Ecological Study of Vegetation Dynamics under Human Activity in the Eastern North American Cultural Region for Comparison with Japan

数据收集包括从美国佛罗里达到加拿大魁北克，从大西洋内陆到阿巴拉契亚山脉，距离约3000公里，在尽可能多的地点进行植被采样。1988 ~ 1990年，采用布朗-布兰凯植被法对该区自然植被和替代植被进行了调查。这些植被包括乔治亚州沿海的盐沼植被、佛罗里达半岛的红树林植被、干旱至湿润地区的维吉尼亚栎常绿阔叶林和湿润地区的Persea palustris Magnolia virginia林，以及低山和冲积地区的落叶森林，如落叶栎林、大叶fagus trifolia林、鹅绒树林、山核桃林等。在较高的山地，调查了亚高山针叶林（冷杉）、桦树林和一些灌木群落（如杜鹃花等）。在美国东海岸至加拿大的最北端，收集了泥炭沼泽植被。特别对该地区的甘蔗林进行了调查。此外，还对一些替代植被进行了采样，包括棕松林、有藤蔓的地幔群落、被践踏的车前草群落等。抽样样地总数约1500个。北美东部没有原始森林，因为美国没有像日本那样的神社或寺庙森林的传统。大多数平坦的地区被开发并变成了住宅、耕地、牧场、次生林，如美国东南部和沿海的松林和液态琥珀林。由于闪电和/或人类影响的燃烧，松树林比以前蔓延得更广。山区和丘陵地区没有自然植被，然而，令人钦佩的是，在住宅、公共建筑和/或公园周围保留和/或种植了天然森林的大树。

Data collection involved sampling of the vegetation as many sites as possible across the region from Florida in the U. S. A. to Quebec in Canada and from the Atlantic Ocean inland to the Appalachian Mountains, a distance of about 3000km. From 1988 to 1990, natural and substitute vegetation were investigated by the method of Braun-Blanquet releves. These include salt-marsh vegetation in coastal Georgia, mangrove vegetation in Florida Peninsula, evergreen broad-leaved forests of Quercus virginiana on dry to mesic sites and Persea palustris Magnolia virginiana forests on wet sites and, decituous forests such as deciduous Quercus forests, Fagus grandifolia forest, Liriodendron forest, Carya forest on the lower mountain and alluvial area. On the higher mountains, subalpine conifer (Abies) forest, Betula forest, some shrub communities (such like Rhododendron comm. etc.) were surveyed. In the northernmost part of the east coast of the U. S. A. to Canada, peat bog vegetation was collected. Especially in this region, cer saccharum forest was surveyed. Some substitute vegetation was also sampled, including Palmetto Pinus forest, mantle communities with vines, trampled communities with Plantago etc. Total sampling plots were about 1500.There are no virgin forests in Eastern North America, since the U. S. A. does not have any tradition of shrine or temple forests comparable to Japan. Most flat areas are developed and changed to residences, cultivated fields, pastures, secondary forests, such as Pinus forests in the southeastern and coastal U. S. A., and Liquidamber forest. Pinus forests are spread more than before because of lightning and/or burning by human impact. No natural vegetation remain in the mountain and hill area, however, it is admired that the large trees of natural forest are remained and/or planted surroundings of residences, public buildings and/or in parks.