Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：Springer Science and Business Media LLC  

Aim: Seed traits and climatic covariates are hypothesised to be potential drivers determining the large-scale patterns of plant diversity; seed dormancy strategies function to escape unfavourable seasons. The associations of dormancy with seed mass and dispersal mode might facilitate for better understanding of plant biogeography in relation to trait-based community assembly. Here, we explore the geographical patterns of dormancy/non-dormancy strategies to infer seed trait-dependent filtering/sorting processes associated with climate factors. Location: Japan. Taxon: Woody plants. Methods: We compiled data on seed mass, dispersal and dormancy for 696, 1196 and 662 species respectively. We quantified the relationships between dormancy, seed mass and dispersal mode, and their geographical patterns related to minimum temperature of the coldest month and the length of the unfavourable period for plant growth. Results: Seed masses of plants with anemochorous, zoochorous and hydrochorous dispersal decreased towards higher latitudes, but those of barochorous seeds increased. The proportions of physiologically dormant species were comparatively high at higher latitudes with increasing climate harshness, whereas non-dormant, large-seeded species occurred at both climatically milder, lower latitudes, and harsher, higher latitudes. These geographic patterns demonstrate that plant regeneration responses are the outcome of multi-dimensional interactions between seed dormancy, seed mass and dispersal mode. Main conclusions: Seed trait assembly patterns were shaped by correlative relationships between seed mass, dispersal modes and dormancy types in response to the minimum temperature and the unfavourable period. Physiologically dormant species with smaller seeds are predominant in higher latitudes with colder unfavourable seasons, suggesting a risk spreading strategy to delay germination timing until the optimal seasons for growth. The high proportion of non-dormant species with larger seeds at higher latitudes indicates a stress tolerance strategy for seedling survival after germination. Seed dormancy is a critical factor adapted to abiotic/biotic niche filtering, and consequently contributes to shaping biogeographical patterns along climatic gradients.

DOI： 10.1007/s42081-023-00215-0

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Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Incomplete sampling of species' geographic distributions has challenged biogeographers for many years to precisely quantify global-scale biodiversity patterns. After correcting for the spatial inequality of sample completeness, we generated a global species diversity map for woody angiosperms (82,974 species, 13,959,780 occurrence records). The standardized diversity estimated more pronounced latitudinal and longitudinal diversity gradients than the raw data and improved the spatial prediction of diversity based on environmental factors. We identified areas with potentially high species richness and rarity that are poorly explored, unprotected, and threatened by increasing human pressure: They are distributed mostly at low latitudes across central South America, Central Africa, subtropical China, and Indomalayan islands. These priority areas for botanical exploration can help to efficiently fill spatial knowledge gaps for better describing the status of biodiversity and improve the effectiveness of the protected area network for global woody plant conservation.

DOI： 10.1126/sciadv.adh9719

Language：Others   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Abstract

Questions

Geographic gradients of beta‐diversity help understanding the relationship between species and their environment. However, on a global scale, such patterns are only known for a few taxa, mainly terrestrial vertebrates, especially when considering the phylogenetic dimension. Here, we present the first global analysis of phylogenetic beta‐diversity (PBD) for angiosperms. We aim to disentangle the relative contribution of PBD components (turnover‐ and nestedness‐resultant differences) and the deviation of PBD given the taxonomic beta‐diversity (TBD) along environmental and geographic gradients.

Location

Global.

Methods

We compiled range maps of 207,146 angiosperm species at 1° cells and calculated PBD for assemblages formed by each focal cell and its neighboring cells in radii of 1.5° and 2° (“moving‐window” approach). PBD was decomposed into turnover‐ and nestedness‐resultant components, evaluating their relative importance as the proportion of nestedness‐resultant PBD to the total PBD (PBD_ratio). To evaluate lineage exchanges, we calculated the deviation of PBD from TBD (PBD_dev). We assessed the breakpoints of relationship between PBD and geographic (latitude and elevation) and environmental (temperature and precipitation) gradients using linear piecewise regressions.

Results

The turnover‐resultant component was predominant in shaping the global angiosperm PBD pattern. PBD_ratio was positively correlated with temperature, having a breakpoint around 14°. Because PBD_dev was mostly positive, TBD prevailed over PBD; PBDdev was correlated significantly with latitude and temperature gradients, being higher (i.e., low lineage replacement compared with species replacement) at latitudes above 50° N, and in colder climates (below 2°C).

