly. Although information regarding stand development in mangrove forests is indispensable, there is a lack of it. We reasoned that gathering three-dimensional point cloud data using stabilized cameras and photogrammetry (developed together with unmanned aerial

ABSTRACT Fine roots (FRs; <2 mm in diameter) might act as substantial pools of underground carbon and nutrients in the forest ecosystem. Since nutrient availability directly impacts plant growth, any changes in soil fertilization and subsequent changes in nutrients would alter the production of FRs. Here, we investigated the impact of fertilization with nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) [control, N (200

ABSTRACT The diversity and population structure of woody species at Maun Educational Park (MEP) was investigated from June to July 2018. A total of 23, 18 and 30 quadrats of 20 × 20 m size were laid down at 50 m intervals along a transect line at riparian, seasonal floodplain and upland habitat, respectively. The Shannon diversity index and evenness were 1.87 and 1.54 in the riparian habitat, 2.01

ABSTRACT Garcinia subelliptica Merr. (called “fukugi” in Japanese) is a dioecious tree species, which has traditionally been planted as windbreak forests in the coast of Ryukyu islands. Although effective afforestation and maintenance of G. subelliptica would greatly be assisted by early sex diagnosis and selection at the seedling stage, the genome and the sex-determination system of G. subelliptica

ABSTRACT The forest of Meiji-Jingu shrine was afforested 100 years ago with the aim of creating a sublime forest one century later. In this study, we conducted a visual landscape assessment to explore whether the forest had reached sublime forest status. Specifically, the spatial condition of the forest associated with sublimity and landscape types that made visitors feel sublime were assessed using

ABSTRACT Urban parks that provide the context for relationships between people and nature could be good cases for studies and analysis of visual perception in the everyday landscape. The main goal of the research is to evaluate the people’s attention to the primary factors and landscape elements in urban parks. Accordingly, out of 59 regional and trans-regional parks in Tehran, ten major parks were

ABSTRACT Natural forests were increasingly replaced by plantations globally. While plantations support less biodiversity compared to natural forests, they can serve as an important habitat for forest-dependent species. Understanding the key drivers of the habitat function of plantations is necessary to reconcile both forestry and biodiversity. Planted tree species is one of the important factors determining

ABSTRACT Roadkill poses a significant threat to many wildlife species. To implement habitat management and conservation measures in protected areas, it is important to identify the factors related to roadkill at the landscape scale. The purpose of this study was to clarify the landscape factors involved in roadkill of the endangered Ryukyu long-furred (Diplothrix legata) rat in Yambaru, the northern

ABSTRACT Monochamus alternatus alternatus Hope is distributed in China and Taiwan and transmits the pinewood nematode, the causative agent of pine wilt disease. Unlike univoltine and semivoltine Monochamus alternatus endai Makihara native to Japan, M. a. alternatus has two generations a year (bivoltinism). Some polyphagous insect herbivores exhibit that the incidence of diapause is affected by the

ABSTRACT Radiocesium (137Cs) contamination caused by the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident has posed a serious problem, especially for forest ecosystems. Phytoremediation is an effective decontamination method with less disturbance to the ecosystems than tree felling and soil removal. Eleutherococcus sciadophylloides is one of the 137Cs-accumulating tree species in Japan. However, the

ABSTRACT To investigate the effect of expanded property rights and, in particular, village democracy under China’s Collective Forest Tenure Reform (CFTR) on household forestry income, we employ quantile regression, drawing on the survey data from 658 rural households in three provinces belonging to China’s southern collective forest regions. The results indicate that: (1) both the expansion of household

ABSTRACT To explore how and to what extent repeated thinning at different intensities affects the recovery of species diversity, we investigated the recruitment patterns of hardwoods (height ≥1.5 m) from 2003 to 2017 after first (2003) and second (2008) thinnings in 67% (Intensive), 33% (Weak), and 0% (Control) thinning treatments in a Cryptomeria japonica plantation in northern Japan. With intensive

ABSTRACT We explored the dynamics of dwarf bamboo populations in a beech forest 11 years before and 30 years after clear-cutting. Repeated weeding or herbicide application (sodium chlorate) was used experimentally to reduce or eliminate dwarf bamboo prior to clear-cutting. At the beginning of the study, the understory comprised dense populations of two Sasa species, the dominant S. palmata and the

ABSTRACT Despite their potential usefulness as a natural resource, wild edible bamboos tend to be ignored or neglected by foresters, and we know little about how environmental factors determine the productivity of edible culms. Here, to examine determinants for the productivity of edible culms of Sasa kurilensis, 60 survey plots were established in a northern Japanese forest, and annual field surveys

ABSTRACT Windswept Sasa grasslands are stable communities but may have the potential to change into other vegetation such as forests through germination of the soil seed bank. I investigated the compositions of the vegetation and soil seed banks in two windswept Sasa grasslands in the Tanzawa Mountains, eastern Japan: Ryugababa (RGB) and Fudonomine (FDM). Tall tree and sub-tall tree seedlings were

ABSTRACT Needle blight, caused by Passalora sequoiae (Mycosphaerellaceae, Ascomycota), is an economically significant disease that commonly affects Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) in Japan. With the increasing production of cedar saplings as part of reforestation efforts, there is concern that needle blight will become more prevalent in nursery fields. However, when visually inspected, this disease

