2008 Volume 13 Issue 1 Pages 55-64
Many bamboo stands planted for the production of bamboo sprouts have been abandoned. These abandoned bamboo stands have created an environmental problem: they are invading and replacing the surrounding vegetation. This has occurred in Mt. Toshima, Kumamoto Prefecture, where bamboo stands co-occur with evergreen broadleaf trees. Using Mt. Toshima as a model site, we studied the relationship between the expansion of bamboo stands from 1982 to 2003 and topographic conditions. Aerial photographs showed that the area of bamboo has increased considerably during this time. A field survey and computer simulation using cellular automata found that the annual rate of range expansion is 1.2 m/yr. Our analysis also showed that topographic factors clearly affect bamboo stand expansion: bamboo expansion on slopes and flat lands was greater than on ridges and steep slopes.