Conclusions

We provided the first global assessment of current geographic PBD patterns for angiosperms. Our results showed that such patterns are largely dictated by global environmental and geographic gradients, with lineage replacement being more important than lineage loss in virtually all areas, except at higher latitudes and on islands and peninsulas.

DOI： 10.1111/jvs.13203

Language：Japanese   Publisher：The Kyushu University Forests  

In this decade, unmanned aerial vehicles（or drones）have become a popular tool in forest science, and the expectation is growing in its application to forest management, as well as scientific research and education. To conduct drone surveys lawfully, safely, and smoothly, it is essential to be familiar with the up-to-date laws and regulations and the existing flight restrictions in target locations. Kasuya Research Forest, Kyushu University, is located within the obstacle limitation surface of Fukuoka Airport, and the restriction of flight altitude is complicated because of the mountainous topography. In this paper, we visualized the spatial distribution of the restriction of flight altitude（limitation altitude）in Kasuya Research Forest using the obstacle limitation surface of Fukuoka Airport and the digital elevation model. The resulting "limitation altitude" raster showed that in most of the Kasuya Research Forest, the altitude limit is lower than the ground elevation, indicating that drone flights require official permission based on the Aviation Law. We also summarized the procedures with some precautions for flights in the restricted areas based on the available information so far （September 2022）. Note that the relevant laws and regulations could be updated in the future, so it is necessary to collect the latest information constantly.

DOI： 10.15017/6782173

CiNii Research

Language：Others   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Abstract

The growing availability of high-resolution biodiversity data is enhancing our ability to implement biodiversity conservation more effectively. Spatial planning has widely utilized such fine-scale biodiversity data, and proposals of finely-organized protected area networks have been increasing. However, a naive adoption of such fine-scale data for conservation may not only degrade the utility of the data, but may even risk reduction of long-term efficacy of conservation efforts. This is due to inherent tradeoffs between the efficacy of conservation actions over short-term and its persistence over long-term that is characterized by the management scale of spatial planning associated with the resolution of the data used. To demonstrate this argument, the spatiotemporal ecosystem dynamics must be described, but such discussions are limited in the literature. Here, we discuss the potential issues associated with naive uses of fine-scale biodiversity data to establish fine-tuned spatial planning. We then emphasize the importance of matching the data resolution with an appropriate scale of spatial planning that is realized by transforming the data resolution. This method is readily applicable for widely used decision-support tools for spatial planning. A simple worked example is provided to demonstrate its utility with a long-term conservation efficacy in spatial planning. Guided by the recent explosion of biological data, our discussion provides new insights into the ways to maximize the utility of these data, and further improve biodiversity conservation.

DOI： 10.1007/s43621-022-00116-4

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：Wiley  

Latitudinal gradients in the variability of plant trait expression are insufficiently studied. Here, we infer the expression and variability of major reproductive traits in Japanese angiosperm woody plants using geographical distributions of 773 woody plant species and 4682 grid cells at the 10 × 10 km2 spatial resolution. We focus on flower color, flower size, fruit size, fruit type, seed mass, and dispersal type and relate trait mean values and within cell variability to latitude, forest area and fragmentation, phylogenetic relatedness, and socioeconomic factors. To account for the correlation between variability and mean trait values, we use a recently developed model based on Taylor's power law (TPL). All studied reproductive traits exhibited strong although contrasting latitudinal gradients. Contrary to Gloger's rule, flowers tended to be darker at higher latitudes. Flower sizes increased and fruit and seed sizes decreased at higher latitudes. Color variability increased while variability in fruit size decreased toward higher latitudes. Higher human impact influenced fruit size positively and seed size negatively. We confirmed the usefulness of the TPL in the study of trait variability. We interpret the darker flower colors at higher latitudes as an adaptation to predominant bee pollination and thus as an effect of ecological filtering. Our study does not unequivocally corroborate the hypothesis that color variability within woody plant communities is governed by the intensity of ultraviolet radiation. We interpret the observed latitudinal trends toward higher variation in flower color and size in terms of increased numbers of generalist pollinators at higher latitudes.

