Formation of forest lines on tropical high mountains as affected by the Walker Circulation

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 22255002
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 海外学術
• Research Field: Ecology/Environment
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: Kitayama Kanehiro 京都大学, (連合)農学研究科(研究院), 教授 (20324684)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): OKADA Naoki 京都大学, 大学院農学研究科, 准教授 (40335302) ; SEINO Tatsuyuki 筑波大学, 生命環境系, 准教授 (40362420) ; KURAJI Kouichirou 東京大学, 大学院農学生命科学研究科, 准教授 (90282566)
• Project Period (FY): 2010-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 生態学 / 植物 / 熱帯山岳 / エル・ニーニョ / 乾燥適応 / トライコーム / 森林限界 / 気候変動

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Distinct trade-wind inversion is formed across the equatorial Pacific due to the interplays of trade winds and the Walker Circulation, which connects the eastern and western Pacific. Arid conditions occur in the inversion zone due to sinking air masses and may seriously affect plants. The height of the inversion zone actually oscillates and the strength of aridity varies in relation to the strength of El Nino Southern Oscillation. We investigated how the oscillating inversion affects the ecology of plants. Forest line appeared at 3,300 m on a Bornean mountain, while it appeared at a much lower altitude of 1,000 m on a Galapagos mountain. Both forest lines corresponded to the lower level of inversion zone, suggesting that the arid condition associated with the inversion determine the height of forest lines.

Free Research Field

森林生態学