Mountains Of Japan Research Articles

Seasonal and diurnal variations in soil respiration rates at a treeline ecotone and a lower distribution limit of subalpine forests.

This study examined the seasonal and diurnal variations in soil respiration rates (RS) during a growing season at the treeline ecotone (2,800m) and the lower distribution limit (1,600m) of subalpine forests on a volcanic mountain in Japan. The aboveground biomass, the total RS during the growing season, and the RS per day during the growing season were lower at 2,800m than those at 1,600m. Seasonal RS variations positively correlated with those of soil and air temperatures at both elevations, and this tendency was more apparent at 1,600m than 2,800m. The mean volumetric soil water content (WS) during the growing season was much lower at 2,800m than 1,600m because of the scoria substrate at 2,800m. The monthly mean diel cycle of RS was positively correlated with the soil temperature at each elevation every month, whereas that at 1,600m was negatively correlated with that of the WS. The RS at 2,800m decreased during the daytime especially in August, despite no changes in the WS. The decrease in RS after precipitation at 1,600m was higher than that at 2,800m. Seasonal and diurnal RS variations could be reproduced from soil and air temperatures, and WS. Estimating soil respiration rate from these variables will help understand the future carbon budget of forests due to global warming.

Complete chloroplast genome of Daphne pseudomezereum var. koreana (Thymelaeaceae)

Daphne pseudomezereum A. Gray var. koreana (Nakai) Hamaya is a shrub distributed in high mountains in Japan and Korea and is used as a medicinal plant. The complete chloroplast genome of D. pseudomezereum var. koreana is 171,152 bp long with four subregions consisting of a large single-copy region (84,963 bp), a small single-copy region (41,725 bp), and a pair of inverted repeats (2739 bp). The genome includes 139 genes (93 protein-coding genes, eight rRNAs, and 38 tRNAs). Phylogenetic analyses show that D. pseudomezereum var. koreana is nested within the Daphne clade in the narrow sense and that it forms a distinct lineage.

THE EXAMINATION OF DOODLE ILLUSTRATION STUDIES BY BARTHES' SEMIOTIC ANALYSIS METHOD

Semiotics is a branch of science that includes the processes of examining, interpreting and re-interpreting signs with the system of "Signifier", "Signifier", "signified". In semiotic analysis, besides the direct messages, the messages that are wanted to be conveyed indirectly are revealed. In this article, it is aimed to examine 10 randomly selected Doodle illustrations from the Doodle archive of 2022 using Barthes' semiotic analysis method. Azah Aziz's birthday, Indonesian Independence Day, Japan's Mountain Day, Kimiko Tsumura's 120th birthday, India Independence Day, Doodle designed for “Google”, Seiki Kuroda's 156th birthday, Qixi Festival, Luisa de Medrano's 538th birthday, Singapore National Day illustration works are analyzed.
 In the article, literature review was used to obtain theoretical information about Doodle illustration works, and Barthes' semiotic analysis method was used for the analysis of randomly selected Doodle illustration works.
 While the Google company used to publish Doddles only for important days, today it has gone to design diversification in different categories; It includes designs in its corporate image for birthdays of famous people, holidays, festivals, special days of countries (independence day, mountain day, etc.), national days as animation and video content, not just visuals.
 It has been concluded that the birthdays of famous people, independence days of countries, mountain days, festivals, national days are thematically analyzed in Doodle studies, which are analyzed semiotically. It is noteworthy that typographic arrangements are frequently used in Doodle works, and that typographies are deformed and adapted to the design in an integrated manner with the visual. It has been concluded that the use of color directly reflects the subject it deals with or the characteristics of the culture it represents, and that Doodle impersonates the theme in the context of technical and color use.

Assessing and projecting surface air temperature conditions required to sustain permafrost in Japan

