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Ecological geography of the range of the Abies mariesii forest in northeast Honshu, Japan, with special reference to the physiographic conditions
Author(s) -
Sugita Hisashi
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
ecological research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.628
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1440-1703
pISSN - 0912-3814
DOI - 10.1007/bf02348490
Subject(s) - habitat , ecology , geography , edaphic , montane ecology , range (aeronautics) , subalpine forest , biology , materials science , soil water , composite material
Abstract In the subalpine areas of the snowy regions of Japan (the Japan Sea side), there are some mountains with no or very small stands of Abies mariesii , although this species dominates the subalpine coniferous forests of the region. In order to discuss the cause and process of this phenomenon, present horizontal and vertical ranges, as well as physiographic conditions, of the A. mariesii forest were examined in detail on the mountains in the Tohoku District. Sites in the subalpine zone were classified into two types: ‘azonal sites’ which should be excluded from the habitat of A. mariesii because of their edaphic or small‐scale climatic properties, and ‘zonal sites’. Mountains with vast less‐inclined zonal sites generally had well developed stands of A. mariesii forest. On the mountains with only small, solitary stands of A. mariesii , the distribution was limited to flats or slightly inclined slopes at relatively low altitudes. These less‐inclined zonal sites were regarded as an important habitat for the A. mariesii forest in the Hypsithermal period and the extent of these sites controls the extent of the stands in that period and the success of the subsequent range expansion of the forest.