Seedling establishment of Polygonum cuspidatum and Polygonum weyrichii var. alpinum at high altitudes of Mt Fuji | doi.page

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Seedling establishment of Polygonum cuspidatum and Polygonum weyrichii var. alpinum at high altitudes of Mt Fuji

Ecological Research1994Vol. 9(2), pp. 205–213

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Emiko Maruta

Abstract

Abstract Seedling establishment of Polygonum cuspidatum (Seib. et Zucc.) and Polygonum weyrichii (F. Schmit) var. alpinum (Maxim.), dominant early‐successional species in a volcanic gravel area on Mt Fuji, Japan, was compared for current‐year seedlings at 2500 m a.s.l. The rate of survival in the first winter after germination at 2500 m was 2% and 24% for P. cuspidatum and P. weyrichii seedlings, respectively, and correlated with the upper distribution limit of each (2500–2600 m for P. cuspidatum ; 3200–3300 m for P. weyrichii ). The critical size for survival was 12 mg dry weight for overwintering current‐year seedlings of both species. At 2500 m, the percentage of seedlings that attained the critical size for survival at the end of the first growing season was 19% and 85% for P. cuspidatum and P. weyrichii , respectively. Growth curves indicated that the larger‐seeded characteristic of P. weyrichii contributed to larger end‐of‐season size and resulted in higher rate of seedling survival at 2500 m, compared with smaller‐seeded P. cuspidatum . Current‐year seedlings of P. weyrichii , at least up to 3250 m, attained the first year annual growth critical for overwintering and therefore for successful seedling establishment, due to the large‐seeded characteristic. At the top (3770 m) beyond the upper distribution limit of P. weyrichii , most seedlings raised artificially failed to attain the critical size for survival in the first growing period due to the reduced growing period. Failure of seedling establishment would thus appear to restrict the distribution of the species at altitudes higher than 3300 m.

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Abstract

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