Restoration of a Plantation Forest to Native Broadleaved Vegetation: Indentifying and Alleviating Establishment Limitations

• Main Authors: YU-TSEN LI, 李毓芩
• Other Authors: 關秉宗
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2013
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/66154275905825877386

碩士 === 國立臺灣大學 === 森林環境暨資源學研究所 === 101 === Ecological restoration is an intentional activity to accelerate the recovery of health, integrity, and sustainability of a deteriorated ecosystem. When restoring native forest vegetation, we usually face two limitations, namely, dispersal and establishment limitations. The former would occur when the dispersal path is blocked(e.g., lack of seed sources or dispersal agents). Establishment limitations refer to the factors that hinder the germination of the dispersed seeds, as well as the survival and growth of seedlings. Based on direct seeding and seedlings planting experiments, the objectives of this study are to identify and alleviate the likely factors affecting the establishments of native Fagaceae species during the restoration of a Japanese cedar plantation to native forest vegetation in a site located at the Heshe District of NTU Experimental Forest. After four years of direct seeding and seedling planting, this study found that, if seeds are able to disperse into the study site, acorn predation is the most important establishment limitation for the target Fagaceae species. Different site preparation methods, such as thinning and vegetation removing, have no significant effects in reducing acorn predation rate. Plating one-year-seedlings has the highest success rate, followed by planting three-month-seedlings and direct seeding of germinating acorns, whereas direct seeding of fresh acorns has the lowest success rate. Plastic nets can iv effectively deter acorn predators and enhance acorn germination and seedling survival rates. The physical and chemical methods that the study experimented to prevent seed predation are not effective. The results of this study suggest that planting one-year-old seedlings will be the best way to alleviate the establishment limitations when restoring the Japanese cedar stands to native forest vegetation in the study area.