Regeneration of a coastal pine (Pinus thunbergii Parl.) forest 11 years after thinning, Niigata, Japan.

To examine the effects of thinning intensity on wind vulnerability and regeneration in a coastal pine (Pinus thunbergii) forest, thinning with intensities of 20%, 30% and 50% was conducted in December 1997; there was an unthinned treatment as the control (total 8 stands). We re-measured the permanent sites to assess the regeneration characteristics 11 years after thinning. In the 50% thinned stand, seedlings aged from 2 to 10 years exhibited the highest pine seedling density and growth.

[Influence of thinning on regeneration in a coastal pinus thunbergii forest].

A coastal forest planted nearby the sea can provide many shelter benefits for the coastal regions. It is ideally if the continuity of the shelter benefits could be preserved through reasonable management. Thinning and regeneration as the most important management techniques for plantations can help the continuity of the shelter benefits of the coastal forest.