The effects of selection cutting on regeneration of Picea jezoensis and Abies sachalinensis in the sub-boreal forests of Hokkaido, northern Japan

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of selection cutting on seedling densities of Picea jezoensis and Abies sachalinensis in the sub-boreal forests of the Hokkaido Tokyo University Forest. Volumes of, and coverage with, fallen logs, broken stems and snags in a preserve stand were significantly greater than those in a selection cutting stand. Regeneration substrates of P. jezoensis were limited to coarse woody debris and root mounds, whereas A. sachalinensis was found on coarse woody debris, root mounds, and soil. P. jezoensis seedling density on any regeneration substrate was not increased by selection cutting, whereas A. sachalinensis seedling densities on cut stumps and soil increased. An overall P. jezoensis seedling density in the preserve stand was significantly greater than that in the selection cutting stand, but there was no statistically significant difference in the densities of A. sachalinensis seedlings between the preserve and the selection cutting stands. The present study demonstrates that selection cutting in the sub-boreal forest of the Hokkaido Tokyo University Forest results in reduction of P. jezoensis seedling density because of reduction in coarse woody debris, the crucial regeneration substrate for P. jezoensis, and enhancement of A. sachalinensis regeneration on cut stumps and soil.