DOI： 10.1111/1440-1703.12363

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Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：Wiley  

DOI： 10.1111/geb.13573

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PubMed

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Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

DOI： 10.1111/1440-1703.12294

Other Link： https://esj-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1440-1703.12294

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

DOI： 10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01783

Other Link： https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989421003334

Language：Others   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

DOI： 10.1111/geb.13292

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

DOI： 10.1371/journal.pone.0239385

Language：Others   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

DOI： 10.1111/1440-1703.12139

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Aim Estimating species richness from a series of samples is an important and widely debated issue in ecology and biodiversity conservation. Numerous tests of respective richness estimators gave insights into the precision, the limitations and the pitfalls of richness forecasting. However, few benchmark tests used almost complete empiric census data obtained at those spatial scales where richness estimation is most useful for conservation management.Location Japan.Methods We use an extraordinary dataset on the spatial distribution of Japanese plants containing complete information on the occurrence of each Japanese plant species at the 10 x 10 km(2) grid cell level. We link the estimates of four estimators representing different theoretical approaches, Chao2, rarefaction, species-area relationships (SAR) and species abundance distributions (SAD), to environmental data using a fully nested sampling design.Results Chao2 and rarefaction behaved very similar in all tests and significantly underestimated true richness below 40% sampling fraction. SAR and SAD were less precise than Chao2 and rarefaction at higher sampling fraction but also less affected by low sample size. In general, SAD provided robust estimates over the whole range of sampling fraction and 67.4% of estimates ranged within the 10% error level. Higher species spatial turnover increased and high evenness in occurrence decreased the precision of the SAD estimator. Precision of the four estimators was largely unaffected by environmental variability but increased with increasing latitude.Main conclusions Our results strongly indicate that the pattern of Japanese plant species spatial distribution is sufficiently scale invariant for richness estimators to provide precise forecasting results at the country level. The simplest process to generate such a spatial distribution is ecological drift.

DOI： 10.1111/ddi.13049

Language：Others   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

DOI： 10.1111/1365-2745.13416

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

A major research question concerning global pelagic biodiversity remains unanswered: when did the apparent tropical biodiversity depression (i.e., bimodality of latitudinal diversity gradient [LDG]) begin? The bimodal LDG may be a consequence of recent ocean warming or of deep-time evolutionary speciation and extinction processes. Using rich fossil datasets of planktonic foraminifers, we show here that a unimodal (or only weakly bimodal) diversity gradient, with a plateau in the tropics, occurred during the last ice age and has since then developed into a bimodal gradient through species distribution shifts driven by postglacial ocean warming. The bimodal LDG likely emerged before the Anthropocene and industrialization, and perhaps ∼15,000 y ago, indicating a strong environmental control of tropical diversity even before the start of anthropogenic warming. However, our model projections suggest that future anthropogenic warming further diminishes tropical pelagic diversity to a level not seen in millions of years.

DOI： 10.1073/pnas.1916923117

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Integrating multiple sources of ecological data to unveil macroscale species abundance

Language：Others  

Towards strengthening plant ex-situ conservation in Japan

Language：Others   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

DOI： 10.1111/1440-1703.12103

Language：Others   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

DOI： 10.1111/1440-1703.12102

Language：Others   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

DOI： 10.1111/1440-1703.12101

Language：Others   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

DOI： 10.1016/j.envexpbot.2019.103872

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

DOI： 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2019.101015

Language：Japanese   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Protocol for developing local biodiversity strategy and conservation action plan

DOI： 10.18960/seitai.69.3_239

Language：Others   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

DOI： 10.1111/jbi.13683

Language：Others   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

DOI： 10.1111/1440-1703.12034

Language：Japanese  

Effectiveness of Invasive Species Eradication Efforts on Biodiversity Conservation : Spatial Congruence between Conservation Priority Areas and Threat

Language：Others   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

DOI： 10.1016/j.jtbi.2018.10.030

Language：Others   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

DOI： 10.1111/ddi.12869

Language：Others  

<title>Abstract</title>Evolutionary processes underpin the biodiversity on the planet. Theories advocate that the form of the species abundance distribution (SAD), presented by the number of individuals for each species within an ecological community, is intimately linked to speciation modes such as point mutation and random fission. This prediction has rarely been, however, verified empirically; the fact that species abundance data can be obtained only from local communities critically limits our ability to infer the role of macroevolution in shaping ecological patterns. Here, we developed a novel statistical model to estimate macroscale SADs, the hidden macroecological property, by integrating spatially replicated multispecies detection-nondetection observations and the data on species geographic distributions. We determined abundance of 1,248 woody plant species at a 10 km grid square resolution over East Asian islands across subtropical to temperate biomes, which produced a metacommunity (i.e. species pool) SAD in four insular ecoregions along with its absolute size. The metacommunity SADs indicated lognormal-like distributions, which were well explained by the unified neutral theory of biodiversity and biogeography (UNTB) with protracted speciation, a mode of speciation intermediate between point mutation and random fission. Furthermore, the analyses yielded an estimate of speciation rate in each region that highlighted the importance of geographic characteristics in macroevolutionary processes and predicted the average species lifetime that was congruent with previous estimates. The estimation of macroscale SADs plays a remarkable role in revealing evolutionary diversification of regional species pools.

