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Vegetation pattern and microtopography on a landslide scar of Mt Kiyosumi, central Japan
Author(s) -
Sakai Akiko,
Ohsawa Masahiko
Publication year - 1993
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/bf02348606
Subject(s) - deciduous , landslide , vegetation (pathology) , floristics , basal area , ridge , physical geography , vegetation type , geology , ordination , disturbance (geology) , ecology , geography , geomorphology , forestry , shrub , paleontology , biology , species richness , medicine , pathology
Vegetation pattern and microtopography were examined on a mountain slope with a rotational type landslide scar on Mt Kiyosumi, central Japan. Similarities of distribution patterns among 55 woody species were calculated using Cole's species association coefficient, and based on them, seven vegetation units were classified using cluster analysis and principal coordinates analysis. The seven vegetation units coincide with seven microtopographical facets at 10 1 to 10 2 m 2 order. Furthermore, these vegetation units were grouped into three higher categories by reciprocal averaging and principal coordinates analysis. They were ridge slopes, surrounding slopes and landslide slopes. The three categories were arranged in the above‐mentioned order based on similarity in floristic composition. In the ridge slopes, late‐successional trees and deciduous trees had high relative basal areas. In the surrounding slopes, Euptelea polyandra and other deciduous trees had high relative basal areas. In the landslide slopes, E. polyandra and deciduous shrubs had high relative basal areas. The density and the age distributions of E. polyandra , a typical pioneer tree which invades disturbed sites, suggested that the severity of soil surface disturbances increase in this order. The disturbance regime explains the vegetation pattern on the study site, where the rotational type landslide had occurred.