ISSN : 2287-8327
To elucidate whether small diameter at breast height correlates with tree death in an overcrowded tree population, we analyzed self-thinning occurring over the course of 37 years in naturally established Pinus densiflora populations in Sug¬adaira, central Japan. As trees grew, their diameters at breast height increased and the number of trees consequently decreased. Spatial distribution, which was initially clumped, changed accordingly, first becoming random and finally uniform. We calculated the “available area” of individual trees to elucidate the contribution of this parameter to tree mor¬tality. Small diameter at breast height was strongly correlated with tree death, with a slight correlation observed between tree death and small available area of individual trees.
Bigler C, Gričar J, Bugmann H, Čufar K. 2004. Growth patterns as indicators of impending tree death in silver fir. For Ecol Manage 199: 183–190.
Cherubini P, Fontana G, Rigling D, Dobbertin M, Brang P, Innes JL. 2002. Tree-life history prior to death: two fungal root pathogens affect tree-ring growth differently. J Ecol 90: 839–850.
Diggle PJ. 1983. Statistical analysis of spatial point patterns. Academic Press, London.
Fortin MJ, Dale MRT. 2005. Spatial analysis: a guide for ecologists. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Gurevitch J, Scheiner SM, Fox GA. 2006. The ecology of plants. 2nd ed. Sinauer, Sunderland, MA.
Han Q, Kawasaki T, Katahata S, Mukai Y, Chiba Y. 2003. Horizontal and vertical variations in photosynthetic capacity in a Pinus densiflora crown in relation to leaf nitrogen allocation and acclimation to irradiance. Tree Physiol 23: 851-857.
Japan Meteorological Agency. 2001. Normals for the period 1971-2000. Jpn Meteorological Business Support Center, Tokyo.
Kato J, Hayashi I. 2003. The determination and prediction of pine to oak forest succession in Sugadaira, Central Japan. Kor J Ecol 26: 155–163.
Kenkel NC. 1988. Pattern of self-thinning in Jack Pine: testing the random mortality hypothesis. Ecology 69: 1017-1024.
Kenkel NC, Hendrie ML, Bella IE. 1997. A Long-term study of Pinus banksiana population dynamics. J Veg Sci 8: 241-254.
Kienast F, Kuhn N. 1989. Simulating forest succession along ecological gradients in southern Central Europe. Vegetatio 79: 7-20.
Li F, Zhang L. 2007. Comparison of point pattern analysis methods for classifying the spatial distributions of spruce-fir stands in the north-east USA. Forestry 80: 337-349.
Luo Y, Chen HYH. 2011. Competition, species interaction and ageing control tree mortality in boreal forests. J Ecol 99: 1470–1480.
Mithen R, Harper JL, Weiner J. 1984. Growth and mortality of individual plants as a function of “available area.” Oecologia 62: 57-60.
Miyata I. 1989. Analysis of dispersion structure in Japanese red pine populations with reference to topography. Mem Fac Sci Shimane Univ 23: 89-98.
Rolland C. 1993. Tree-ring and climate relationships for Abies alba in the internal Alps. Tree-Ring Bull 53: 1-11.
Shimatani K. 2001. Point process approach to statistical analysis and modeling for tree distribution maps. Jpn J Ecol 51: 87-106. (in Japanese with English summary)
Silvertown J, Charlesworth D. 2001. Introduction to Plant Population Biology. 4th ed. Wiley Blackwell, Oxford.