Exploring a tree ecophysiological index to evaluate nitrogen saturation in forest ecosystems

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K11664
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 63040:Environmental impact assessment-related
• Research Institution: Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology
• Principal Investigator: Watanabe Makoto 東京農工大学, (連合)農学研究科(研究院), 准教授 (50612256)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 窒素飽和 / 指標 / 被食防衛 / 樹木生理生態学 / 大気汚染 / コナラ / 成木

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of the present study is to determine the index for nitrogen saturation in the forest ecosystem from the viewpoint of tree physiological ecology. The plant material was konara oak, which is representative species in Satoyama-forest in Japan. I collected leaves from the crown of mature konara oak and analyze the traits. Concentrations of primary metabolite and secondary metabolite were decreased with increasing soil nitrogen availability. These results suggest that the leaf traits can be used as an index to estimate progress of nitrogen saturation in konara oak forest.

Free Research Field

樹木生理生態学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

窒素飽和は森林の健全性を損ねる重要な環境問題の一つであるが、その評価は森林生態系への窒素のインプットとアウトプットを長期間モニタリングすることによって評価されてきた。本研究によってコナラの葉における一次代謝産物や二次代謝産物が、土壌の窒素利用性の違いを反映することが明らかになった。それによって、森林の窒素飽和の進行状況をより簡便に評価できる指標を入手できたと考えられる。