Stand structure and composition of a 60-year-old larch (Larix kaempferi) plantation with retained hardwoods

Abstract

Tree retention is understood as a key practice in creating complexity, leading to heterogeneity in resources and habitats in managed stands. In this article, we clarify the long-term effects of tree retention on stand structure and tree-species composition in a 60-year-old Larix kaempferi plantation in central Japan. In our study plot (1.5ha) there were 18 stems/ha of retained trees (determined by tree-ring analysis), mostly Quercus crispula. We conducted spatial analyses and tested the hypothesis that tree abundance, size structure, and species composition and diversity change with distance from the retained trees. Near the retained trees, L. kaempferi showed a reduction of 40%–60% in basal area, due presumably to the shading effect. In contrast, the nearby area showed greater species diversity in the canopy layer. The retained trees created patches of different species composition in the understory. The spatial gradient of shade and colonization opportunity provided by retained trees greatly affect the distribution of the colonized species, according to their shade tolerance and seed-dispersal ability, which resulted in the stand structure with a heterogeneous shrub-layer vegetation. Retention proved particularly important for the enhancement and long-term maintenance of structural and compositional complexity in L. kaempferi plantations.