Effects of global warming on vegetation distribution and ecosystem function along an altitudinal gradient

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26292081
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Forest science
• Research Institution: Shinshu University
• Principal Investigator: TAKAHASHI Koichi 信州大学, 学術研究院理学系, 教授 (80324226)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 小熊 宏之 国立研究開発法人国立環境研究所, 環境計測研究センター, 研究員 (10342734)
• Research Collaborator: YOUNG Amanda
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 温暖化 / 標高傾度 / 森林植生 / 年輪 / 植生移行帯 / 光合成 / 空中写真 / 亜高山帯

Outline of Final Research Achievements

It is supposed that global warming affects forest vegetation. This study aimed to examine effects of global warming on the ecosystem functions (especially for carbon cycling) and vegetation distribution, based on the field survey of forest regeneration. For this purpose, this study examined the forest dynamics, mechanisms of ecotone formation, effects of meteorological conditions on tree growth, carbon cycling and long-term changes of forest biomass along an elevational gradient in the subalpine zone on Mt. Norikura in central Japan. The results obtained in this study contribute to the prediction of effects of global warming on the subalpine forest vegetation.

Free Research Field

植物生態学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究では，新規加入が標高傾度にそった種の分布形成に大きく関与していること，シラビソはオオシラビソに比べて高い標高で光合成速度が減少しやすいこと，亜高山帯の分布上限ではダケカンバが優占すること，温暖化は森林の炭素循環を変化させること，森林の現存量と樹冠高は高標高ではほとんど変化していなかったことを明らかにした．得られた結果は，亜高山帯林の温暖化に対する応答予測に役立てると考えられる．