Pleioblastus Chino Research Articles

Influence of cutting <i>Pleioblastus chino</i> on Japanese oak wilt in abandoned secondary forest.

Influence of cutting <i>Pleioblastus chino</i> on Japanese oak wilt in abandoned secondary forest.

The scaling relationships between leaf sheath size and leaf lamina size in six bamboo species

ABSTRACT The scaling relationship between functional traits of leaf sheath and leaf lamina in bamboo is of significant importance in regulating bamboo growth, yet related studies are lacking. In this study, we collected a total of 2006 leaves from six bamboo species (including Pleioblastus argenteostriatus, Pleioblastus chino var. hisauchii, Pleioblastus fortunei, Pleioblastus kongosanensis f. aureostriatus, Pleioblastus maculatus, and Pleioblastus viridistriatus) growing in Nanjing, China, and measured leaf sheath length (SL), leaf sheath fresh mass (SFM), leaf lamina length (LL), leaf lamina area (LA), and leaf lamina fresh mass (LFM). We used reduced major axis regression protocols to fit the scaling relationships between various measures of leaf lamina and leaf sheath. For each individual species and the pooled data of six species, allometric relationships were found in lamina (LFM vs. LA) and sheath (SFM vs. SL), respectively. We also found robust allometric relationships between leaf sheath and leaf lamina (LA vs. SL and LFM vs. SL). These results revealed the strong coupling among leaf traits in terms of morphology and mass, providing insights into the understanding of the physiological process of bamboo growth.

Bamboo Pleioblastus chino var. hisauchii characteristics before and after flowering

Pleioblastus chino var. hisauchii is an important ornamental bamboo species that rarely flowers. Studies on the change in its material properties before and after flowering were lacking. In this paper, the anatomical, chemical, and mechanical properties of bamboo culms before and after flowering were studied by using the method of bio-wood science. The results showed that after flowering, the morphology and proportion of the fiber, vessel and vascular bundle decreased, and the openings of pits in the vessel wall were enlarged significantly; the contents of the main components such as extractives, lignin, holocellulose, cellulose and pentosan rose, while the ash content dropped. There was a decrease in density and modulus of rupture, and a pronounced fall in modulus of elasticity, while the microfibril angle and crystallinity increased. In general, the strength of bamboo flowering culms decreased and the ability to transport nutrients increased, which were closely related to the changes in internal structure and properties. This meant that bamboo flowering may be monitored or predicted by significant changes in some properties (such as pits and modulus of elasticity) and provide a reference for further research on the mechanism of flowering senescence and delayed flowering in bamboo.

Long‐term changes in food habits of deer and habitat vegetation: 25‐year monitoring on a small island

AbstractHow vegetation change caused by ungulates affects other ungulate species has been well studied, yet how grazing the vegetation of the habitat affects a species own food habits is not known. Long‐term studies on the effects of sika deer (Cervus nippon) on vegetation have been performed, but not in the context of the species own food habits. I monitored grassland vegetation and deer food habits on an island in northern Japan for 25 years from 1975 to 2000. During the first decade, deer grazing caused the replacement of Miscanthus sinensis tussocks by a Zoysia japonica sward. Deer diets in 1976 were composed of equal proportions of M. sinensis, Pleioblastus chino, and Z. japonica, but after the 1980s, Z. japonica became their major food source. This is because of the high productivity of Z. japonica afforded by its morphology and physiology, as well as by the warm and humid summer climate of the Japanese archipelago. Although the vegetational changes were gradual, changes in the deer food habits were abrupt and the compositions were predominated by Z. japonica after the first decade. This study showed that an ungulate changed its own diet because of its effect on the vegetation by grazing, and that the changes in vegetation and deer diet were not synchronized over a 25‐year monitoring period.

Does mowing in a single year influence floristic diversity in the following year in <i>Pleioblastus chino</i> (Franch. et Sav.) Makino community of <i>Quercus serrata</i> Murray forest-edge?

Does mowing in a single year influence floristic diversity in the following year in <i>Pleioblastus chino</i> (Franch. et Sav.) Makino community of <i>Quercus serrata</i> Murray forest-edge?

