The effect of constructing a road in a natural beech forest on the population of Fagus crenata and variety of fungal flora

A decline in the canopy tree population and a change in the forest floor vegetation were observed around a forest road constructed in a natural beech forest. In order to elucidate the effect of forest road construction on the surrounding trees and fungal flora, we measured the water status of Fagus crenata Blume trees using P-V curve method and surveyed the larger fungal species growing around the forest road. The water status of the F. crenata trees, whose population had declined, in a forest-edge plot was lower than that of the healthy trees growing on a closed-stand plot. This indicates that F. crenata trees growing along the forest road underwent water stress. The larger fungal species in the forest-edge plot was less diverse than the species in the closed-stand plot. More than half of these larger fungal species differed between the forest-edge and closedstand plots. It is thought that the flora of larger fungi may be affected by a change in forest floor vegetation and the environment induced by forest road construction.