Soil seed banks in a mature Hinoki (Chamaecyparis obtusa Endl.) plantation and initial process of secondary succession after clearcutting in southwestern Japan

To profile secondary succession after clearcutting a conifer plantation, we examined the composition of the soil seed bank and the process of vegetation recovery after clearcutting a mature Hinoki (Chamaecyparis obtusa) plantation in southwest Japan. We set up two study plots and collected 25 and 26 soil samples (each 20 cm x 30 cm x 5 cm depth), respectively, in April 1999, before clearcutting. Using the seedling emergence method, we detected 500-839 buried viable seeds m(-2) in 42-44 species. Soil seed banks in both plots contained typical pioneer species but few late-successional species. After clearfelling the plantation in June 1999, we censused seedling establishment for 4 years and the composition of the vegetation for 6 years. More than half of the seedlings emerged in the second year, suggesting that the timing of clearcutting is possibly critical to seedling establishment. Nineteen plant species disappeared after clearcutting, 40 species were retained and 43 species newly emerged after clearcutting. Most of the newly emerged species were pioneer species which originated in the soil seed bank. Seven of the pioneer species, as typified by Rubus crataegifolius, showed clonal growth from the third year after clearcutting. Japanese serow browsed the seedlings of major pioneer species, possibly affecting the process of secondary succession. Late-successional species such as Abies firma declined in coverage or disappeared after clearcutting. Our results suggest that the soil seed bank makes a major contribution to vegetation recovery after clearcutting, but possibly not to restoration of the late-successional species.