Permafrost covers a wide area of the Northern Hemisphere, including high-altitude mountainous areas and even at mid-latitudes. There is concern that the thawing of mountain permafrost can cause slope instability and substantially impact alpine ecosystems, and because permafrost in mountainous areas is difficult to observe, detailed analyses have not been performed on its current distribution and future changes. Although previous studies have observed permafrost only at a limited number of points in Japan (e.g., Daisetsu Mountains, Mt. Fuji, and Mt. Tateyama in the Northern Japan Alps), we show that permafrost potentially exists in nine domains in Japan (Daisetsu Mountains, Mt. Fuji, Northern and Southern Japan Alps, Hidaka Mountains, Mt. Shiretokodake, Sharidake, Akandake, and Yotei). In the Daisetsu Mountains and Mt. Fuji, the environmental conditions required for maintaining at least some permafrost are projected to remain in the future if a decarbonized society is achieved (RCP2.6 or RCP4.5). However, if greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase (RCP8.5), the environmental conditions required for sustaining permafrost are projected to disappear in the second half of the twenty-first century. In other domains, the environmental conditions required for maintaining permafrost are either projected to disappear in the next ten years (Hidaka Mountains, Northern Japan Alps) or they have almost disappeared already (Southern Japan Alps, Mt. Shiretokodake, Sharidake, Akandake, and Yotei). Our projections show that climate change has a tremendous impact on Japan's mountain permafrost environment and suggests the importance of monitoring the mountain environment and considering measures for adapting to future climate change.

Mirror‐Image Cofacial Coronene Dimers Characterized by CD and CPL Spectroscopy: A Twisted Bilayer Nanographene

AbstractThe front cover artwork is provided by Naoki Aratani, Hiroko Yamada, and co‐workers at NAIST (Japan). This picture shows Mt. Fuji, the highest mountain in Japan, reflecting off the water surface in a beautiful symmetrical form. On this image, we superimposed the mirror‐image CPL spectra obtained in this study for a 1,8‐naphthylene‐linked face‐to‐face coronene dimer. Read the full text of the Communication at 10.1002/cptc.202100166.

Front Cover: Mirror‐Image Cofacial Coronene Dimers Characterized by CD and CPL Spectroscopy: A Twisted Bilayer Nanographene (ChemPhotoChem 11/2021)

The Front Cover shows Mt. Fuji, the highest mountain in Japan, reflecting off the water surface in a beautiful symmetrical form. On this image, we superimposed the mirror-image circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) spectra of the 1,8-naphthylene-linked face-to-face coronene dimer reported in this study. More information can be found in the Communication by Hiroko Yamada, Naoki Aratani and co-workers.

A new species of Orobdella (Hirudinida, Arhynchobdellida, Orobdellidae) from the Tsukuba Mountains in Japan

A small-type quadrannulate leech species, Orobdella montipumila sp. nov., from the Tsukuba Mountains in central Honshu island, Japan, is described. Phylogenetic analyses using nuclear 18S rRNA, 28S rRNA, histone H3, mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I, tRNACys, tRNAMet, 12S rRNA, tRNAVal, 16S rRNA, tRNALeu and NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1 markers revealed that O. montipumila formed a monophyletic lineage with seven congeners that include the small-type quadrannulate O. masaakikuroiwai Nakano, 2014, which is endemic to montane regions of central Honshu. However, the present phylogenies showed that O. montipumila and O. masaakikuroiwai are not sister species, which confirms that reduction of body length has arisen independently in Orobdella leeches indigenous to central Honshu.

Projections of surface air temperature required to sustain permafrost and importance of adaptation to climate change in the Daisetsu Mountains, Japan

Permafrost is known to occur in high mountainous areas such as the Daisetsu Mountains in Japan, which are located at the southernmost limit of the permafrost distribution in the world. In this study, areas with climatic conditions suitable for sustaining permafrost in the Daisetsu Mountains are projected using bias-corrected and downscaled climate model outputs and statistical relationships between surface air temperatures and permafrost areas. Using freezing and thawing indices, the size of the area in the Daisetsu Mountains where climatic conditions were suitable for permafrost were estimated to be approximately 150 km2 in 2010. Under the RCP8.5 scenario, this area is projected to decrease to about 30 km2 by 2050 and it is projected to disappear by around 2070. Under the RCP2.6 scenario, the area is projected to decrease to approximately 20 km2 by 2100. The degradation of mountain permafrost could potentially affect the stability of trekking trails due to slope displacement, and it may also have deleterious effects on current alpine ecosystems. It is therefore important to accurately monitor changes in the mountain ecosystem environment and to implement measures to adapt to an environment that is projected to change significantly in the future.

