2020 Fiscal Year Research-status Report
Mechanisms leading to the development of alternative stable states in peatland vegetation during secondary succession after disturbance by volcanic ash
| Project/Area Number |
20K12139
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| Research Institution | Chuo University |
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Principal Investigator |
Hotes Stefan 中央大学, 理工学部, 教授 (20401185)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
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| Keywords | vegetation / altern. stable states / disturbance / volcanism / resilience / microbial symbionts / nutrients |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
The main achievements were as follows:
Vegetation survey of the 60 plots in the field experiment at Sarobetsu mire; Compilation of the vegetation data in a spreadsheet file; Collection of water samples from the surface peat layer in the field experiment; Analysis of physical and chemical water quality indicators: pH (Horiba D-51 pH meter), Na, K, Ca, Mg, Al, Fe, Si, P, S (Thermo Scientific iCAP 7000 Series ICP-OES), TOC and TN (Shimadzu TOC-L); Collection of leaves of Myrica gale and Hosta rectifolia for the analysis of nitrogen contents; measurement of nitrogen contents of M. gale leaf tissue in ten samples from plots with contrasting cover of M. gale; Preparatory work for constructing mesocosms to test the impact of volcanic ash and acid precipitation on Sphagnum spp. and Myrica gale
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
2: Research has progressed on the whole more than it was originally planned.
Reason
Fieldwork and laboratory analyses have been carried out in line with the research plan. The establishment of the mesocosm experiment in the laboratory has progressed more slowly than anticipated, because the Sphagnum mosses and the Myrica gale plants had difficulties adjusting to the laboratory conditions. Regulation of environmental factors, in particular humidity and air movement, have been identified as possible key variables. A plan to regulate these variables more effectively has been developed, and it is currently being implemented.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
The plan for fiscal year 2021 includes the setting up of the mesocosm experiment at the laboratory and a sampling campaign for investigating links between the nutrient status, morphology and distribution of Myrica gale and microbial symbionts that may influence nitrogen uptake by the plants.
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| Causes of Carryover |
The Sphagnum mosses and Myrica gale plants to be used in the mesocosm experiment did initially not adapt well to the conditions in the laboratory. Therefore, the preparatory work to optimize the environmental conditions had to be extended, and the purchase of the material for establishing the full set of mesocosms had to be shifted to the second year of the project.
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