To determine whether Dianthus superbus var. longicalycinus forms a soil seed bank in the field, we investigated the seed density within the topsoil (upto a depth of 5 cm) of a coastal dune during summer and the seed germination ability of D. superbus var. longicalycinus. We found that a total of 194 seeds/0.52 m³ (186.5 seeds/m²) was produced during the last year or before at 26 sites. The Carex pumila community demonstrated the highest seed densities in the topsoil, followed by the Zoysia japonica, Liriope minor, and Juniperus conferta communities. The cumulative germination percentage of the seeds was 21.6% under constant temperature and darkness; however, it increased to 85.6% under alternating temperature and sunlight. It was thought that many seeds did not break dormancy through water absorption alone. Therefore, we concluded that seeds with germination ability remained in the topsoil after the spring season, forming a soil seed bank.

We analyzed the factors contributing to plant species richness 3 years after a landslide. Spearman's correlation coefficient was used to clarify the factors that suppress surface soil erosion, which is important for the initial establishment of plants. A generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) was constructed to clarify the factors contributing to the plant diversity. The result showed that the biological legacy effectively prevents soil erosion and contributes to initial plant establishment. Plants included in the legacy and soil conditions that can support roots increased species richness. Thus, moderate soil hardness and biological legacy are important for enhancing species richness in landslide areas of gentle slope in a snowy cold region.

In recent years, the shared office has been increasing as work styles diversify. On the other hand, stress among workers has become a social problem, and office greening is attracting attention as a stress countermeasure, but few studies have focused on shared offices. In addition, previous studies have reported that horticultural therapy and other plants-related activities are beneficial to physical and psychological health. In this study, we aimed to clarify the effects of plants programs using the plants set up in shared offices on workers' psychology and attempted to measure long-term psychological indices using actual workers in the shared offices. The results showed that participation to the plants program was effective in improving workers' emotional state and subjective evaluation.

The purpose of this study was to understand the relationship between nature experiences during elementary school students and later environmental consciousness (affective connection with nature, environmental attitudes, and proenvironmental behaviors). Data were collected through a questionnaire survey. Analysis of variance revealed that affective connection with nature and the frequency of pro-environmental behaviors were significantly higher, the higher the frequency of nature experiences during elementary school students. The frequency of nature experiences was not related to environmental attitudes. The region of the nature experience was not related to affective connection with nature, environmental attitudes, and pro-environmental behaviors.

To accumulate knowledge on revegetation associated with development in natural parks, we clarified the characteristics of vegetation on the slope of a waste landfill on Miyajima Island up to 2 years after revegetation with local seedlings. 18 months after revegetation, feeding damage by sika deer was confirmed. At 20 months, a herbaceous community 1.41 to 1.95 m tall had become established. The number of species and vegetation coverage tended to be higher in the lower part of the slope than in the upper, and species diversity and degree of succession increased. Furthermore, the target vegetation Quercus glauca was under pressure in the quadrats dominated by Artemisia indica var. macximowiczii, whereas species diversity and the degree of succession was increased in quadrats where the parasitic alien species Cucusta campestris was abundant. This could be attributed to the suppression of the height of the dominant herbaceous species, suggesting the need for mowing.

The indoor growth experiment using the LED lighting system was conducted to evaluate the effects of light conditions and tread pressure treatment on three Bermuda grass cultivars (Celebration, TifGrand, and Tifway). The experiment was conducted under five conditions combining different daily integrated light levels and tread pressure treatment conditions. The result of the quantification theory first family showed that TifGrand had more dry weight inside the pot frame and Celebration had more dry weight outside the pot frame. DLI has a significant effect on the increase or decrease in above- and below-ground parts dry weight of the test plants, and tread pressure treatment has a significant effect on the increase or decrease in belowground parts and creeping stems dry weight. Therefore, it is important to devise methods at the design stage to bring sunlight into the stadium and during the recovery period after the stadium is used.