Effects of under-story Sasa removal and bamboo felling on the ground-beetle fauna in secondary forests in Tama Hills, in Japan

In secondary forests that have been abandoned, clear-cutting bamboo and thinning increase the species diversity of forest floor plants. However, the effects on ground beetles have not been sufficiently studied. In this study, we set up survey traps at four areas: Sasa (Pleioblastus chino) mowing area, Sasa standing area, bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) clear-cutting area, and bamboo standing area in Tama hill, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. A total of 80 traps were set up to capture ground beetles: 10 traps in each area with two replicates. The number of species was greater in the case of management in the Sasa mowing area and bamboo clear-cutting area than in the case of no management in the Sasa standing area and bamboo standing area. In particular, the number of ground beetles was higher in the Sasa mowing area than in the Sasa standing area, bamboo clear-cutting area, and bamboo standing area. The ground beetles belonging to Pterididae were the most common, and the most common species were Carabus insulicola, Synuchus cycloderu, and Pterostichus yoritomus. In particular, C. insulicola comprised over 90% of the total ground beetles collected from the Sasa mowing area, suggesting that this beetle can be used as an indicator of biodiversity in an abandoned secondary forest.

Interactions among dwarf bamboo, litter and consumption by small vertebrates place multiple constraints on the establishment of native tree seedlings in a Japanese agricultural landscape

Faunal assemblage alterations due to anthropogenic impacts have changed herbivore–vegetation relationships in various ecosystems, but the influences of small vertebrates on revegetation processes remain unclear. In a peri-urban agricultural landscape in eastern Japan that lacks large ungulates but supports small generalist herbivores, fewer native seedlings have become established in thickets dominated by native dwarf bamboo, Pleioblastus chino (Franch. et Sav.) Makino. The mechanisms limiting tree seedling establishment are unknown. Our aim here was to evaluate the influence of interactions among the dwarf bamboo, its litter cover and small vertebrate herbivores on the microsite conditions governing the establishment of native tree seedlings from different successional stages in an old field in temperate Japan. First, seedling emergence and survival of seeded Pinus densiflora Siebold et Zucc., Celtis sinensis Pers., Aphananthe aspera (Thunb.) Planch., Quercus serrata Murray, Quercus myrsinifolia Blume and Castanopsis sieboldii (Makino) Hatus. ex T. Yamaz. et Mashiba were observed in a factorial design that accounted for the presence or absence of dwarf bamboo and its litter cover, as well as the exclusion or access of small vertebrate fauna, in 2009 and 2010. To identify small vertebrate herbivores that reduced the emergence or survival of tree seedlings in the first experiment, reseeding experiments using P. densiflora, C. sinensis, A. aspera and Q. myrsinifolia were conducted by video trapping in 2011 and video and still-camera trapping in 2012. The abiotic conditions under the dwarf bamboo were lethal to early- to mid-successional P. densiflora, C. sinensis, A. aspera and Q. serrata but led to better survival—although spindly growth—of late-successional Q. myrsinifolia and C. sieboldii. The main consumers and the plants they found palatable differed between the bamboo thickets and the intervening gaps. Predation by mice appeared to have severely limited the emergence of all species, particularly in the bamboo thickets but occasionally in the gaps, whereas litter cover slightly mitigated this limitation. However, bamboo litter cover reduced the emergence of P. densiflora in the gaps. Chinese bamboo partridge (Bambusicola thoracicus Temminck), an introduced game bird, selectively and severely fed on the cotyledons—and probably seeds—of A. aspera and moderately preyed upon those of P. densiflora in the gaps. Apparent consumption of seedlings in the gaps by the Japanese hare (Lepus brachyurus Temminck) suppressed the growth of all species but apparently did not severely affect emergence and survival. Thus, the net balance of positive and negative interactions at the bamboo thicket scale (i.e. the presence of dominant dwarf bamboo cover or intervening gaps and the herbivore behaviours in these two environments) and at the microsite level (i.e. litter cover) shapes the early establishment patterns of native tree seedlings, and this balance differs among tree seedling species.

