Environmental conservation for devastated slopes using ecological reforestation technology

Creators Marumoto Takuya

Creators Kohno Nobuyuki

In order to prevent soil erosion and promote reforestation on devastated bare mountainside slopes, a mulching sheet (MS: nonwoven fabric sheet with a three layer structure) and green bag (GB) made of MS containing several seeds, mineral medium, slow releasing fertilizer and mycorrhizal fungi were applied to devastated bare slopes in Japan, Korea, Taiwan and China (Marumoto et al., 1993). This ecological reforestation technology using MS, GB and mycorrhizal fungi was significantly effective and useful to prevent soil erosion and to recover the early revegetation on bare slopes (Okabe et al., 1997). Several experiment examples in Japan from the past ten years are introduced in this report. The MS was applied on bare slopes in several places of Shiga, Ehime, Kagoshima and Yamaguchi prefectures, Japan during 1993-1999. Ectomycorrhizal fungi, Pisolithus tinctorius and Astraeus hygrometrics, were used as inoculum for young pine trees and endomycorrizal fungi (AM fungi), Gigaspora margarita and Glomus sp., were used for grass. In 1990,Mt. Fugendake, Nagasaki Pref. Japan began volcanic activity after 200 years of inactivity. During 1991-1994, several large pyroclastic flows completely destroyed the previous vegetation on the mountain slope. Revegetation materials (GB:ca. 2.5kg) were broadcasted by a helicopter in 1995. Seeds of various wild grass and shrub species were used : Miscanthus sinensis, Artemisia princeps, Lespedeza cuneata and the others. Gigaspora margarita and Glomus sp. Were used as the AM fungal inocula. About 3,000 bags per ha were applied to the target area. The grass plants that germinated from the bag were highly colonized with AM fungi applied to the target area. The grass plants that germinated from the bag were highly colonized with AM fungi.

[ISSN]0021-8588

[NCID]AN00200732