In order to clarify the treatment of promoting germination of Pennisetum alopecuroides (L.) Spreng., germination tests were conducted on caryopses and spikelets. As a result caryopses germinated earlier than spikelets when the temperture is between 15-30℃. In particular, when it's 15℃ and 20℃, the germination rate of caryopses reached 90% half a month earlier spikelets. When spikelets or caryopses were stored at 5°C or 15°C and then sown at 10°C or 15°C, they germinated more than one month earlier than immediately after collection. 90% of damaged caryopses germinated about 15 days after sowing. The moisture content of germinated caryopses was higher than ungerminated one inside spikelets. According to these results, it is thought that the positive correlation was confirmed between moisture content of caryopses and germination rate. Involucrums and husks may inhibit water absorption by caryopses in spikelets

In this study, we examined a research method to evaluate the effect of freeze-thaw history on the erosion control effect of vegetation work. We have prepared specimens in which Poa pratensis L. was grown, given the freeze-thaw history, and then conducted erosion tests. The erosion test apparatus and erosion test method developed in previous study were adopted for the research methodology. In addition, the freeze-thaw history was given by placing cooling plates on the surface of the specimen and controlling it with a constant low-temperature water bath. From the test results, it was confirmed that our research method can quantitatively evaluate the decrease in erosion resistance of the vegetation specimen due to the freeze-thaw history.

This study aimed to clarify the effect of thinning on the lateral root reinforcement of Japanese cedar [Cryptomeria japonica (L.f.) D. Don] and Hinoki cypress [Chamaecyparis obtusa (Siebold et Zucc.) Endl.] plantations. I compared the reinforcement of thinned and unthinned areas of five plantations each of Japanese cedar (6–11 years after thinning) and Hinoki cypress (6–8 years after thinning) in Mie Prefecture. Lateral root reinforcement was estimated by applying RBMw to the lateral root distribution data at the center between trees. In both species, reinforcement in the thinned and unthinned areas were similar, despite the dissimilar distance between trees, suggesting that reinforcement was only temporarily decreased after thinning and tended to recover. Moreover, reinforcement decreased with increasing distance between trees, and in Hinoki cypress plantations, thinned areas were larger than unthinned areas, for the same distance.

This study focused on the distribution of the alien plant species Ammophila breviligulata and its effects on coastal plants. First, we investigated the distribution of A. breviligulata and the coastal plant species Leymus mollis using a small unmanned aerial vehicle. Next, we established five survey lines in a place where A. breviligulata dominates and investigated the vegetation and the light condition (PPFD) in 155 quadrats on each survey line. A. breviligulata was more abundant at an elevation of 1 to 2 m on the landward side of the seawall compared to L. mollis. The relative PPFD and the species number and cover of coastal plants decreased as the cover and height of A. breviligulata increased. The results suggest that the growth of coastal plants was inhibited in the landward area because of shading by A. breviligulata.

In this study, soil specimens grown with Phalaris arundinacea L. were prepared and subjected to constant pressure direct shear tests under low vertical stresses simulated at the extreme surface layer of a slope. The test results showed that, similar to previous study conducted on Poa pratensis L., a foreign herbaceous plant, the specimens with more developed root systems in Phalaris arundinacea L. showed increased shear resistance at large shear displacements and improved toughness. In addition, it was confirmed that vegetation work using the local seedling, Phalaris arundinacea L., can have the same or better soil reinforcement effect as Poa pratensis L. if the seeding is done at the appropriate time.

In the traditional Kurama Fire Festival in Kyoto, brushwood of medium-sized broad-leaved shrubs such as Rhododendron reticulatum D. Don with a thickness of 1 to 2 cm have been used for the torches. In recent years, however, it has become difficult to procure forest resources within Kurama. We estimated the potential habitat of R. reticulatum in Kurama, and conducted a field survey to identify its resource use potential. Based on the growth characteristics of the species, 33.2% of the entire Kurama area was identified as the potential habitat, using GIS. In addition, as a result of interviews and field surveys, the amount of shoots of R. reticulatum that can be used per year is about 1/30 of the amount needed for bushes. It was indicated that the potential for resource utilization is low and that the growth environment of the species needs to be improved.

In parks, botanical gardens, and other open spaces, foreign and domestic invasive tree species are planted as green trees and ornamental trees. In this study, Using the Kobe Municipal Arboretum as a field, we examined the impact of non-native tree species on the surrounding vegetation and local environment. The occurrences of seedlings of non-native tree species were determined and the location of their mother trees were determined, resulting in the identification of 139 seedlings of non-native tree species in 19 species. Regarding the mode of seed dispersal, we found that 102 seedlings of 9 species were dispersed by animals, more than those dispersed by wind (41 seedlings of 9 species). It is important preventing the spread of non-native trees outside the park. Since it takes several years from seedling to flowering and fruiting, ensure proper management such as trimming every few years is necessary to prevent the spread of non-native tree species outside the park.