ABSTRACT Epiphytic orchids, which account for 68% of vascular epiphytes, contribute substantially to plant species diversity in forest canopies. Many orchid species are naturally rare and have limited geographical distributions. All orchids rely on mycorrhizal fungi for nutrient acquisition during seed germination and seedling establishment, and many species retain these associations throughout their

ABSTRACT Dispersal flight is an essential component of the life history of bark and ambrosia beetles. Previous studies have shown considerable variation in flight distance between individual beetles; however, different factors drive this variation between species. Furthermore, when the ecological role of dispersal flight differs between sexes (i.e., males locate hosts and females follow), influencing

ABSTRACT Amendment by biochar made by thermal degradation of biomass is expected to enhance carbon sequestration through stimulating carbon assimilation by plants. We clarified the effect of biochar amendment on the photosynthesis of trees in forest ecosystems. Biochar was applied to young oak trees (Quercus serrata) in temperate deciduous forest at rates of 0, 5, 10 and 20 Mg ha−1 in four plots (C0

ABSTRACT Degradation of old-growth forests is an important issue for global biodiversity conservation. Robust indicator species greatly facilitate the identification of old-growth forests requiring protection. Understanding why particular species are associated with priority forests is necessary for assessing the reliability of indicator species. Here, we surveyed the vegetation of 69 sites in Yambaru

ABSTRACT Japanese oak wilt is caused by the pathogen, which is introduced into oaks by the ambrosia beetle Platypus quercivorus of which male initiates to bore. In the field, the entrance holes of beetles have been observed primarily in bark crevices. We hypothesized that male P. quercivorus initially distinguish the bark surface structure and then determine the hole boring site. To test this hypothesis

ABSTRACT Mercury (Hg) is a pollutant that can affect human and ecosystem health. The transport and fate of Hg in the environment are dynamic and complex, but our understanding remains unclear for Japanese forest ecosystems. Here, we report the first country-wide survey of Hg concentrations in litter and surface mineral soil layers in 42 forest stands across Japan. The median concentrations of Hg in

ABSTRACT BES1/BZR1s are plant-specific transcription factors and play crucial roles in plant growth, development and response to environmental stress. The Ammopiptanthus nanus (A. nanus) is a relict-xerophyte shrub and tolerates various of abiotic stimuli. However, few genes are identified from A. nanus. To date, the information and function of the AnBES1/BZR1s remains unknown. In the present study

ABSTRACT An ambrosia beetle, Platypus quercivorus, is the vector of Japanese oak wilt, one of the most serious forest diseases in Japan. P. quercivorus is widely distributed in the main islands of Honshu, Kyushu and Shikoku, but there have been no records of P. quercivorus in Hokkaido, the northernmost main island in Japan. Because the mass mortality of oak trees caused by Japanese oak wilt is spreading

ABSTRACT Differences in dominant tree species affect ecosystem carbon budgets in forests, but their independent impacts have not been fully recognized. We aimed to clarify the interannual variation in net primary production (NPP) in three different forest types and the effects of dominant tree species on this. We calculated NPP excluding belowground litter fall using a biometric-based approach for

ABSTRACT We studied the latitudinal and altitudinal variations in composition and species richness of trees in 24 plots across temperate to subtropical regions from southern Kyushu to the northern Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan. Cluster analysis based on presence/absence of species in 0.25-ha segments of the plots identified three forest zones reflecting climate and geohistory: cool-temperate mixed conifer-broadleaf

ABSTRACT To investigate the effect of expanded property rights and, in particular, village democracy under China’s Collective Forest Tenure Reform (CFTR) on household forestry income, we employ quantile regression, drawing on the survey data from 658 rural households in three provinces belonging to China’s southern collective forest regions. The results indicate that: (1) both the expansion of household

ABSTRACT Tricholoma matsutake is an ectomycorrhizal fungus found in Pinaceae forests in Japan. It produces the “matsutake” mushroom, which has been consumed as an important part of Japanese cuisine since ancient times. Domestic matsutake are among the most valuable special forest products; however, their production in Japan has decreased over the past several decades. In the present study, to facilitate

ABSTRACT Teratosphaeria stem canker is one of the most important diseases to have emerged on non-native plantation-grown Eucalyptus trees cultivated globally. The study assessed the pathogenicity of two Teratosphaeria species associated with Teratosphaeria stem canker and the susceptibility of Eucalyptus grandis and six commonly grown Eucalyptus hybrids to these fungal species in Uganda. The inoculation

ABSTRACT To clarify the mechanisms underlying the maintenance of genetic diversity in long-lived forest tree populations, it is important to understand the influence of temporal variation in regeneration sites and its effect on population structure (i.e., nonrandom distribution of trees in spatial location and size) and the spatial genetic structure. Features of population structure in four different

ABSTRACT Stem surface area (S) plays an important role in the eco-physiological processes of trees or forests such as stem respiration, self-thinning mortality, and rainfall interception. As the direct measurement of S is time-consuming and labor-intensive, models for predicting S from commonly measured tree attributes have been developed for coniferous trees grown in plantations. However, there have