DOI： 10.1101/426379

Language：Others   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

DOI： 10.1016/j.jtbi.2018.05.013

Language：Others   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

DOI： 10.1007/s11284-018-1641-x

Language：Others   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

DOI： 10.1111/jvs.12648

Language：Others   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

DOI： 10.1007/s12080-018-0383-2

Language：Others   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

DOI： 10.1007/s11284-018-1614-0

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Species assembly patterns of local communities are shaped by the balance between multiple abiotic/biotic filters and dispersal that both select individuals from species pools at the regional scale. Knowledge regarding functional assembly can provide insight into the relative importance of the deterministic and stochastic processes that shape species assembly. We evaluated the hierarchical roles of the α niche and β niches by analyzing the influence of environmental filtering relative to functional traits on geographical patterns of tree species assembly in mid-latitude forests. Using forest plot datasets, we examined the α niche traits (leaf and wood traits) and β niche properties (cold/drought tolerance) of tree species, and tested non-randomness (clustering/over-dispersion) of trait assembly based on null models that assumed two types of species pools related to biogeographical regions. For most plots, species assembly patterns fell within the range of random expectation. However, particularly for cold/drought tolerance-related β niche properties, deviation from randomness was frequently found
non-random clustering was predominant in higher latitudes with harsh climates. Our findings demonstrate that both randomness and non-randomness in trait assembly emerged as a result of the α and β niches, although we suggest the potential role of dispersal processes and/or species equalization through trait similarities in generating the prevalence of randomness. Clustering of β niche traits along latitudinal climatic gradients provides clear evidence of species sorting by filtering particular traits. Our results reveal that multiple filters through functional niches and stochastic processes jointly shape geographical patterns of species assembly across mid-latitude forests.

DOI： 10.1007/s00442-018-4122-6

Language：Others   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

DOI： 10.1111/geb.12755

Language：Others   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

DOI： 10.1111/geb.12711

Language：Others  

A geometric approach to scaling individual distributions to macroecological patterns

DOI： 10.1101/302810

Language：Japanese   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Systematic conservation planning for biodiversity conservation: Basic concepts and outline of analysis procedure
Systematic conservation planning (SCP) provides a decision-support framework for biodiversity conservation for multistakeholder deliberation. The core concept for designing protected area (PA) networks is the CAR principle, which comprises Comprehensiveness, Adequacy, and Representativeness. This is the basis of conservation planning, involving the identification of potential biodiversity patterns within a PA network as sampled areas. Priority areas for implementing conservation targets are identified in a spatially explicit manner, based on site-selection algorithms using biodiversity features and socioeconomic cost layers. Site-selection algorithms have roots in the concept of complementarity, which is related to ecological/evolutionary distinctiveness and the spatial turnover of biodiversity features among sites. Complementarity is a conceptual attribute of siteselection algorithms used to explore the minimum-set problem. Irreplaceability constitutes an index of conservation priority, and it is informative to associate the irreplaceability score with threat/vulnerability levels among sites when using a reactive conservation approach. Spatial prioritization of the Zonation algorithm is a promising tool for defining conservation targets recursively, and enables us to prioritize ranking for minimizing biodiversity loss under socioeconomic constraints. The concept of persistence is an important one for the future development of SCP, which currently assumes static biodiversity patterns. Incorporating macroecological patterns and underlying processes into the CAR principle is critical for maintaining biogeographical potential in conservation planning.

