A Phytosociological Study of Hokkaido Vegetation, Japan

북해도 식생에 대한 식물사회학적 고찰

The vegetation and landscape of Hokkaido were phytosociologically referred. The region of F a g e t e a c r e n a t a e on Hokkaido is divided into two types of deciduous broad-leaved forest: the oak (Quercus mongolica var. grosseserrata) forests mixed with conifers (mainly Abies sachalinensis) and the beech (Fagus crenata) forests of northernmost distribution in far-east Asia. The oak forests, which is dominated by Quercus mongolica var. grosseserrata in Japanse islands, seem to be developed from different climatic and edaphic conditions, especially in the amount and sharing pattern of precipitation in a year, and weak acid brown forest soil, volcanic ash soil and sandy soil. On the all-inclusive phytogeographical view-point, Hokkaido is situated at northernmost region of F a g e t e a c r e n a t a e (cool-temperate zone)neighboring with subarctic and subalpine vegetation, vegetation, but the evergreen broad-leaved forest (C a m e l l i e t e a j a p o n i c a e, warm-temperate zone) is abscent.