Forest Vegetation in and Around Ogawa Forest Reserve in Relation to Human Impact

Abstract

Ogawa Forest Reserve (OFR) is located on a quasiplain (about 610–660 m above sea level) in the southern part of the Abukuma Mountains, which run from Fukushima Prefecture to Ibaraki Prefecture along the Pacific Coast of central Japan. This area has the typical climate of the Pacific Coast of Japan, which is characterized by cold, dry winters with little snowfall (see Chapter 2; Suzuki 1952), and deciduous broad-leaved forests which have developed naturally and which are mainly composed of Fagus and Quercus species (Hukushima et al. 1995). The area is located in the lower part of the montane zone, as well as in the transition zone between the warm temperate and cool temperate climate zones (Suzuki 1952; Kashimura 1968; cf. Table 7.3 in Chapter 7). Moreover, in the past, the forests in this area have been subjected to human activities such as buming, cattle grazing, and clear-cutting for fuelwood for at least the last 500 years (see Chapter 7). As a result, almost all the natural forest vegetation has now changed into secondary forest or coniferous plantations (Ibaraki Prefectural Forest Experiment Station 1980).KeywordsNational ForestDwarf BambooIbaraki PrefectureHorse BreedingFagus CrenataThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.