Environmental conditions for seed germination and seedling growth of Cinnamomum camphora (Lauraceae): the possibility of regeneration in an abandoned deciduous broad-leaved forest, eastern Japan

ABSTRACTCinnamomum camphora is an evergreen broad-leaved tree distributed throughout southeastern China, Taiwan, and southern Japan. This tree has been widely cultivated and utilized by humans since ancient times; therefore, its natural distribution and regeneration are ambiguous. We established a mowing zone and a control zone in an abandoned deciduous broad-leaved forest in eastern Japan. In the mowing zone, an evergreen dwarf bamboo, Pleioblastus chino, and evergreen broad-leaved trees such as Quercus myrsinifolia and Eurya japonica were cut at ground level. We set nine study sites (1 × 1 m quadrats) on the forest floor of these zones, and measured the fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (fAPAR), soil moisture content, and soil temperature. Overall, 120 seeds of C. camphora were sown at a depth of 1 cm on each site, and seed germination and the survival and growth of seedlings were monitored over 4 years. Seed germination ratios at the sites were negatively affected by fAPAR and soil moisture content and positively affected by daily fluctuation of soil temperature. Seedling survival ratios and heights were negatively affected by fAPAR and positively affected by soil moisture content; no seedlings survived at the control site, and the height of seedlings was significantly higher under the canopy gap. Seeds of C. camphora could germinate in an abandoned secondary forest in eastern Japan, but the dominance of P. chino largely prevented the establishment of seedlings; the presence of a canopy gap, along with consecutive mowing, was considered to be indispensable for regeneration.

Apparent Tolerance of Low Water Availability in Temperate Asian Bamboos1

Abstract Suitable plant water dynamics and the ability to withstand periods of low moisture input facilitate plant establishment in seasonally arid regions. Temperate bamboos are a major constituent of mixed evergreen and deciduous forests throughout temperate East Asia but play only an incidental role in North American forests and are altogether absent in the Pacific Northwest forest. Many bamboo species are classified as mesic or riparian, but none are considered drought tolerant. To assess their ability to withstand low water, we subjected five Asian temperate and one North American temperate bamboo species to three irrigation treatments: 100%, 50%, and 10% replacement of water lost through evapotranspiration. Plants were irrigated every four days over a 31-day period. Plant response to treatments was measured with stomatal conductance, leaf xylem water potentials, and intrinsic water use efficiency (iWUE). Pleioblastus distichus and Pseudosasa japonica showed significant reductions in conductance between high and low irrigation treatments. Sasa palmata had significantly lower stomatal conductance in all treatments. Pleioblastus chino displayed significantly higher iWUE in the mid irrigation treatment and Arunindaria gigantea displayed significantly lower iWUE than P. chino and S. palmata in the low irrigation treatment. The Asian bamboo species examined here tolerate low water availability and readily acclimate to different soil moisture conditions. Index words: Temperate bamboos, irrigation response, stomatal conductance, intrinsic water use efficiency. Species used in this study: Giant Cane [Arundinaria gigantea (Walt.) Muhl.]; Pleioblastus chino (Franchet & Savatier) Makino; Pleioblastus distichus (Mitford) Nakai; Pseudosasa japonica (Makino); Sasa palmata (Bean) Nakai.

Ecological and growth characteristics of trees after resumption of management in abandoned substitution forest in Japan

Since the 1950s, secondary (substitution) forests known as Satoyama woods have been abandoned due to changes in human lifestyle. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationships between human activity and substitution forests to better understand the traditional management required to prevent succession to evergreen forest. One objective is to identify the tree species, their number of trunks (NT), and the basal area (BA) (collectively, the stand density) in the woods today, half a century after people abandoned the substitution forests. Another goal is to compare, over a 6-year period, the figures for total NT, BA, and the number of living, dead or fallen trunks between an abandoned substitution forest (a control plot) and a mown plot. NT decreased from 700 to 600 trunks/ha on the control, and from 600 to 400 trunks/ha on the mown plot, at ground level over 6 years. The total BA increased annually on the control plot but decreased from 48 to 38 m2/ha on the mown plot over 6 years. Many hydrophytes (Alnus japonica, etc.), Quercus serrata, and other trees species were found dead on the mown plots. All Quercus myrsinaefolia (evergreen trees) were still alive by the sixth year. These results demonstrate that the vegetation in these forests succeeded to Quercetum myrsinaefoliae, Tyoische Subass., which is therefore shown to be the potential vegetation of succession over this timescale. If it is desired to maintain the traditional vegetation type, the results of this study suggest that it is necessary to manage the substitution forest to prevent succession to evergreen forest, which could be achieved by cutting Pleioblastus chino, climbing plants, and shade plants (evergreen trees).

