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Riparian forests along streams and rivers are diverse in species, structure, and regeneration processes, and have important ecological functions in maintaining landscape and biodiversity. This book discusses riparian forests from subpolar to warm-temperate zones, covering headwater streams, braided rivers on alluvial fans, and low-gradient meandering rivers. It presents the dynamics and mechanisms that govern the coexistence of riparian tree species, tree demography, the response to water stress of trees, and the conservation of endangered species, and focuses on natural disturbances, life-history strategies, and the ecophysiology of trees. Because many riparian landscapes have been degraded and are disappearing at an alarming rate, the regeneration of the remaining riparian ecosystems is urgent. With contributions by more than 20 experts in diverse fields, this book offers useful information for the conservation, restoration, and rehabilitation of riparian ecosystems that remain in world streams and rivers.
List of contents
Features of riparian forests in Japan.- Geography, disturbance regime and dynamics of sediments in riparian zone.- Occurrence of hillslope processes affecting riparian vegetation in upstream watersheds of Japan.- Sediment dynamics and characteristics with respect to river disturbance.- Riparian community.- Vegetation-geographic evaluation of the syntaxonomic system of valley-bottom forests occurring in the cooltemperate zone of the Japanese Archipelago.- Riparian forests in headwater stream.- Coexistence mechanisms of three riparian species in the upper basin with respect to their life histories, ecophysiology, and disturbance regimes.- Population dynamics and key stages in two Japanese riparian elements.- Rodent seed hoarding and regeneration of Aesculus turbinata: patterns, processes and implications.- Longitudinal variation in disturbance regime and community structure of a riparian forest established on a small alluvial fan in warm-temperate southern Kyushu, Japan.- Riparian forests on wide alluvial fan.- Structure and composition of riparian forests with reference to geomorphic conditions.- Mosaic structure of riparian forests on the riverbed and floodplain of a braided river: A case study in the Kamikouchi Valley of the Azusa River.- Coexistence of Salix species in a seasonally flooded habitat.- Riparian forests in lowland regions.- Process of willow community establishment and topographic change of riverbed in a warm-temperate region of Japan.- Growth and nutrient economy of riparian Salix gracilistyla.- The expansion of woody shrub vegetation (Elaeagnus umbellata) along a regulated river channel.- Riparian forests in wetland.- Distribution pattern and regeneration of swamp forest species with respect to site conditions.- Flooding adaptations of wetland trees.- Species diversity of riparian forests.- Diversity of tree species in mountain riparian forest in relation to disturbance-mediated microtopography.- Diversity of forest floor vegegation with landform type.- Endangered species and its conservation.- Ecology and conservation of an endangered willow, Salix hukaoana.- Strategy for the reallocation of plantations to semi-natural forest for the conservation of endangered riparian tree species.- Conclusion.- General conclusions concerning riparian forest ecology and conservation.
Summary
Riparian forests along streams and rivers are diverse in species, structure, and regeneration processes, and have important ecological functions in maintaining landscape and biodiversity. This book discusses riparian forests from subpolar to warm-temperate zones, covering headwater streams, braided rivers on alluvial fans, and low-gradient meandering rivers. It presents the dynamics and mechanisms that govern the coexistence of riparian tree species, tree demography, the response to water stress of trees, and the conservation of endangered species, and focuses on natural disturbances, life-history strategies, and the ecophysiology of trees. Because many riparian landscapes have been degraded and are disappearing at an alarming rate, the regeneration of the remaining riparian ecosystems is urgent. With contributions by more than 20 experts in diverse fields, this book offers useful information for the conservation, restoration, and rehabilitation of riparian ecosystems that remain in world streams and rivers.
