Abstract
Quercus serrata forest is the most typical deciduous secondary forest in the Kanto district, Japan. Process of re-establishment of Q. serrata forest after a clear-cutting was studied in the Higashi-yamato Park, Tokyo Prefecture. The process was estimated based on vegetational surveys at seven stands that were located in Q. serrata forests in the park. At five of the seven stands, vegetation was being restored from recent clear-cuttings that were carried out in 1982, 1986, 1989, 1992 or 1994, respectively. The other two stands were set in Q. serrata forest where clear-cutti gs have not been carried out for 35 years or more. The result indicates that species composition of Q. serrata forest can almost be recovered 13 years after clear-cutting, though adequate management of vegetation such as cuttings at forest floor is needed to accelerate the growth of Q. serrata. In the stands where cuttings at forest floor have not been carried out after the clear-cuttings Clethra. barbinervis was more dominant in height and basal area than Q. serrata. It was also shown that the size distribution of Q. serrata, C. barbinervis and Stylax japonica, which are common and major component of Q. serrata forest in the Kanto district, was similar between Q. serrata forest of 13 years old and that of more than 35 years old.
