Read full paper at: http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=53066#.VLST0snQrzE Author(s) Kunio Ueda * Affiliation(s) School of Environmental Science, The University of Shiga Prefecture, Hikone City, Japan . ABSTRACT The defoliation of Cryptomeria japonica is observed in shrine forests around Hikone, Japan. Here, moisture content, soil pH, exchangeable Mg, Ca and Al of soil in shrine forests of C. japonica were examined in order to assess the relationship between these factors and defoliation. There was no relationship between soil pH, exchangeable Mg and Ca in soil and the degree of defoliation in shrine forests. Exchangeable Al in the soil of shrine forests increased with decreasing soil pH below pH 5.0, but there was no relationship between exchangeable Al and degree of defoliation in shrine forests. Soil moisture content differed between severely defoliated forests and forests with no defoliation. Soil...
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