Ecological and Physiological Studies on the Vegetation of Mt. Shimagare

In the serially aged Abies stands of Forest Units IV and V on Mt. Shimagare, the following were clarified.<br>1. As for tree height, N- or somewhat L-shaped frequency curves were observed throughout the stand development, while in tree diameter only L-shaped occurred. The frequency distribution of estimated needles weight and tree weight showed extremely L-shaped curves.<br>2. An average tree for basal area class should be, based on a mathematical theorem, smaller in diameter size, needles weight and tree weight than an average tree for needles weight class and that for tree weight class.<br>3. Constant annual mortality of Abies trees was kept throughout the developmental stages excluding overmatured one. Half of the annual mortality seemed to be given rise to from the defeated trees in the smallest tree class.<br>4. The trunk diameter and tree height were linearly related to the logarithmic value of tree density, and a linear relation was observed between tree weight and density on a system of log-log coordinates.<br>5. It was practically as well as theoretically demonstrated that total stand basal area increased gradually in young stage, slightly decreased in mature stage, and again increased rapidly in fully matured stage.<br>6. Productive structure of Abies stands was resynthesized from the productive structure of individual trees classified into the dominant, intermediate and suppressed. The upper part of photosynthetic system of young stand was occupied mostly by the dominants, while in the non-photosynthetic the major parts were constructed by the dominants as well as by the intermediates.<br>7. With development of young forest stand, the total dry weight of the non-photosynthetic system greatly, and that of the photosynthetic slightly, increased, though the leaf area index (5.0) remained almost constant.