Cercidiphyllum japonicum [chapter]

Masako Kubo, Hitoshi Sakio
2020 Ecological Research Monographs  
The tertiary relict Cercidiphyllum japonicum is an important canopy tree species of riparian forests in Japan, despite typically occurring at low densities. Once mature, canopy individuals are typically 30 cm in diameter at breast height and have high annual seed production. Seedlings tend to germinate on steep slopes with exposed soil, but not in thick litter or gravel substrates. Annual seedling mortality is high at germination sites that are exposed to heavy rain and flooding. In contrast,
more » ... japonicum has highly successful vegetative reproduction through basal sprouting (a product of endogenous [i.e., aging] and exogenous [i.e., gap formation and physical damage] factors), which leads to a multi-stemmed growth form. Sprouting allows C. japonicum to dominate stands over time, as it is longer lived than other coexisting species; this promotes the maintenance of its populations.
doi:10.1007/978-981-15-3009-8_4 fatcat:3vh53l4vxvdppbmq6zzoo2hqaq