Classification of topography for ground vulnerability assessment of alluvial plains and mountains of Japan using 30\u2009m DEM

This study aims to create a terrain classification of Japan that allows both geomorphological and geoengineering classifications coexist without large contradictions and to distinguish landform elements even in urban plains which include noise associated with digital elevation models (DEMs). Because Japan is susceptible to natural disasters, we designed the classification to reflect the ground vulnerability of both alluvial plains and mountains through the application of terrain classification data to landslide susceptibility and seismic zoning. We updated an existing DEM-based terrain classification method for application in the high-resolution 30 m DEM. We used topographic measurements that do not amplify manmade unevenness or noise, which are usually the main problems associated with the use of high-resolution DEMs with high vertical accuracies. We selected the height above the nearest drainage (HAND), slope gradient, surface texture, and local convexity as geometric signatures, which were devised so as not to detect noise. Segment polygon data of terrain units were derived from the raster data of slope and HAND. The polygon data were classified into 40 clusters using the attributes of slope, HAND, and surface texture; then they were grouped into 16 legends following comparisons with the existing geological and geomorphological maps and supplementary reclassification by HAND and local convexity. The derived terrain classification, except for manmade cuts and fills, showed similarities with the existing expert-driven maps and some association with areas where shallow landslides or floods frequently occur. Based on a trial in California using a 30 m DEM, we concluded that the proposed method can be adopted in other regions outside of Japan.

30 m DEMを用いた山頂周辺の起伏と平均傾斜に基づく日本の山の険しさの評価

30 m DEMを用いた山頂周辺の起伏と平均傾斜に基づく日本の山の険しさの評価

Advancing Timberline on Mt. Fuji between 1978 and 2018.

Climate change is a major cause of changes in alpine and polar vegetation, particularly at the edges of distributions. In temperate regions, these changes are expected to occur at the timberline of alpine zones. On Mt. Fuji, the highest mountain in Japan, the timberline is located 2400–2500 m above sea level. Over a 40-year period (1978–2018), we researched changes in the timberline vegetation of Mt. Fuji. A permanent belt transect extending from the upper timberline to subalpine zones was set up in August 1978. Tree diameters and heights were recorded at the establishment of the transect and every 20 years afterwards. Over the 40 years of the study, the timberline advanced rapidly upwards, and the degree of vegetation cover above the timberline increased remarkably. Notably, the expansion of Salix reinii into the upper part of the timberline facilitated the subsequent spread of Larix kaempferi into this zone. Seedlings of L. kaempferi were particularly abundant at the upper timberline and became established on the uppermost part of the slope. The shape of L. kaempferi at the upper timberline changed from a prostrate form to an upright tree form. We conclude that the upward advance of the alpine timberline observed on Mt. Fuji is due to climate change.

Sliding layer estimation of shallow landslides on Aso volcanic mountains in Japan based on tephra layer-physical properties of soil

Shallow landslides occur frequently on the Aso volcanic mountains. The soil materials on the Aso volcanic mountains consist of tephra layers formed by volcanic activities. This study is aimed to specify the physical properties of soil that correlate with the sliding layer of a shallow landslide on the volcanic mountain area. Tephra layers consist of kuroboku and scoria layers and the differences between these layers were specified using the physical properties of soil methods. Results showed that the plasticity index and the fine fraction content can be used for estimating the sliding layer in the Aso volcanic area.

Evolutionary and Anthropogenic Factors Affecting the Mitochondrial D-loop Genetic Diversity of Apodemus and Myodes Rodents on the Northern Slope of Mt. Fuji

Nucleotide sequences of the mitochondrial D-loop region were examined in three wild rodents (Apodemus argenteus, Apodemus speciosus, and Myodes smithii) on the northern slope of Mt. Fuji, the highest mountain in Japan, to elucidate the past evolutionary and present anthropogenic processes shaping their genetic diversity. Nucleotide diversity, median-joining network, and mismatch distribution analyses suggested that A. argenteus has multiple divergent lineages, possibly due to multiple previous expansion events, whereas A. speciosus and M. smithii are younger lineages that could be derived from single expansion events. These findings indicate that Mt. Fuji plays an important role as a reservoir maintaining lineages through multiple past expansion events. Artificial infrastructure also affected the genetic diversity of the two Apodemus species, as populations of these species on the two sides of the Fuji Subaru Line roadway were genetically distinct. To construct a proper conservation strategy based on genetic diversity, we suggest that the past and present contributors to genetic diversity must be clarified. Such clarification is especially important for the Mt. Fuji environment, which harbors rich biodiversity but also incurs much human impact as a national park.