A Comparison of Nutrient intake and Digestibility in Beef cows Grazed on Nezasa dwarf bamboo (Pleioblastus chino var. viridis)-Dominated Pasture and Improved Grass Pasture

A Comparison of Nutrient intake and Digestibility in Beef cows Grazed on Nezasa dwarf bamboo (Pleioblastus chino var. viridis)-Dominated Pasture and Improved Grass Pasture

Effects of Mowing on the Species Diversity in Relation to the Dominance of Dwarf-bamboo Pleioblastus chino Makino in a Semi-natural Grassland

Effects of Mowing on the Species Diversity in Relation to the Dominance of Dwarf-bamboo Pleioblastus chino Makino in a Semi-natural Grassland

放牧条件下でのネザサ(Pleioblastus chino var, viridis)の地上茎密度の維持機構

放牧条件下でのネザサ(Pleioblastus chino var, viridis)の地上茎密度の維持機構

The effects of sika deer (Cervus nippon) on the growth of Pleioblastus chino.

The effects of sika deer (Cervus nippon) on the growth of Pleioblastus chino.

A dwarf bamboo (Pleioblastus chino) and winter browsing by Japanese hare (Lepus brachyurus) combine to limit establishment of transplanted native tree seedlings in an abandoned agricultural field

Natural forest recovery on abandoned farmland is hindered by a variety of factors and active restoration plays an important role when quick afforestation is desired. We investigated seedling survival of four transplanted native tree species (Quercus myrsinifolia, Quercus serrata, Aphananthe aspera, and Rhus sylvestris) by experimentally manipulating the vegetation cover, which was mainly dominated by dwarf bamboo (Pleioblastus chino), and herbivore access to the planting sites on farmland that had been abandoned for 15 years at the start of the study. Few transplanted seedlings of any species survived under intact vegetation cover, irrespective of herbivore presence. In gaps in the vegetation cover, winter browsing by Japanese hare (Lepus brachyurus) damaged all species. However, lower browsing frequency and higher resprouting ability after grazing of the seedlings enabled both Quercus species to survive better than the other species. These results indicate that dwarf bamboo and the hare jointly limit the establishment of native trees in old fields. If active afforestation by transplanting seedlings at sites dominated by dwarf bamboo is planned, a combination of vegetation removal, selection of suitable species, and temporary seedling protection will be most effective.

Changes in forest floor vegetation after the mowing of Pleioblastus chino: a case study from an abandoned coppice forest in the Kanto region of Japan

Changes in forest floor vegetation after the mowing of <i>Pleioblastus chino</i>: a case study from an abandoned coppice forest in the Kanto region of Japan

Characterization of bamboo species at different ages and bio-oil production

Two different bamboo species (Pseudosasa amabilis and Pleioblastus chino) were chosen as potential resources for producing biofuels and chemicals. Specifically, in this study, three stages (one year, two years and three years old) were considered to find the influence of aging on biomass properties, pyrolysis products distribution, and the properties of bamboo bio-oil. Changing trends of chemical components were similar for the two bamboo species, and their contents were comparable. Ash content of bamboo biomass increased with age; whereas, the soluble part of ash actually decreased. The insoluble part of ash contributed on char production. Bamboo lignin has more syringyl units than guaiacyl units. Higher heating value (HHV) of the two bamboo species were in the range of 19.4–19.9MJ/kg. Products distributions of bamboo pyrolysis were similar between two species; the yield of bio-oil (water free) was increasing with bamboo aging. Physical and chemical properties (e.g., density, pH, HHV, viscosity, water content and CHNO) as well as the chemical composition of the bio-oil were analyzed. Significant reduction in water content (from 26.30% to 9.65%) was observed in P. chino bio-oil, whereas it was fairly stable (from 16.26% to 15.82%) in P. amabilis bio-oil. The aging influence on the bio-oil properties was much lower for P. amabilis as compared to P. chino.

