Abstract
Wave regeneration in the subalpine coniferous forest of Japan, where the Abies pure stand dominates, is recognized as a natural regeneration process. Wave regeneration, known as the Shimagare phenomenon, has widely occurred on the northern part of the Yatsu-ga-take Mountains, central Japan. We conducted stand structure analysis, tree-ring analysis, and soil profile analysis on the southern slope of Mt. Maekake-yama, northern Yatsu-ga-take Mountains, to clarify the physical and environmental conditions after determining the sequence of vegetation change using aerial photographs. It was clear that the range in which wave regeneration occurs is nearly fixed, and the edaphic conditions on slopes are major contributors to the occurrence of wave regeneration. Soil depth and gravel content are closely related to the regeneration pattern of the subalpine coniferous forests.
The forest stand and regeneration pattern change with the edaphic conditions; each differs in the forest stand structure and renewal cycle. On the southern slope of Mt. Maekake-yama, the Abies forest stand can be classified into four sub stands: the mature stand; the wave-regenerative stand; the simultaneous renewal stand caused by the Ise-wan Typhoon; and the rock-strewn stand.
Wave regeneration shoud be understood as a special type of simultaneous regeneration controlled by specific conditions such as sunshine, wind, soil, etc. depending on slope aspect.
