Ecological consideration for the distribution of natural grassland vegetation zones in relation to the climate and climate change in japan. 3. The distribution of the indicate-species communities dividing the natural grassland vegetation zones accord

摘要

We sampled some grassland vegetation types, whose the distributions were ditermind based upon the climatic environment factors in Japan, from the Vegetation Files of National Survey on the Natural Environment published by the Environment Agency. Asthe result, Zoysia japonica-type grassland, Sasa-type grassland (Sect. Macrochlamys Nakai, Sect. Sasa (Eusasa Nakai) and Sect. Grassinodi Nakai), Pleioblastus chino-type grassland and Zoysia japonica-type grassland, were found to be appropriate for dividing the grassland vegetation zones in Japan as stated in the prvious papers. Furthermore, Pleioblastus linearis-type grassland, Deschampasia-type grassland and so forth were also found to be appropriate for the division. When Zoysia japonica-type grassland vegetation was defined as the temperate grassland in Japan, the subtropical natural grassland vegetation was defined as Zoysia tenuifolia-type grassland and Pleioblastus linearis-type grassland. If the temperate zone was divided into the cold-temperate zone and the warm-temperate zone, Sosa-type grassland and Pleioblastus chino-type grassland were appropriate for dividing them. The subarctic grassland vegetation type, however, was not determined because the vegetation did not appear enough in the files. Incidentally, Miscunthus sinensis and Imperata cylindrica communities adapted to the wide range of the temperature so that these could not be considered as appropriate for the division of the vegetations.