其他摘要:We examined management guidelines for reducing windthrow damage in Abies sachalinensis and Larix kaempferi plantations located near Lake Shikotsuko in central Hokkaido, Japan, based on mean slenderness ratios of the plantations. The mean slenderness ratio-mean height relationships of the two species were determined from stand inventories and stand density-control diagrams, using the relative yield index (Ry), and the mean slenderness ratios of the plantations were compared to these relationships. For both species, differences in Ry were observed between windthrown and intact plantations, and the Ry of windthrown plantations was larger than that of intact plantations. The threshold of Ry between windthrown and intact plantations was 0.7 for A. sachalinensis and 0.4 for L. kaempferi. We prepared management guidelines for reducing windthrow damage for both species based on the thresholds, using stand density-control diagrams. Density control of young plantations is necessary to reduce windthrow damage, and stands must obviously be maintained at a lower density than the general guidelines for the sparse management of A. sachalinensis and L. kaempferi plantations. Because the plantations investigated were in a region that is vulnerable to windthrow damage, the management guidelines established in this study should be applicable to other regions of Hokkaido.