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Effects of life history strategies and tree competition on species coexistence in a sub-boreal coniferous forest of Japan

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Abstract

We examined the effects of different life history strategies and tree competition on species coexistence in a northern coniferous forest. We investigated the growth and demography of trees with stems ≥1 cm dbh in a 2-ha study plot in the Taisetsu Mountains of northern Japan. Three species, Abies sachalinensis, Picea jezoensis, and Picea glehnii, were found to be dominant in the forest. A. sachalinensis was the most dominant species in the understory, while the two Picea spp. were more abundant in the larger dbh size classes. The turnover rate of A. sachalinensis was about twice that of the Picea spp. The relative growth rate of understory trees in each species did not differ between different canopy conditions (closed canopy or canopy gap). The competitive advantage between A. sachalinensis and P. glehnii switched as they grew from understory (A. sachalinensis superior competitor) to canopy trees (P. glehnii superior competitor). Meanwhile, A. sachalinensis and P. jezoensis exhibited different environmental preferences. We propose that reversal in competitive superiority between different growth stages and trade-off between longevity and turnover are more important factors to promote their coexistence than regeneration niche differentiation related to canopy gaps in this sub-boreal coniferous forest.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the Kamikawa District Forest Office for allowing us to survey within the Taisetsu Mountains, and S. Abe, N. Ando, Y. Narukawa, H. Utsugi, and members of Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Physiology of Nagoya University and Biosphere Dynamics Research Group of Institute of Low Temperature Science of Hokkaido University for their assistance with data collection. This study was partly supported by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (13356003, 14206017, 17580131, and 21570027) from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, and by the Grant for Joint Research Program of the Institute of Low Temperature Science, Hokkaido University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Environment and Information Management, Nagoya Sangyo University, Owariasahi, 488-8711, Japan

    Naoyuki Nishimura

  2. Institute of Low Temperature Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0819, Japan

    Kyoko Kato, Akihiro Sumida, Kiyomi Ono & Toshihiko Hara

  3. Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, Tsukuba, 305-8687, Japan

    Hiroyuki Tanouchi

  4. Hokkaido Research Center, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, Sapporo, 062-8516, Japan

    Shigeo Iida

  5. Tohoku Research Center, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, Morioka, 020-0123, Japan

    Daisuke Hoshino

  6. Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, 464-8601, Japan

    Shin-Ichi Yamamoto

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  1. Naoyuki Nishimura
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  2. Kyoko Kato
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  3. Akihiro Sumida
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  9. Toshihiko Hara
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Correspondence to Naoyuki Nishimura.

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Nomenclature: Ohwi and Kitagawa (1992).

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Nishimura, N., Kato, K., Sumida, A. et al. Effects of life history strategies and tree competition on species coexistence in a sub-boreal coniferous forest of Japan. Plant Ecol 206, 29–40 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-009-9622-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-009-9622-3

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