East Asian origin of the widespread alpine snow‐bed herb, Primula cuneifolia (Primulaceae), in the northern Pacific region

AbstractAimThe evolutionary importance of southern mountain ranges has been noted for alpine as well as arctic–alpine plants. However, it remains unclear whether these isolated marginal populations of cold‐adapted species have contributed to the establishment of their current widespread distribution. We aim to explore the molecular evidence for the recent northward migration of alpine snow‐bed species in the northern Pacific region.LocationJapanese Archipelago, Kamchatka Peninsula, Alaska.TaxonPrimula cuneifolia Ledeb., the wedgeleaf primrose, distributed in high mountains across the northern Pacific region and its sister species, Primula nipponica Yatabe, which is endemic to northern Japan.MethodsThe phylogenetic relationships and genetic structure of P. cuneifolia and its sister species were estimated using multiple loci from genotyping by random amplicon sequencing‐direct (GRAS‐Di) analyses. The temporal framework of genetic divergence was estimated using the isolation‐with‐migration model. The post‐glacial range shift was inferred using approximate Bayesian computation and ecological niche modelling.ResultsPhylogenetic analyses revealed that P. cuneifolia diverged into four clades, among which the southernmost clade in Japan diverged earlier than the northern clades. The Japanese clade likely diverged during the last glacial period, followed by further post‐glacial divergence of clades in the Kamchatka Peninsula and Alaska.Main conclusionOur study demonstrated that P. cuneifolia originated in Japan and spread northward into the northern Pacific region during and after the last glacial period. This finding provides the first evidence suggesting that population persistence and genetic divergence as well as speciation in the less glaciated mountains in Japan play important roles in the diversity and distribution of alpine plants in the northern Pacific region.

Tree rubbing by Asian black bears (Ursus thibetanus) in conifer plantations in Okutama Mountain in Japan

Abstract Tree rubbing by bears is a well-known behavior, but the behavior has not been investigated systematically in Asian black bears. We installed automatic cameras at trees in planted conifer forests to visually document rubbing behavior and to compare the findings with the results of earlier studies. All trees with bear hair attached had bark damaged from antler sharpening by deer and had secreted resin. Between 2011 and 2015, tree rubbing was observed at five of the 16 trees at which automatic cameras had been installed, with a total of 22 visits by multiple bears. Rubbing was observed from May to October. In the 22 visits, several bears with several attributes (adult male, another male, and mother with cub) visited the same trees to rub them. In our survey, the number of observational confirmations was limited, therefore in order to investigate the factors of Asian black bear’s tree-rubbing behavior and determine whether it is the same as in other bears or not, it is desirable to collect further examples of rubbing behavior as well as genetic information of the rubbing individual.

Ecotypic divergences of the alpine herb Potentilla matsumurae adapted to fellfield-snowbed habitats across a series of mountain sky islands.

Divergent selection due to environmental heterogeneity can lead to local adaptation. However, the ecological and evolutionary processes of local adaptation that occurs across multiple regions are often unknown. Our previous studies reported on the ecotypic divergence within a local area of variation of Potentilla matsumurae, an alpine herb adapted to the fellfield-snowbed environment. Here we investigated large-scale geographic patterns of ecotypic differentiation in this species to infer local adaptation and selective forces across multiple regions. We compiled information on the overall distributions of fellfield and snowbed habitats on the mountains in Japan across the distribution of the species. Next, we conducted common garden experiments to test the adaptive divergence of the fellfield-snowbed plants derived from multiple regions. Finally, we evaluated phylogeographic structures based on cpDNA and allozyme variations and inferred the evolutionary history of ecotype differentiation. The mosaic distribution of the fellfield-snowbed ecotypes across isolated mountaintops constitutes indirect evidence for habitat-specific natural selection. The significant difference in survivorship between the ecotypes observed in a controlled snow environment provides more substantial evidence of local selection. Phylogeographic structures support the hypothesis that ecotypic divergence events from fellfield to snowbed populations occurred independently in at least two distinct regions. Ecotypic divergence of P. matsumurae has occurred across a series of mountain sky islands. Local selection in snowy environments is a driving force that maintains the divergent ecotypes across multiple mountain regions and can contribute to the diversification of plants in heavy-snow regions.

