Niigata University Forest
Organization
Field Center for Sustainable Agriculture and Forestry, Faculty of Agriculture, Niigata University
Research Theme
- Mechanisms that the forest population is maintained under heavy disturbed, high stressed conditions
- Effect of acid depositions to the forest population on regions near the Sea of Japan
- Conservation of threatened species on the island
- Mechanisms of maintaining the biodiversity on the satoyama-tanada ecosystem
Site Outline
The Niigata University Forest (NUF) is located on northern part of Sado Island (855 km2). Sado Island is 50km far from Niigata City and it takes 150 minutes by the ferryboat. The island has never been connected to the main land Honshu since it was born, and some endemic and / or endangered species are distributed. The island has very high climate diversity because of two different marine streams (warm stream from south and cold stream from north), strong winter wind from the continent and heavy snowfall. Northern part of the island is relatively high mountains (Ohsado Mountains; ca. 1000m a.s.l.) and covered with cool temperate vegetation, while Southern part has lower mountains (Kosado Mountains; ca. 450m a.s.l) and warm temperate vegetations.
Faculty of Agriculture of Niigata University has two stations on the island. One is NUF (500ha) located on Osado Mountains. NUF was found on 1955 and it has been used mainly for education and research of forestry and forest science. NUF has been noted for huge, long-lived conifer timbers (Cryptmeria japonica), two endemic mammals (Lepus brachyurus lyoni and Sorex sadonis), an endemic beetle (Damaster blaptoides capito), and many endangered perennial flowers. Two investigators and five technicians are engaged in the station. Kosado Branch (30ha) founded on 2002 is located on southern part of the island. This branch was found to take in part with a national project to reintroduce an endangered bird, Japanese Crested Ibis (Nipponia nippon). These endemic and endangered species are the supreme character of NUF.
The aim of NUF is to understand the ecology of special creatures mentioned above and ecosystems of this island, and to utilize them for environmental education. NUF has been conducted long-term study of community dynamics of Cryptmeria japonica forest, climate monitoring and hydrologic studies. Study themes are mainly on the relationships between disturbances (or environmental stresses) and forest regeneration because the ecosystem of NUF is heavily affected by the strong wind and heavy snow in winter.
Contact
- Address : Field Center for Sustainable Agriculture and Forestry, Faculty of Agriculture, Niigata University, 94-2 Koda, Sado, Niigata 952-2206, Japan
- Name : Kosuke Homma
- Phone : 0259-78-2613
- Fax : 0259-78-2929
- E-mail : homma-k@f2.dion.ne.jp