DOI： 10.18960/seitai.67.3_267

Language：Others   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

A theory for ecological survey methods to map individual distributions

DOI： 10.1007/s12080-017-0359-7

Language：Others  

A Theory For Ecological Survey Methods To Map Individual Distributions

DOI： 10.1101/137158

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Protected areas function as a lifeboat that can preserve the origins and maintenance of biodiversity. We assessed the representativeness of biodiversity in existing protected areas in Japan using a distribution dataset and phylogenetic tree for 5565 Japanese vascular plant species. We first examined the overlap of species distribution with the existing protected areas and identified the minimum set representing all plant species. Second, we evaluated the relative importance of environmental variables in explaining the spatial arrangement of protected areas using a random forest model. Finally, we clarified how potential drivers of plant diversity were sufficiently captured within the protected areas network. Although the protected areas captured the majority of species, nearly half of the minimum set areas were selected from outside the existing protected areas. The locations of existing protected areas are mainly associated with geographical and socio-economic factors rather than key biodiversity features (including evolutionary distinctiveness). Moreover, critical biodiversity drivers, which include current climate, paleoclimatic stability, and geographical isolation, were biasedly emulated within the existing protected areas. These findings demonstrate that current conservation planning fails to represent the ecological and evolutionary processes relevant to species sorting, dispersal limitation, and allopatric speciation. In particular, under-representativeness of historically stable habitats that function as evolutionary hotspots or refugia in response to climate changes may pose a threat to the long-term persistence of Japan's endemic biota. This study provides a fundamental basis for developing prioritization measures to retain species assembly processes and in situ diversification along current climatic and geohistorical gradients.

DOI： 10.1007/s11284-017-1451-6

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

In 2016, Ecological Research (ER) celebrated its 30th anniversary. ER's goal is to be the leading ecological, evolutionary, and biodiversity journal in Asia. This article introduces the development of ER, improvements to its editorial system and their outcomes, and the strategies designed to achieve this goal. ER has already become a leading comprehensive and international publication as shown by statistical evidence and its strong editorial foundation. However, some members of the Ecological Society of Japan (ESJ) retain impressions of an old stereotype about ER. The discrepancy between the current status of the journal and its stereotype may explain why submissions from Japan remain static. A new article category for ER, Biodiversity in Asia, was created to encourage Asian studies. In addition, the Forum category is dedicated to promoting a broad understanding of the ESJ's various activities. To promote open science, the proportion of open access articles in the journal is increasing. The publication of Data papers has been accelerated to improve the public availability of excellent open data sets. ER symposia and seminars provide good opportunities for members to participate. ER financially supports the invitation of scientists internationally to facilitate research exchanges with other countries and consequently promotes the internationalization of the ESJ. The ESJ is open to the world's ecologists, and your participation in developing ER is welcome.

DOI： 10.1007/s11284-017-1457-0

Language：Others  

Spatially Explicit Approach To Population Abundance Estimation In Field Surveys

DOI： 10.1101/131037

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Understanding biodiversity patterns on islands has long been a central aim in ecology and conservation biology. Island-specific biogeographical processes play substantial roles in the formation of endemic biota. Here, we examined how climate niche conservatism and geohistorical factors are interactively associated with in situ diversification of Tertiary relict flora in the east Asian continental islands. We generated two novel datasets for species distribution and phylogeny that included all of the known vascular plant species in Japan (5575). Then we tested phylogenetic signal of climatic tolerance, in terms of absolute minimum temperature and water balance, and explored environmental predictors of phylogenetic structure (evolutionary derivedness and clustering) of species assemblages. Although phylogenetic signal of climatic tolerance was significant across the phylogeny of most species, the strength of climatic niche conservatism differed among ferns, gymnosperms, angiosperm trees, and angiosperm herbs. For angiosperm trees, cold temperatures acted as environmental filters that generated phylogenetic derivedness/clustering of species assemblages. For fern and angiosperm herb species, however, phylogenetic properties were not associated with climatic harshness. These contrasting patterns among groups reflected climate niche evolution in vascular plants with different growth forms and traits
for example, diversification of angiosperm trees (but not fern and herb) occurred in response to historical climatic cooling. More importantly, geographical constraints contributed to evolutionary radiation that resulted from isolation by distance from the continent or by elevation. Quaternary climate change was also associated with clade-specific radiation in refugial habitats. The degree to which geographical, geological, and palaeoclimatic variables explain the phylogenetic structure underscores the importance of isolation- and habitat-stability-related geohistorical processes in driving in situ diversification despite climatic niche conservatism. We propose that the highly endemic flora of the east Asian islands resulted from the interplay of idiosyncratic regional factors, and ecological and evolutionary processes, such as climate niche assembly and adaptive/nonadaptive radiation.

