A spatial relationship between canopy and understory leaf area index in an old-growth cool-temperate deciduous forest

Abstract

Quantification of leaf area index (LAI) is essential for understanding forest productivity and the atmosphere-vegetation interface, where the majority of gas and energy exchange occurs. LAI is one of the most difficult plant variables to adequately quantify, owing to large spatial and temporal variability, and few studies have examined the horizontal and vertical distribution of LAI in forest ecosystems. In this study, we demonstrated the LAI distribution in each layer from the understory to canopy using multiple-point measurements (121 points) and examined the relationships among layers in a cool-temperate deciduous forest. LAI at each point, and the spatial distribution of LAI in each layer, varied within the forest. The spatial distribution of LAI in the upper layer was more heterogeneous than that of LAI at the scale of the entire forest. Significant negative correlations were observed between the upper- and lower-layer LAI. Our results indicate that the understory compensates for gaps in LAI in the upper layer; thus, the LAI of the entire forest tends to remain spatially homogeneous even in a mature forest ecosystem.