Early Stage of Understory Recovery after a Forest Fire in a Larch Plantation in the Eastern Part of Hokkaido, Japan

Abstract

The recovery of Sasa nipponica and regeneration of forest floor vegetation after a forest fire occurred in May 2015 were investigated in a larch (Larix kaempferi) plantation in the Ashoro Research Forest, Kyushu University. In July 2015 the coverage, height and biomass of recovered S. nipponica in the burned site were 83, 70 and 38％ of those in the unburned site, respectively. In July 2016 and 2017, the coverage, height and biomass of S. nipponica in the burned site were not significantly different from those in the unburned site. The number of herbaceous and tree species emerged in the burned site was almost twice as many as that in the unburned site in 2016. The number was not different in 2017, while the species composition in the burned site was quite different between 2016 and 2017. The results of PERMANOVA showed that the forest fire formed a different plant community composition compared to that before the forest fire and the difference was maintained at least for two years after the wild fire.