Comparison of the ecological characteristics of semi-natural grasslands established on levee slopes of traditional paddy fields, abandoned traditional paddy fields, and reconstructed paddy fields in Northern Hyogo Prefecture, Japan

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  • 兵庫県北部の棚田,放棄棚田,圃場整備水田における畦畔法面草原の生態的特性の比較
  • ヒョウゴケン ホクブ ノ タナダ,ホウキ タナダ,ホジョウ セイビ スイデン ニ オケル アゼ ハン ノリメン ソウゲン ノ セイタイテキ トクセイ ノ ヒカク

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Abstract

We examined the following three types of semi-natural grasslands established on the levee slopes of paddy fields in Northern Hyogo Prefecture, Japan: (1) traditional grassland (TG), i.e., grasslands managed on traditional paddy fields (paddy terraces); (2) abandoned traditional grassland (AG); and (3) non-traditional grassland (NTG), i.e., grasslands restored after consolidation of paddy terraces. In this study, the vegetation structure, dominant species, species composition, and species richness were compared among the three grassland types. Vegetation height was much higher in AG than in TG and NTG. The dominant species was Imperata cylindrica var. koenigii in TG and NTG, and Miscanthus sinensis in AG. The species composition of TG clearly differed from that of the other two types: many species found in TG were absent or rare in both AG and NTG. The number of native plant species per plot was the highest in TG, followed by NTG and AG. Species richness of alien plants was very low in not only TG but also NTG. Recovery of species composition and species richness after paddy consolidation tended to be faster for annual herbs than for perennial herbs. To examine the soil seed bank of AG, we conducted germination tests for soil samples taken from AG using the seedling emergence method. Of the 48 species found in TG, but absent or rare in AG, 17 species germinated from seeds buried in the soil of AG. This result suggests that the soil seed bank of AG could not play a significant role in the restoration of TG.

Journal

  • Vegetation Science

    Vegetation Science 30 (1), 51-69, 2013

    The Society of Vegetation Science

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