Effect of Elevated CO2 on the Growth of Two Different Climate-origin Forbs in Four Levels of Nitrogen Nutrition

Two different climate-origin forbs, Chenopodium album L. (native to temperate regions) and Amaranthus patulus Benol (native to neo-tropical regions), were grown in growth chambers at two CO2 levels, 350 and 700 ppm, under [our levels of nitrogen nutrition. Elevated CO2 resulted in increased total biomass and decreased leaf-nitrogen concentration in C. allmm. A decrease in specific leaf area (SLA) was observed with C. album in enriched C0'l' but not in A. patulus. There were no apparent CO2 effects on the growth of A. patulus, but CO2 effects on the growth of C. album were amplified as the nutrient level increased. There was no significant change in allocation between the top (shoot) and root of either species in relation to CO~ enrichment. At present, the two species are co-existing in the eutrophic soil conditions of early successional stages, such as in waste or abandoned fields. However, under elevated CO2 conditions, C. album will probably increase its relative dominance and distribution while A. patulus wiII not. The results imply that the effects of CO2 level on the plants will depend on their climatic origins

Fraying by Sika Deer (Cervus nippon) in an Evergreen Broadleaf Forest in Miyajima Island, Hiroshima, Japan

The fraying by sika deer (Cervus nippon) in an evergreen broadleaf forest in Miyajima Island, Hiroshima, Japan, was studied. The proportion of trees frayed by deer to the total trees sampled (N = 1209) was 8.1%. Our data suggest that sika deer performed fraying on trees irrespective of diameter at breast height. We found that of the 29 tree species examined, 16 were frayed. Cleyera japonica had a significantly higher proportion of trees frayed by sika deer than the average overall proportion, suggesting that the species attracts sika deer for fraying. By contrast, sika deer significantly avoided Pinus densiflora, Lyonia ovalifolia var. elliptica, and Eurya japonica for fraying. Trees frayed were significantly spatially distributed aggregately. The fraying by deer occurred randomly, regardless of slope angles; sika deer can perform fraying even on very steep slopes. Trees on ridges avoided being frayed by deer, however. This may be explained by the presence of the trees that were less favored for sika-fraying performance (Pinus densiflora, Lyonia ovalifolia var. elliptica, and Eurya japonica), which were mainly distributed on ridge sites

Landslide History Detected Based on Forest Structure: A Case Study on Mt. Gagara, Higashi-Hiroshima

Variations in tree species composition, tree density, and basal area were studied in relation to microtopography along the hills of Mt. Gagara within the campus of Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, where landslides have occurred frequently. Ten sampling plots with a size of 100 m2 (10 m×10 m) were positioned in upper and lower parts of the hills. Tree density was significantly higher in the lower parts than in the upper parts of the hills (p < 0.001). The density of trees with smaller diameters at breast height (DBH; < 13 cm ) was significantly higher in the lower parts than in the upper parts of the hills (p < 0.001), whereas the density of large- or middlesized trees (DBH ≧ 13 cm) was signifi cantly higher in the upper parts of the hills. The species composition in the lower hills mostly consisted of early successional tree species (e.g., Eurya japonica, Pieris japonica, Ilex pedunculosa, and Rhododendron reticulatum), whereas the upper parts of the hills rarely or never included such species but mainly consisted of late successional tree species (e.g., Symplocos lucida, and Quercus glauca). These trends indicate that forest vegetation on the lower parts of the hills has been disturbed by frequently occurring erosion and landslides, which have resulted in suppressed maturity of forest structure and species succession

Spatiotemporal changes in biomass after selective logging in a lowland tropical rainforest in peninsular Malaysia

We studied biomass changes in a lowland tropical rain forest in the Pasoh Forest Reserve of Peninsular Malaysia after selective logging in 1958. A tree census was undertaken every 2 years from 1998 to 2012 in a 6-ha logged forest plot. Total aboveground biomass (AGB) was 72 % of that in a primary forest plot within the same reserve in 1998, but reached 87 % in 2012. AGB regrowth was spatially variable within the logged forest plot and was much less in swampy areas than in upland areas. The overall annual growth rate of AGB in the logged forest throughout the study period was 1.5 % and slowed (to 0.6 %) in a dry period (2004-2006). The biomass of large trees (DBH ≥ 50 cm) increased by 56 % during the study period, but amounted to only 58 % of the biomass of the corresponding size class in the primary forest, suggesting that stand structure is still recovering from logging. Spatiotemporal variation in AGB recovery after logging needs to be taken into account for logging and subsequent management of the tropical lowland forest biome

Calibration of imaging plate for high energy electron spectrometer

Copyright 2005 American Institute of Physics. This article may be downloaded for personal use only. Any other use requires prior permission of the author and the American Institute of Physics. The following article appeared in Review of Scientific Instruments, 76(1), 013507_1-013507_5, 2005 and may be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.182437

Decrease in Animal Population Sizes in the Bago Mountains, Myanmar

Myanmar is located at the transition zone between the Continental Southeast Asian and Sino-Japanese regions. This plant geographical transition produces unique and diverse species assemblages. However, in recent years, the biodiversity in the region has been rapidly decreasing as a result of deforestation and forest degradation, while, reports on the fauna and flora in Myanmar are still lacking. This study aims to examine the change in animal population sizes around a rural village in the Bago Mountains, central Myanmar. We collected data on the change in animal population sizes over the last 10 years (2006-2016) by an interview survey for two hunters. In addition, we set camera traps in forests around the village. Hunters hunted 23 animal species and camera traps took pictures of five species. Populations of large animals tended to decrease more rapidly than those of small animals. Only the population size of Rattus tanezumi, the smallest animal of the 23 species, increased during the 10-year period. Human activity, in the form of deforestation and forest degradation, may be one of the primary causes of the loss of biodiversity and animals in the Bago Mountains.本研究は環境省地球環境研究総合推進費「途上国での生物多様性と地域社会の相乗便益を目指したセーフガード策定に関する研究（平成26 ～ 28年度、課題番号４－１４０４」、課題代表者　奥田敏統）の一環としてミャンマー国内で実施した