Long-Term Ecosystem Changes in Riparian Forests

This open access book presents and analyzes the results of more than 30 years of long-term ecological research in riparian forest ecosystems with the aim of casting light on changes in the dynamics of riparian forests over time. The research, focusing on the Ooyamazawa riparian forest, one of the remaining old-growth forests in Japan, has yielded a number of interesting outcomes. First, it shows that large-scale disturbances afford various trees opportunities for regeneration and are thus the driving force for the coexistence of canopy trees in riparian forests. Second, it identifies changes in reproductive patterns, highlighting that seed production has in fact quantitatively increased over the past two decades. Third, it describes the decline in forest floor vegetation caused by deer grazing and reveals how this decline has affected bird and insect populations. The book illustrates the interconnectedness of phenomena within an ecosystem and the resultant potential for cascade effects and also stresses the need for long-term ecological studies of climate change impacts on forests. It will be of interest to both professionals and academics in the field of forest science. 

Hitoshi Sakio is a Professor and Director of Sado Island Center for Ecological Sustainability, Niigata University in Niigata, Japan. He received his Ph.D. from Tokyo Metropolitan University, Japan. Hitoshi worked as a forest researcher in local government before moving to Niigata University. He is the leader of riparian forest research in Japan, and his teaching and research focus on forest ecology, especially riparian forest dynamics, tree life history, and alpine forest vegetation. He has published over 50 articles on field research in peer-reviewed journals, edited seven books and written 20 book chapters. He has received various honors for his outstanding contributions to research and education, including The Ecological Society of Japan’s 12th Oshima Award (2019) and The Japanese Forest Society Award (2019).