2022 Fiscal Year Annual Research 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 / alternat. stable states / disturbance / volcanism / resilience / microbial symbionts / nutrients |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
In 2022, three different types of tephra and fluvial sediments were tested in pre-trials to separate physical and chemical impacts on Sphagnum moss growth. All materials raised the pH of the water in the mesocosms, providing evidence that leaching occurred. Strict separation of physical and chemical impacts was, therefore, not possible. In the subsequent main experiment, two levels of acid precipitation (pH 2, pH 4, distilled water as control) were combined with tephra derived from the from deposits of the Aira eruption in the Late Pleistocene. The artificial precipitation was applied at intervals of 1 - 2 weeks over three months. Sphagnum growth was initially negative including the control, but it subsequently recovered in all treatments. Acid precipitation with pH 2 reduced growth, while no negative effect was found at pH 4. Tephra compensated partly for negative effects of acid precipitation.
In the field experiment at Sarobetsu Mire, drone images of the vegetation were taken to prepare vegetation analysis at larger scales and extrapolate results gained in the tehra experiment.
Results of the vegetation analysis at Sarobetsu Mire were presented at the SFE2 EEF 2022 Conference in November 2022 in Metz/France.
Three manuscripts are in preparation: a review of tephra impacts on vegetation, an analysis of 20 years of vegetation change in the field experiment at Sarobetsu Mire, and on the mesocosm experiment on the effects of acid precipitation and tephra.
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