Abstract
In order to identify the process of seedling regeneration in the clear-cutting of coniferous plantations in heavy snow regions, we monitored the seedlings of the tall trees during 5 years after clear cutting in Cryptomeria japonica plantations with little advanced regeneration commonly seen in this region. The total number of the species of tree seedlings germinated during 5 years after clear-cutting was 30, and the number of the seedlings was 99,400±64,200/ha and 80% of them germinated in the first year. Although Mallotus japonicus and Zanthoxylum ailanthoides accounted for 86% of them, these pioneer species decreased dominantly, grew at a sluggish pace, and showed a tendency to decline in a short period. Instead, it was the gap species such as Juglans mandsurica, Swida controversa, Magnolia obovata, and Prunus grayana that had a high survival rate and grew fast. It seemed to be more likely that a forest consisting of these gap species would be formed under the conditions of heavy snow and an understory like Miscanthus sinensis growing thickly, as in this site.