DOI： 10.1111/ecog.02033

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

The tangled link between β- and γ-diversity: a Narcissus effect weakens statistical inferences in null model analyses of diversity patterns
Understanding the structure of and spatial variability in the species composition of ecological communities is at the heart of biogeography. In particular, there has been recent controversy about possible latitudinal trends in compositional heterogeneity across localities (beta-diversity). A gradient in the size of the regional species pool alone can be expected to impose a parallel gradient on beta-diversity, but whether beta-diversity also varies independently of the size of the species pool remains unclear. A recently suggested methodological approach to correct latitudinal beta-diversity gradients for the species pool effect is based on randomization null models that remove the effects of gradients in alpha- and gamma-diversity on beta-diversity. However, the randomization process imposes constraints on the variability of alpha-diversity, which in turn force gamma- and beta-diversity to become interdependent, such that any change in one is mirrored in the other. We argue that simple null model approaches are inadequate to discern whether correlations between alpha-, beta- and gamma-diversity reflect processes of ecological interest or merely differences in the size of the species pool among localities. We demonstrate that this kind of Narcissus effect may also apply to other metrics of spatial or phylogenetic species distribution. We highlight that Narcissus effects may lead to artificially high rejection rates for the focal pattern (Type II errors) and caution that these errors have not received sufficient attention in the ecological literature.

DOI： 10.1111/geb.12527

Language：Others   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

DOI： 10.1007/s11284-016-1373-8

Language：Others   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

DOI： 10.1111/jvs.12346

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DOI： 10.1111/oik.02232

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DOI： 10.1111/jbi.12503

Language：Others   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

DOI： 10.3759/tropics.23.91

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DOI： 10.1111/1365-2664.12367

Language：Others   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

DOI： 10.1111/ecog.00981

Language：Others   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

DOI： 10.1002/jwmg.782

Language：Japanese   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Development and Evaluation of Teaching Methods of the Biodiversity Science Using the Online Tool “TimeTree: the Timescale of Life”
"TimeTree" provides information about evolutionary time among organisms, i.e. when two species have diverged from a common ancestor, thus allowing us to easily draw a phylogenetic tree of life. Using this online tool, we developed teaching methods to understand the concept of biodiversity on the basis of evolution, and further examined its effect on students&#039; learning. In order to evaluate the effect of active learning using "TimeTree", we conducted a field experiment targeting 47 university students belonging to a general education course. We first examined the students on their knowledge of evolution biology, and then gave the students an assignment using smartphone that investigates divergence times between various species in the zoo. The students looked around the zoo and searched for the divergence times of pairs of 10 animal species, as well as those of 7 primates." TimeTree" was a tractable online tool for the students. Most students could successfully draw a phylogenetic tree among species using the data of the divergence times. Finally, we conducted the same test of their knowledge of evolution biology. By comparing the scores of pre- and post-tests, we found significant effects that improve the understanding of tree thinking, macroevolution, the timescale of evolution, and biogeography. In conclusion, the teaching or training using the online tool "TimeTree" was effective for promoting the understanding of evolution and biodiversity that is regarded as an important unit in the new teaching guidelines of biological education.

DOI： 10.11639/sjst.13037

Language：Others   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

DOI： 10.1111/jbi.12290

Language：Others   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

We compared stand structure and plant species occurrence on the shoulders of 3-, 10- and 20-year-old roads in a subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest to document temporal changes in edge effects of forest roads. We recorded 154 vascular species in the study plots, including 3 non-native species. We used generalized linear mixed models to analyze changes in forest structure and plant species composition in relationship to the distance from forest roads. The spatial patterns in stand structure at different distances from roads differed with road age. The large canopy openness on the edge of 3-year-old roads decreased with time after the construction. A progressive decrease in tree height on roadsides was observed after the road construction, suggesting tall trees could not withstand the dry and windy roadside environment. The edge effect on the canopy tended to be larger at higher elevation sites. The spatio-temporal pattern of species occurrence based on distance from roads differed by species. Typical pioneer species such as Schima wallichii and Eurya japonica increased along the edge, while less aggressive pioneer species and understory species decreased. As time passed after the road construction, some climax and understory species decreased at the forest edge, while other climax and understory species increased. The modeling methods proposed in this study could be applied to different roadside and edge study sites. © 2012 The Japanese Forest Society and Springer Japan.

