Montane Brown Frogs (Rana ornativentris)
The ecology of these frogs still remains fairly unknown. Our studies
have tried to explain some of the mysteries circulating these species;
tadpole life history, migration of breeding individuals, activities
of non-breeding individuals (using radio-tag methods), patterns of
over wintering site choices, and differences in reproductive strategies
of both males and females are just to name a few. The Montane frogs
are part of an intricate food web in which they play an intermediate
role, thus acting as an important keystone species. |
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Japanese Cobra Lilies (Arisaema ringens)
In the area of Yachou-no-mori, there are three species of cobra-lilies
including the Karuizawa cobra-lily. Distribution patterns of these
peculiar plants have only recently been recognized and understood.
Furthermore, labeling individual plants to investigate the relationships
between sex determination (sex determination is dependent on the nutrition
acquired annually) and habitat is an ongoing project. |
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Japanese Oaks
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| Qercus mongolica |
Flora and fauna of Mt. Asama was once completely wiped out after the
eruption of Asama volcano and later regenerated, becoming the ecosystem
we see today. Thus the regeneration patterns of this area are of great
interest to us. Our study focuses on the germination patterns of oak
(Qercus mongolica) seedlings in the forest of Yachou-no-mori.
A quadrat study is used in this analysis; newly germinated seedlings
are individually labeled and the number of successful and unsuccessful
trees, harvest size, et cetera are recorded. We hope to elucidate
the population dynamics of the Japanese oak trees in the light of
the history of Mt. Asama, including the mass fruiting and the complex
interactions with other members in the biological communities. |
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Butterflies & Moths
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| Chrysozephyrus smaragdinus |
Numerous species of butterflies and moths were first identified in
Karuizawa. Nevertheless, many of these species are at the verge of
extinction. Our team is thus involved in carrying out line transect
studies in the forests and the ever-decreasing meadows. These studies
will help to compare the effects of different environmental conditions
on the population of butterflies and moths. Furthermore, similar studies
concerning dragonflies are also underway. |
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Ants
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| Lasius fuliginosus |
Forests and surrounding areas are home to numerous species of ants.
Our team have recorded the presence of some ants such as slave hunting
ants, mutualistic ants that live with butterfly or moth larvae, and
an ant species never before found in the Nagano prefecture.
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