The Japanese Forestry Society Congress Database

In northern part of Japan, Sakhalin fir and Sakhalin spruce are distributed for typical conifer species. Two species are often distributed on same forest. Large amount of seedlings of Sakhalin fir are distributed on understory of mixed conifer-deciduous forest, however, there are little distribution for seedling of Sakhalin spruce on this region. Therefore, shade tolerance may be lower for Sakhalin spruce than that of Sakhalin fir. However, there is not enough for information of shade tolerance of two species. We examined shade tolerance of seedling of Sakhalin fir and Sakhalin spruce grown on different light environmental region. For growth parameters, photosynthetic capacity, needle morphology, needle longevity, and concentration of chlorophyll and nitrogen were measured. These parameters were compared between seedlings grown on open space (open) and under canopy (shade). Study site was located in mixed conifer-deciduous forest of Uryu experimental forest located in northern part of Hokkaido. Based on these results, specific leaf area (SLA) of Sakhalin fir and spruce on shade region were higher than those on open region. On leaf morphology, there were two lines of palisade tissue on upper part of needles for Sakhalin fir on open region, and one line of them were distributed for that on shade region. In contrast, palisade tissue of Sakhalin spruce was distributed wholly below the epidermal tissue, and arrangement of tissue was similar between open region and shade ones. On photosynthetic capacity, light curve of Sakhalin fir showed large initial slope, and saturated photosynthetic rate at low PPFD. In contrast, light curve of Sakhalin spruce showed small initial slope, and saturated photosynthetic rate at high PPFD. On needle longevity of two species, Sakhalin fir and spruce on shade region were longer needle life span than those on open region. Survivorship of needles for Sakhalin fir and spruce were maintained over 60% until ten-year-old needles. Concentrations of chlorophyll (a+b, b) in needles were higher for Sakhalin fir grown on shade region than that on open region. In contrast, concentration of chlorophyll of in needles of Sakhalin spruces were not significantly difference between open region and shade ones. As a consequence of our results, Sakhalin fir has high shade tolerance compared with Sakhalin spruce. Especially, Sakhalin fir grown on shade region were high concentration of chlorophyll in needles, as a result, photosynthetic rate may be saturated at low PPFD.

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Ishii Yoji, Saito Yutaka, Igarashi Masanori Height growth of Old-aged Sugi-stands at the region of Aizu, Fukushima Prefecture. The stand structure investigation of the Old-aged Sugi-stands was carried out at the region of Aizu, Fukushima Prefecture. Then, the results of them and the previous materials in all together were examined about the height growth curve. As a result, they seemed not to be stagnant though they are beyond the 16 age-grades. Therefore, the approximate curve-type of height growth proved to be a Gompertz Growth Curve. In conclusion, the analytical results of height growth of Old-aged Sugi-stands could be made predictions an upward tendency compared with the usual height growth .Key-words : Height growth, Old-aged Sugi-stands, Gompertz Growth Curve, Long rotation stand, Cryptomeria japonica .

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Quercus serrata (Qs), Q. myrsinaefolia (Qm), and Cryptomeria japonica (Cj) were compared in respect of tropic response to clarify physiological factor determining stem inclination on slope. Main stem angle to the zenith of mature trees on slope was Qs > Qm > Cj. For artificially inclined seedlings, all the species showed gravitropic erection of apex in non-shaded treatment. In treatment with light restricted to one lateral direction, Qs grew toward the light, Cj erected to the vertical in contrast, and Qm was intermediate between the both. As intensity of phototropic response that was shown by main stem of seedlings was also Qs > Qm > Cj, it is suggested that difference of the intensity affects interspecific difference of stem inclination on slope.

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1. Purpose
Tropospheric ozone is presently causing forest decline and the predictions indicate 1-2% increases for ozone concentrations per year. Ozone have an effect on metabolism and secondary chemistry of the trees (Waterman and Mole, 1989). Betula pendula is the most important commercial deciduous forest tree in Finland. Out purpose of this study is to examine the impact of ozone to growth and secondary chemistry in young birch leaves in response to ozone.
2. Methods
We micropropagated eight random genotypes from naturally regenerated birch forest and placed one-year-old clones in randomized block design into open-field ozone exposure and ambient-ozone control blocks in spring of 1999. The target level for elevated ozone was 1.5 times the ambient. On August 29-30, 2000, we measured all the seedlings for the growth and injuries of leaves. Leaves were extracted with methanol and 27 phenolic compounds were analyzed by HPLC-DAD and HPLC-MS. Condensed tannins were analyzed by the acid-butanol test.
3. Results
Ozone treatment is earlier found to alter the shoot/root (s/r) ratio in birch (Oksanen and Rousi, 2001). Our results indicate that there is large intraspecific variation in this response: s/r ratio increased in some genotypes (clone 4, 17 and 26) (=s/r+), in some it decreased (clone 7, 19 and 20) (=s/r-) and in some it was unaffected (clone 6 and 30). In the s/r+ clones, 10 phenolic compounds (quercetin-rhamnoside, chlorogenic acid etc.) increased in ozone-exposed leaves significantly compared to the control leaves (P<0.05). S/r- clones and unaffected clones did not show significant increase or decrease of phenolics in ozone-exposed leaves.
Significant positive correlations were found between leaf injuries (the number of necrosis spots) and 18 out of 28 different phenolics. S/r ratio-decreased and -unaffected clones showed positive correlations between leaf injuries and chlorogenic acid derivatives (P<0.001), while s/r ratio-increased clones showed positive correlations between leaf injuries and some myricetin-glycosides (P<0.001).
4. Discussion
Ozone can induce membrane-damaging lipid peroxidation and initiate chain reactions generating free radicals and injuries in plant leaves. In our study, s/r ratio-increased birch clones tended to protect leaves from ozone damage by producing higher amounts of antioxidants, such as chlorogenic acid derivatives and flavonoid-glycosides. S/r ratio-decreased and -unaffected clones, on the other hands, seemed to preserve their growth and might not produce extra phenolic compounds. Thus, our results indicate that there are different chemical defensive systems within birch populations in response to ozone enhancement.

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