Fungal Elevational Rapoport pattern from a High Mountain in Japan

Little is known of how fungal distribution ranges vary with elevation. We studied fungal diversity and community composition from 740 to 2940 m above sea level on Mt. Norikura, Japan, sequencing the ITS2 region. There was a clear trend, repeated across each of the fungal phyla (Basidiomycota, Ascomycota, Zygomycota, Chytridomycota and Glomeromycota), and across the whole fungal community combined, towards an increased elevational range of higher elevation OTUs, conforming to the elevational Rapoport pattern. It appears that fungi from higher elevation environments are more generalized ecologically, at least in terms of climate-related gradients. These findings add to the picture from latitudinal studies of fungal ranges, which also suggest that the classic Rapoport Rule (broader ranges at higher latitudes) applies on a geographical scale. However, there was no mid-elevation maximum in diversity in any of the phyla studied, and different diversity trends for the different phyla, when different diversity indices were used. In terms of functional guilds, on Norikura there were trends towards increased saprotrophism (Zygomycota), symbiotrophism (Basidiomycota), symbiotrophism and saprotrophism (Ascomycota) and pathotrophism (Chytridiomycota) with elevation. The causes of each of these trends require further investigation from an ecological and evolutionary viewpoint.

The seasonal and scale-dependent associations between vegetation quality and hiking activities as a recreation service

Understanding how the ecological properties of a landscape yield ecosystem services is essential for sustainable management and sound decision-making. For cultural ecosystem services, however, it is not always clear whether the ecological attributes of a landscape are responsible for heterogeneity in service provisioning. In addition, seasonal and scale-dependent changes in effects of landscape attributes have rarely been examined. To answer these questions, we analyzed associations between various landscape attributes and a proxy of a cultural ecosystem service, that is, monthly number of hiking records for 1953 mountains in Japan crowdsourced from a social networking service for hikers. Landscape attributes were summarized at five spatial scales from a 5- to a 100-km radius from a summit. The effect of primary vegetation on frequency of hiking activity was positive at a spatial scale of 5 km in many months and was especially important in early summer and autumn, whereas the effects of total vegetation cover were generally not important. The positive effect of mountain height was dominant in summer, whereas the positive effects of population density at 50 and 100 km were dominant in winter. The height of a summit relative to the highest point in the surrounding area was important at the intermediate (10 and 20 km) scales. As a whole, seasonal and scale-dependent changes in the relationships between most of the landscape attributes and number of hiking records were apparent. Such changes should be carefully considered in future studies on cultural ecosystem services.

Tracking the direct impact of rainfall on groundwater at Mt. Fuji by multiple analyses including microbial DNA

Abstract. A total of 2 to 3 million tons of spring water flushes out from the foot of Mt. Fuji, the largest volcanic mountain in Japan. Based on the concept of piston flow transport, residence time of stored groundwater at Mt. Fuji was estimated at ∼ 15–30 years by the 36Cl ∕ Cl ratio (Tosaki et al., 2011). This range, however, represents the average residence time of groundwater that was mixed before it flushed out. To elucidate the route of groundwater in a given system, we determined signatures of direct impacts of rainfall on groundwater, using microbial, stable isotopic (δ18O), and chemical analyses (concentration of silica). Chemical analysis of the groundwater gave an average value of the water, which was already mixed with waters from various sources and routes in the subsurface environment. The microbial analysis suggested locations of water origin and paths. In situ observation during four rainfall events revealed that the stable oxygen isotopic signature obtained from spring water (at 726 m a.s.l., site SP-0 m) and shallow groundwater (at 150 m a.s.l., site GW-42 m), where the average recharge height from rainfall was 1700–1800 m, became greater than values observed prior to a torrential rain producing more than 300 mm of precipitation. The concentration of silica decreased after this event. In addition, the abundance of Bacteria in spring water increased, suggesting the influence of heavy rain. Such changes did not appear when rainfall was less than 100 mm per event. The above findings indicate a rapid flow of rain through the shallow part of the aquifer, which appeared within a few weeks of torrential rain extracting abundant microbes from soil in the studied geologic setting. Interestingly, we found that after the torrential rain, the abundance of Archaea increased in the deep groundwater at site GW-550 m, ∼ 12 km downstream of SP-0 m. However, chemical parameters did not show any change after the event. This suggests that strengthened piston flow caused by the heavy rain transported archaeal particles from the geologic layer along the groundwater route. This finding was supported by changes in constituents of Archaea, dominated by Halobacteriales and Methanobacteriales, which were not seen from other observations. Those two groups of Archaea are believed to be relatively tightly embedded in the geologic layer and were extracted from the environment to the examined groundwater through enforced piston flow. Microbial DNA can thus give information about the groundwater route, which may not be shown by analysis of chemical materials dissolved in the groundwater.

Impact of Spatial Resolution on Simulated Consecutive Dry Days and Near-Surface Temperature over the Central Mountains in Japan

Impact of Spatial Resolution on Simulated Consecutive Dry Days and Near-Surface Temperature over the Central Mountains in Japan