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Left: Montane riparian forest dominated by dwarf Pterocarya rhoifolia, Aesculus turbinata , and Acer nipponicum under extreme snowfall environment (maximum snow depth of 5 m). Right: Montane riparian forest dominated by Pterocarya rhoifolia, Aesculus turbinata , and Fagus crenata under heavy snowfall environment (maximum snow depth of 2 m). Location: Mt. Aizuasahidake, Tadami Town, Fukushima Prefecture (left), Mt. Asakusadake, Tadami Town, Fukushima Prefecture (right). Photographer: Yosuke Nakano Photos are courtesy of the authors of the article: Nakano, Y., Suzuki, W., & Masaki, T. (2026). Forest Structure and Maintenance Mechanisms of Montane Riparian Forests Under Extreme Snowfall in the Cool‐Temperate Zone of Western Fukushima, Japan. Plant Species Biology, 41(2). https://doi.org/10.1111/1442-1984.70051 This study compares forest structure and regeneration strategies of montane riparian forests under extreme (5 m) and heavy (2 m) snowfall in the Tadami region of Japan, revealing how dominant tree species adopt different survival strategies such as sprouting, dwarfing, and layering under severe snow conditions. image