2023 年 40 巻 1 号 p. 1-7
Pteris wallichiana J. Agardh （Pteridaceae） is distributed in the warm-temperate evergreen Kasugayama Primeval Forest in Nara Park, which has a high density of sika deer （Cervus nippon;900 head/km2）. Although this pteridodophyte is unpalatable to deer, its distribution appears likely to shift with changes in deer population. Here, we assessed the geographic distribution, abundance, and site characteristics of P. wallichiana in Kasugayama Primeval Forest. We documented 15056 individuals （1-300 individuals/site） at 184 sites, distributed across an elevation range of 140-500 m and within and adjacent to forest gaps. Generalized linear models indicated that P. wallichiana was more abundant at low elevations, in valleys, and on south-facing slopes under canopy gaps. These findings provide a basis for long-term monitoring of P. wallichiana according to future changes in deer impacts and forest dynamics due to forest disturbance.
