Development of ecological research on silicon utilisation by tropical tree species

• Project/Area Number: 26650163
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Ecology/Environment
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: KITAJIMA KAORU 京都大学, (連合)農学研究科(研究院), 教授 (40721379)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): KITAYAMA KANEHIRO 京都大学, 農学研究科, 教授 (20324684)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2015)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,030,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥930,000); Fiscal Year 2015: ¥1,560,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥360,000); Fiscal Year 2014: ¥2,470,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥570,000)
• Keywords: 熱帯林樹種 / ケイ素循環 / 植物機能形質 / 森林生態系 / 土壌風化 / 生態系元素循環 / マレーシア / 熱帯低地林 / 熱帯山地林 / 生葉のケイ素濃度 / リターのケイ素濃度 / 物質循環 / 東南アジア / キナバル山 / 土壌ケイ素可給性

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In order to understand the mechanism at which natural forests in the tropics sustainably maintain ecosystem processes, we studied the interaction between dominant tree species and silicon, a critically important element in the process of soil weathering, in lowland and mountain forests in Malaysia. We quantified silicon concentrations in live leaves of dominant tree species and leaf litters periodically sampled from litter traps, and also assessed silicon availability in the upper A-horizon soil. The results showed for the first time that silicon cycling via plants is much more active in lowland compared to mountain forests, suggesting that many lowland tree species have evolved silicon uptake and accumulation as their functional traits, which in turn strongly influence soil weathering and mineralogy.

Research Products

• [Int'l Joint Research] Forest Research Institute of Malaysia/The Sabah Parks(マレーシア)
• [Presentation] Variation in ecosystem silicon cycling via plants with elevation and bedrock on Mount Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia (2016)
  • Author(s): Nakamura, R., Ishizawa, H., Kajino, H., Suzuki, S., Kitayama, K., Kitajima, K., Wagai, R.
  • Organizer: 第６３回日本生態学会
  • Place of Presentation: 仙台国際センター (宮城県・仙台）
  • Year and Date: 2016-03-20
• [Presentation] Latitudinal and altitudinal gradients of silicon accumulation by forest trees: the potential importance of plants in silicon cycling in lowland tropical forests (2016)
  • Author(s): Kitajima, K.
  • Organizer: 第６３回日本生態学会
  • Place of Presentation: 仙台国際センター (宮城県・仙台）
  • Year and Date: 2016-03-20
• [Presentation] 温帯広葉樹の葉内における部位ごとのケイ素分布 とその種間差 (2016)
  • Author(s): 梶野浩史、北島薫
  • Organizer: 第６３回日本生態学会
  • Place of Presentation: 仙台国際センター (宮城県・仙台）
  • Year and Date: 2016-03-20
• [Presentation] Silicon cycling via litterfall in experimental forest stands (2015)
  • Author(s): Kaoru Kitajima & John J. Ewel
  • Organizer: 52nd Annual Meeting of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation
  • Place of Presentation: Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
  • Year and Date: 2015-07-12 – 2015-07-18
• [Presentation] Silicon cycling via leaf litterfall in experimental tropical forest stands. (2015)
  • Author(s): Kitajima, K., Ewel, J. J.
  • Organizer: Annual Meeting of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation
  • Place of Presentation: Honolulu (Hawaii, USA)
  • Year and Date: 2015-07-12
• [Presentation] 熱帯低地フタバガキ林において樹種分布がケイ素循環に及ぼす影響の空間的解析 (2015)
  • Author(s): 石澤秀紘、新山馨、飯田佳子、Abdul Rahman, Azizi Ripin, 北島薫
  • Organizer: 第６２回日本熱帯生態学会大会
  • Place of Presentation: 鹿児島県鹿児島市鹿児島大学
  • Year and Date: 2015-03-19
• [Presentation] 熱帯の双子葉植物によるケイ素利用について (2014)
  • Author(s): 北島薫
  • Organizer: 第２４回日本熱帯生態学会年次大会
  • Place of Presentation: 栃木県宇都宮市宇都宮大学
  • Year and Date: 2014-06-14