Influence of advancing snowmelt on northern tree via soil macro fauna

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K18708
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Forest science
• Research Institution: Hokkaido University
• Principal Investigator: KOBAYASHI Makoto 北海道大学, 北方生物圏フィールド科学センター, 助教 (60719798)
• Research Collaborator: TAKAGI Kentaro ; KATAYAMA Ayumi
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 冬の気候変動 / 土壌ー植物系 / 窒素動態 / 土壌動物 / 温暖化 / 機能形質

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We have evaluated the effect of advancing snowmelt on the production of inorganic nitrogen, which is available for northern tree, via the change of earthworm, a abundant macro fauna species. As the result of the field manipulation experiment, the advancing snowmelt has increased the production of nitrate in soil. However, the amount of the increased nitrate production was similar between the condition with and without earthworm. Furthermore, the amount of increased nitrate production was similar between the condition with small and large earthworm. These results indicate that, in the forests of northern Hokkaido, the effect of advancing snowmelt on soil inorganic nitrogen production is controlled not by the earthworm and their trait but done by other soil organisms such as soil microbe.

Free Research Field

森林科学