Impact of glacial recession caused by global warming on natural ecosystem and local community in tropical high mountains

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24251001
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 海外学術
• Research Field: Area studies
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: Mizuno Kazuharu 京都大学, 文学研究科, 教授 (10293929)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): YAMAGATA Kotaro 上越教育大学, 大学院学校教育研究科, 教授 (80239855) ; TAKAHASHI Nobuyuki 北海学園大学, 工学部, 教授 (20202153) ; YOSHIDA keiichiro 横浜国立大学, 教育人間科学部, 教授 (60377083) ; MORISHIMA Wataru 日本大学, 文理学部, 教授 (10239650) ; ZAIKI Masumi 成蹊大学, 経済学部, 准教授 (50534054) ; SUN Xiaogang 京都大学, 大学院アジア・アフリカ地域研究研究科, 特任准教授 (20402753) ; HIROTA Mitsuru 筑波大学, 生命環境系, 准教授 (90391151) ; ARAKI Minako お茶の水大学, 大学院基幹研究院, 准教授 (60303880)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 環境変動 / 植生遷移 / 氷河地形 / 土壌発達 / 放牧活動 / アンデス

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The climate condition, the development of topography, the succession of vegetation, the periglacial phenomena, and grazing activities of local people were studied in the area around the West Glacier of Mt. Charquini in the Bolivia Andes. The results of this study were published as part of a book entitled “Nature of Andes” (Kokon Shoin, Tokyo, 2016, pp. 228), edited by K. Mizuno.
Although the air temperature near La Paz has increased about 0.1°C over the past ten years, the monthly mean temperature from May to August in dry season has a decreasing tendency in this period. Eleven moraines had been found in the West Glacier of Mt. Charquini. From the survey of vegetation in each moraine, it was made clear that the distribution of vegetation had been affected by the till (glacial sediment) age, the size of sediment, and the altitude. The situation and speed of soil development was different among each topography in the cirque.

Free Research Field

自然地理