Article
Forestry
Suzuka Honda, Masayuki U. Saito
Summary: Deadwood in forests is crucial for maintaining ecological functions and has positive impacts on the behavioral patterns of Japanese squirrels. Fallen dead trees serve as important landmarks for the squirrels' movement, vigilance, resting, and hoarding, critical for their survival. The increase in deadwood in poorly managed planted forests can benefit arboreal small mammals.
IFOREST-BIOGEOSCIENCES AND FORESTRY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Suzuka Honda, Masayuki U. Saito, Ryoga Watabe, Kazuma Watanabe
Summary: This study clarifies the habitat selection of Japanese squirrels during winter in heavy snowfall areas and highlights the importance of Cupressaceae and Pinaceae forests. However, landscapes dominated by cedar plantations are considered unsuitable due to the lack of food resources.
LANDSCAPE AND ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Zoology
Suzuka Honda, Masayuki U. Saito
Summary: In this study, we examined whether coniferous plantations in northeast Japan can serve as a habitat for Japanese squirrels and how squirrel habitat use varies based on forest structure. The results showed that squirrel occurrence was higher in cedar forest than in other forest types. The frequency of occurrence was influenced by the number of standing trees, canopy openness, and understory visibility, while the number of feeding signs was influenced by total basal area, canopy openness, and the number of walnut trees. The study highlights the importance of diverse forest structures for the conservation and management of small arboreal mammals in such plantations.
JOURNAL OF VERTEBRATE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Katsuyo Ohashi-Doi, Daichi Utsumi, Yuko Mitobe, Koji Fujinami
Summary: Pollen from the Cupressaceae tree family is a major cause of allergic disease worldwide. Japanese cedar and Japanese cypress are the most common tree species in Japan, with a high prevalence of Japanese cedar pollinosis, particularly among children aged 5 to 9. Pharmacotherapy for pollinosis has low patient satisfaction, while allergy immunotherapy is recognized as the only treatment option with the potential to alter the natural course of allergic disease.
CURRENT PROTEIN & PEPTIDE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ru Yang, Masaaki Chiwa
Summary: This study evaluated nitrogen leaching from Japanese cedar trees in response to elevated atmospheric nitrogen deposition. The results showed that soil water nitrate concentration in the cedar forests was much higher than neighboring oak plantations, indicating high nitrogen leaching from the cedar plantations. The relatively low nitrogen uptake by cedar trees on steep slopes may contribute to the high nitrogen leaching observed in this study.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Forestry
Haifu Fang, Yuanqiu Liu, Jian Bai, Aixin Li, Wenping Deng, Tianjun Bai, Xiaojun Liu, Meng Lai, Yan Feng, Jun Zhang, Qin Zou, Nansheng Wu, Ling Zhang
Summary: The expansion of moso bamboo has substantial effects on soil chemical characteristics and microbial community compositions, which in turn impact the forest ecosystem process. It decreases soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, litter carbon, and the carbon to nitrogen ratio, while increasing soil NH4+-N and pH. The expansion also alters the structure of soil fungal and bacterial communities. These findings are important for understanding the ecological changes following moso bamboo expansion.
Article
Forestry
Yudai Kitagami, Keisuke Obase, Chien-Fan Chen, Yosuke Matsuda
Summary: This study investigated the community structure of soil nematodes in artificial Japanese cedar plantations and found that nematode richness and abundance displayed opposite patterns along latitudinal gradients. Moreover, nematode community structures in subtropical zones clearly differed from those in temperate and cool temperate zones.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Shin'ichi Iida, Shinichi Takeuchi, Keitaro Shinozaki, Makoto Araki
Summary: This study calibrated sap flow techniques using the root-ball weighing method and found that cutting the roots had negligible effects on the calibration performance. Additionally, it was confirmed that previous calibrations using cut segments are likely applicable for living trees.
TREES-STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Nanoka Teshima, Kazuhiro Kawamura, Takumi Akasaka, Satoshi Yamanaka, Futoshi Nakamura
Summary: The expansion of tree plantations globally has raised concerns about biodiversity loss. However, a study conducted in northern Japan found that retention forestry, specifically the retention of dispersed broad-leaved trees, can mitigate the negative impacts of harvesting on bat activity. High-level retention was found to be more effective in increasing bat activity compared to medium-level retention.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jumpei Toriyama, Shoji Hashimoto, Yoko Osone, Naoyuki Yamashita, Tatsuya Tsurita, Takanori Shimizu, Taku M. Saitoh, Shinji Sawano, Aleksi Lehtonen, Shigehiro Ishizuka
Summary: This study presents a methodology for estimating spatially varying productivity in Japanese planted forests, with a focus on Japanese cedar. By using the Biome-BGC model and climate scenarios, the results showed an overall increase in forest productivity under future climate change, but with potential risks identified in the southwestern region.
Article
Forestry
Yoshinori Shinohara, Shin'ichi Iida, Tomoki Oda, Ayumi Katayama, Kenji Tsuruta, Takanori Sato, Nobuaki Tanaka, Man-Ping Su, Sophie Laplace, Yoshio Kijidani, Tomonori Kume
Summary: This study focused on the calibration of parameters for estimating transpiration using the thermal dissipation method (TDM). The results showed that there were variations in the parameters across different samples, suggesting the need for sample-based calibration. Additionally, a trait-based approach was proposed as an alternative method to predict calibration parameters based on tree features, reducing the requirement for calibration experiments.
TREES-STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Masahiro Watanabe, Saneyoshi Ueno, Yoichi Hasegawa, Yoshinari Moriguchi
Summary: The study developed an efficient and low-cost marker selection method using bulk DNA extracted from a mixture of needle tissues from several individual trees. Results showed that MAS using 10-individual mixed bulk DNA samples was the most efficient and lowest cost for selecting trees with ms1. The use of bulk DNA in MAS enabled significant reductions in labor and cost compared to single-individual DNA samples.
TREE GENETICS & GENOMES
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Katsushi Kuroda, Kenichi Yamane, Yuko Itoh
Summary: Experimental evidence shows that minerals in tree trunks can rapidly move from the inner sapwood or intermediate wood to the outer sapwood via xylem parenchyma cells and diffusion through cell walls. However, minerals accumulated in the heartwood may not be readily supplied to living cells within the tree trunk.
Article
Forestry
Tatsuya Otani, Reiji Yoneda, Haruto Nomiya
Summary: We developed simple practical methods to estimate deer appearance frequency and damage risk for cedar saplings protected by tree shelters. By observing field signs such as browsed understory plants, debarked trees, and animal trails, as well as using camera traps to record the appearance frequency of sika deer, the study provides forest managers with a way to identify potential damage risks.
JOURNAL OF FOREST RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Takeshi Irie, Kazuhiro Kawamura, Satoshi Yamanaka, Futoshi Nakamura
Summary: Reconciling timber production with biodiversity conservation is crucial. Increasing the mixture of broadleaved trees into conifer plantations can enhance species abundance, but may reduce conifer yields. Thus, modeling the relationship between abundances of various taxa and conifer and broadleaved trees is necessary for effective biodiversity conservation.
JOURNAL OF FOREST RESEARCH
(2023)