Relationship between Forest Floor Vegetation and Forest Management at the Michinoku Lakewood National Government Park in the Fagetea Crenatae Region, Tohoku District

Abstract

We studied the relationship between changes in forest floor vegetation and several management schemes at the Michinoku Lakewood National Government Park in Kawasaki Town, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. We found that the number of newly recorded species and the total number of species increased in plots where brush had been cut, and also in plots where brush had been cut followed by thinning after two years. Moreover, pioneer species, such as grassland species and forest-edge species were observed in these plots. Besides, climax species, such as laurel forest species also survived these forest management practices. Our results showed that these forest management techniques were effective in increasing the species richness of the forest floor vegetation without elimination of the climax species.