Secondary forest - Nijirin

This refers to forests that have regenerated after natural forests (primary forests) have been lost due to logging or forest fires, but the soil has not been destroyed. Forests that regenerate in areas where secondary forests have been lost for similar reasons are also called secondary forests. If the stumps survive, secondary forests of the same composition will regenerate through coppicing, but they may also be established from new seeds of the same or different species. So-called mixed forests are secondary forests of oaks such as Konara and Sawtooth Oak, and many of these were formerly used and managed as firewood and charcoal forests or agricultural forests. If secondary forests are left unattended, they will go through the process of secondary succession and transition into climax forests. Secondary forests can be said to be in the "intermediate phase of succession" and will change if the artificial factors that maintain them are removed.

[Masahiko Osawa]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

自然林（一次林）が伐採、山火事などによって失われても、土壌が破壊されていないために再生した林をいう。二次林が同様の理由で失われた跡に再生した林も二次林とよぶ。根株が生き残っている場合は萌芽(ぼうが)再生で同じ組成の二次林が再生するが、新たに同種あるいは別種の種子から成立する場合もある。いわゆる雑木林はコナラ、クヌギなどの二次林で、かつては薪炭林、農用林などとして利用、管理されていたものが多い。二次林が放置されると二次遷移の過程をたどって極相林に移行する。二次林はこのように人為的な維持要因が除かれれば変化してしまう「遷移の途中相」といえる。

［大澤雅彦］

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