2006 Volume 69 Issue 5 Pages 581-586
We investigated habitat environment and flowering of Rhododendron section Brachycaryx in Hakone mountain area in which they are growing naturally, for the conservation of the natural colonies. R. dilatatum survived in the place where little evergreen trees grow, where little litter covers the forest floor, and whose elevation is lower. R. kiyosumense survived in the place where little evergreen trees grow, and whose elevation is lower. R. wadanum survived in the place whose elevation is higher, where LAI in summer is lower, and where the moss distributes broadly. LAI in summer seemed to perform as the indicator of the environment where the flowers of R. dilatatum and R. kiyosumense bloom. Seedlings of Rhododendron section Brachycaryx grew in the place where the little litter covers the forest floor, and where LAI in summer is higher. Analyzing habitat suitability of Rhododensron, multiple linear regression models that estimate the potential habitat of Rhododendron section Brachycaryx were developed. Broad estimation of those environmental factors will enable to delineate the potential habitat area of Rhododendron section Brachycaryx in Hakone area.
