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Associate Professor KATAYAMA Ayumi and her research group have demonstrated that the installation of deer fences prevents the decline in the growth of beech trees and the reduction in soil microbial diversity
This is expected to be an effective measure to halt forest degradation caused by overgrazing by deer
POINT
- To protect the vegetation on the forest floor (understory vegetation) from intense deer grazing, the installation of deer fences is being promoted in various regions. However, knowledge is limited regarding whether the installation of these fences also contributes to the conservation of other biological communities beyond the understory vegetation.
- At Mt. Shiraga in Kumamoto Prefecture, we compared the growth of beech trees and the diversity of soil microbial communities inside and outside the deer fences.The results showed that outside the fences, the loss of understory vegetation and subsequent soil erosion led to a decline in the growth of beech trees and the diversity of soil fungal communities, whereas no such decline was observed inside the fences.
- This study demonstrates that the conservation of understory vegetation through deer exclosure fences are also effective in preserving other biological communities. It is expected that these findings will be useful in considering future measures against deer herbivory.
SUMMARY
In recent years, the population of sika deer has increased in Japan, significantly altering forest ecosystems.Intense deer herbivory reduces understory vegetation and accelerates soil erosion.Recent studies have shown that these effects also negatively impact various biological communities, including tree decline and the deterioration of soil microbial diversity.As a measure against intense deer herbivory, the installation of deer exclosure fences are progressing in various regions.However, there is a lack of information on whether deer exclosure fences are also beneficial for the conservation of biological communities other than understory vegetation.A research group comprising Kyushu University, Miyazaki University, and Okayama University compared the growth of beech trees and soil microbial communities inside and outside deer exclosure fences in the beech forests of Mt. Shiraga, Kumamoto Prefecture.The growth of beech trees was compared through dendrochronological analysis. While the growth of individuals outside the fences decreased with the intensification of deer herbivory, no such growth decline was observed in individuals inside the fences.The soil microbial communities were compared using environmental DNA analysis, revealing that the soil inside the fences maintained higher diversity in certain microbial groups, such as fungi.These conservation results from the installation of fences were found to be due to the suppression of soil erosion by understory vegetation, which prevented the exposure of tree root systems affecting beech growth and changes in the physicochemical properties of the soil impacting soil microorganisms.These findings indicate that the installation of deer exclosure fences are also effective in preventing tree decline and the deterioration of soil microbial communities.
The research findings on beech growth were published in the international journal Journal of Environment Management on November 1, 2024, while the findings on soil microbial communities were published in the international journal Forest Ecology and Management on May 30, 2024.
Comment from the researcher
Mt. Shiraga, where this research was conducted, is a mountain cherished by local residents and is also the origin of the name for the shochu "Hakutake."In this area, the deer exclosure fences have been installed and managed through a collaboration between Asagiri Town in Kumamoto Prefecture, the Kumamoto Southern Forest Management Office (Kyushu Regional Forest Office of the Forestry Agency), and the Mt. Shiraga Conservation Association.Thanks to the continuous collaboration among the three parties, the deer exclosure fences have been maintained, enabling this research to be conducted and demonstrating the conservation effects on local biodiversity and the natural environment.We hope that these insights will contribute to forest management and mountain conservation in Mt. Shiraga. Our research team will continue to study the impact of deer herbivory on forest ecosystems and explore conservation measures.
Paper Information
Paper 1: A Comparative Study on Beech Tree Growth
Journal: Journal of environmental management
Title: Protection of understory vegetation by deer exclosure fences prevent the reduction of beech growth due to soil erosion
Authors: Hayato ABE*, Dongchuan FU, Tadamichi SATO, Yuji TOKUMOTO, Fujio HYODO. Ayumi KATAYAMA
DOI：10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.123146
Paper 2: Comparative Study on Soil Microbial Communities
Journal: Forest Ecology and Management
Title: Effects of deer-exclusion fences on soil microbial communities through understory environmental changes in a cool temperate deciduous forest in Southern Japan
Authors: Yuji TOKUMOTO, Yuki SAKURAI, Hayato ABE, Ayumi KATAYAMA
DOI：10.1016/j.foreco.2024.121993
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