FLUCTUATION OF NUT PRODUCTION AND SEEDLING APPEARANCE OF A JAPANESE BEECH (FAGUS-CRENATA BLUME)

The nut productivity, density of fallen nuts, seedling appearance and seedling survival of a Japanese beech (Fagus crenata Blume) were inves tigated at three localities, Mt Gozaisho, Mt Hodaka and Mt Bandai, Jap an, from 1976 to 1992. Two patterns of cycles, a short cycle and a lon g one, were confirmed in the beech nut productivity, Synchronization i n the long cycle was recognized both on Mt Hodaka and Mt Bandai. On Mt Gozaisho, the beech nut productivity was quite low, and the seedlings disappeared within 1 year. The phenomenon on Mt Gozaisho seemed to be caused by the low matter production mainly due to erosion and poor so ils. A large number of seedlings appeared in the next spring of heavy mast years on Mt Hodaka and Mt Bandai. The large beech nut productivit y contributed to the large seedling supply, and this enhanced the surv ival probability of beech seedlings. This demonstrates the possibility that beech seedlings survived longer even under dense dwarf bamboos, particularly if the seedling supply was large.