Removal of competitive native species combined with tree planting can accelerate the initial afforestation process: an experiment in an old field in Japan invaded by dwarf bamboo and kudzu

Restoring natural forests after field abandonment is a land management objective that fosters the recovery of forest biodiversity. We performed seeding and transplanting of native tree species 40 years after the abandonment of an arable field that became dominated by a dwarf bamboo (Pleioblastus chino (Franch. et Sav.) Makino) and by kudzu (Pueraria lobata (Willd.) Ohwi). By permutation tests, the removal of competing vegetation (gap creation) significantly increased the survival of three seeded species of Fagaceae and of eight transplanted species. In contrast, intact vegetation prevented most individuals of all species from surviving for 1 year after planting. The lack of natural recruitment of Fagaceae in the nonseeded subplots indicated that seed limitation was a cause of the slow afforestation. Although litter accumulation in gaps at the time of seeding slightly increased survival for late-germinating Quercus myrsinifolia Blume and Castanopsis sieboldii (Makino) Hatus. ex T. Yamaz. et Mashiba, the effect was not consistent among plots and was not statistically significant. Our results suggest that for successful afforestation using native trees in abandoned fields, it will be necessary to remove competitive native species to avoid severe limitations on microsite availability and that simultaneous tree establishment by seeding or transplanting should be implemented to accelerate the establishment of native tree species.

Differential Responses of two Bamboo Species (Phyllostachys Auresulcata `Spectabilis' and Pleioblastus Chino `Hisauchii') to Excess Copper

Pot experiments were carried out to examine the responses of growth, physiological properties, copper (Cu) absorption and translocation in two bamboo species, Phyllostachys auresulcata ‘Spectabilis’ and Pleioblastus chino ‘Hisauchii’ Two-year old plants with similar size were exposed to excess Cu treatments, in order to demonstrate their Cu tolerance and potential ability of phytoremediation under Cu-polluted soil as biofuel feedstock. Pots were irrigated with aqueous solutions of Cu in concentrations of 500, 1000 and 2000 mg CuSO4·5H2O kg−1, against the control (tap water). Plant growth, chlorophyll contents, photosynthesis rate, malondialdehyde (MDA) content, Cu concentrations in leave, stem and root, and Cu contents in shoot per pot were measured after transplanted plants were grown under excess Cu treatments for 60 days. Two bamboo species had different responses to tolerance and allocation of supplied Cu. As Cu treatments rose, the percentage of senescent shoot and MDA content increased, and the chlorophyll content and photosynthetic capacity decreased. Such changes in Hisauchii were more obvious than in Spectabilis. However, number of emerged shoots did not differ between the two species across four Cu treatments. In the efficiency of decontamination, Hisauchii was more effective than Spectabilis, since either the Cu concentrations in leaves, stems and roots or Cu contents in shoot per pot in Cu treatments from 500 to 2000 mg kg−1 were higher in Hisauchii than in Spectabilis It is suggested that the potential capability of absorbing Cu might cause the different response to cu stress between the two bamboo species. Both bamboo species can be considered to exhibit enough potential to develop in Cu-polluted areas of China as bioenergy resources and phytoremediation plants.

Shade tolerance of temperate Asian bamboos: a harbinger of their naturalization in Pacific Northwest coniferous forests?

Bamboos native to temperate East Asian coniferous forests arrive with increasing frequency in the United States as horticultural imports, and some are becoming naturalized locally. Given the strong floristic and physiognomic similarities between East Asian and western North American coniferous forests, we asked whether these introduced bamboos could tolerate the varied light regimes within coniferous forests in their new range. Seven temperate Asian bamboos and one North American bamboo (Arundinaria gigantea) were grown within shade structures in an experimental garden; these structures reduced ambient light to three light levels (50, 70, 90 % shade) that occur routinely within coniferous forests in the Pacific Northwest. Species’ responses under these light levels were measured by their light response curves to photosynthesis, resource allocation to light or carbon harvesting centers inferred by CO2 response curves, and shifts amongst forms of leaf Chlorophyll. Bashania fargesii has lower chlorophyll content and photosynthetic rates under high shade (90 %) relative to other Asian species and to B. fargesii grown in 50 and 70 % shade. Bashania fargesii, Sasa kurilensis and A. gigantea also displayed lower photosynthetic rates under 90 % shade compared to plants grown in 50 and 70 % shade and lower electron transport capacity under 70 and 90 % shade compared to plants grown in 50 % shade. In contrast, Pleioblastus chino, Pleioblastus distichus, Pseudosasa japonica, Sasa palmata and Sasaella ramosa display strong tolerance of low light. Our results indicate these five Asian bamboos (and others yet to be introduced) could skirt a major environmental barrier to new species establishment in these North American forests. Measuring a species’ light response curve offers a reliable, rapid means to assess an immigrant species’ potential to tolerate forests’ varied light regimes.