2025 Volume 24 Issue 4 Pages 281-287
Temporal changes in tree mortality and stem growth were studied for Pinus thunbergii and Cinnamomum camphora using nine-year tree census data from a coastal forest. The census was conducted at Ozato-Matsubara coastal forest, Tokushima Prefecture, Shikoku Island, from February 2016 to January 2025, during which storm surge flooding occurred in October 2019. Mortality rates surveyed six months after the flooding were higher for C. camphora than for P. thunbergii. Mortality rates of both species remained elevated two years after the flooding compared to those in non-flood areas. Relative growth rates of stem diameter for both species were lower for two years after the flooding than before and showed a gradual recovery, although still below pre-flooding levels five years after the flooding. These findings suggest that the impact of storm surge flooding persists for at least five years, with C. camphora being more sensitive to saltwater immersion than P. thunbergii.
