Change of evapotranspiration components due to the succession from Japanese red pine to evergreen oak

Extensive measurements of water balance components in a forest under the succession from Japanese red pine (Pinus densiflora) to evergreen oak (Quercus myrsinaefolia) were carried out. Significant decreases of transpiration from the red pines and forest interception loss were found based on the observational results in 1984/1985 and 2001/2002. The former was the pre-succession period and the latter was the middle succession period in the study forest. Although the forest had a main canopy of the red pines in 1984/1985, the multi-layered canopies were observed in 2001/2002, which were consisted of the upper canopy layer of the red pines and of the lower canopy layer of the evergreen oaks. On the other hand, no significant difference in the amount of total evapotranspiration between the two periods was observed, because the decrease of transpiration from the red pines was compensated by the increase of transpiration from the lower canopy layer, which was about three times larger than that of the red pines. Three factors were identified to produce the large amount of transpiration from the lower canopy layer: (i) increased net radiation over the lower canopy due to the increased gaps in the canopy of red pine, (ii) a relatively small difference of total sapwood area between the red pine and the lower canopies and (iii) larger sap flux densities of main species in the lower canopy which were around two times larger than that of the red pine canopy.