DOI： 10.1007/s10310-012-0383-9

Language：Others   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

The trait-based approach has received much research attention as it provides a heuristic framework for evaluating the ecological impacts of anthropogenic activities on communities and ecosystems. In this study, functional diversity (or structure) measures, such as functional richness, functional evenness, functional divergence, and functional composition, were used to examine management impacts on subtropical forests on the Ryukyu Islands of Japan. Functional indices were compared in tandem with taxonomic diversity indices between three forest types with different management histories: intact old-growth forests, secondary forests after clear-cutting, and abandoned Pinus luchuensis plantations. Species diversity indices were not significantly different among the three forest types. In contrast, functional diversity indices were significantly different among intact forests and managed forests. Functional richness and functional evenness were significantly lower in secondary forests than in intact forests and P. luchuensis plantations. Functional divergence was significantly higher in secondary forests and P. luchuensis plantations than in intact forests. These differences suggest that management activities affected niche space and the patterns of niche differentiation among component species in the functional space of managed forests. Community weighted means for each functional trait were also different among the forest types. The managed forests had greater leaf thickness, leaf dry matter content and maximum height, and lower specific leaf area and leaf nitrogen concentration than intact forests. These differences in functional composition of traits suggested potential functional impacts. This study demonstrated the utilization of species functional traits and community functional structure as a tool of natural experiment for assessing impacts of forest management practices on woodland ecosystems. It was also suggested that logging activities that include large-scale clear-cutting or establishment of P. luchuensis plantations may be incompatible with the conservation of natural ecosystem properties in subtropical forests. © 2013 Maeshiro et al.

DOI： 10.1890/ES13-00125.1

Language：Others   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Lianas are important vegetation components that control structure and function, especially in tropical and subtropical forests. To explore the spatial assembly mechanisms of a subtropical liana community, we tested the following hypotheses: spatial distributions of subtropical lianas are determined by forest structures and topographic features, which are surrogates for host/light availability and edaphic/water conditions, respectively, and these effects are mediated through species functional traits. We examined the spatial distribution of lianas in two plots (areas 9 and 16 ha) representing landscapes in an intact forest and a secondary forest, and analyzed spatial distribution pattern at the species level using a simple, spatially explicit model. We also examined the correlations between determinant factors for species distribution and species functional traits, including climbing habits, leaf traits and wood density. The spatial distribution of lianas was controlled mainly by topographic gradient. Most species had preferences for concave topographies, i. e., valley habitats. Any covariates related to the host (or to light) had little influence on the distribution of most liana species. Distributional responses to topography were different among species, and associated significantly with leaf nitrogen content and climbing habit, but not with wood density. The correlation between variation in habitat preferences and leaf economic spectrum suggests that an environmental filter for physiological response to topography is the important mechanism shaping the spatial patterns of this subtropical liana community. © 2012 The Ecological Society of Japan.

DOI： 10.1007/s11284-012-0993-x

Language：Others   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

DOI： 10.1017/S0266467408005452

Language：Others   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

DOI： 10.1007/s10310-007-0046-4

Event date： 2019.12

Language：English   Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

Venue：Belfast, UK   Country：Other  

Environmental filters act differently for exotic plant species from different origins: a case study of Japan

Event date： 2019.12

Language：English  

Country：Other  

Conservation assessment card: decision support tool for land-use planning in Japan

Event date： 2019.8

Language：English   Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

Venue：Bremen   Country：Germany  

Mapping potential diversity of woody plants scale using diversity estimation approach with a global occurrence data

Event date： 2019.7 - 2019.8

Language：English  

Country：Other  

Beta diversity of woody plants in east Asian tropics and temperate insular biotas: The roles of geohistorical and ecological processes throughout the Philippines, Taiwan, and Japan

Event date： 2019.7

Language：English  

Country：Other  

Global patterns of woody plants height: combining analysis of forest plots data and species functional traits

Event date： 2019.6 - 2019.7

Language：English  

Country：Other  

A challenge to plant biodiversity shortfalls in Malesian region: databasing species occurrences and functional traits

Event date： 2019.5

Language：English   Presentation type：Symposium, workshop panel (public)  

Venue：Tokyo   Country：Japan  

Overviewing ex-situ conservation for plants in Japan

Event date： 2019.1

Language：English   Presentation type：Symposium, workshop panel (public)  

Venue：New York   Country：United States  

Macroecology and systematic conservation planning with species occurrence records: from the East Asian islands to the world

Event date： 2019.1

Language：English  

Country：Other  

Environmental and socio-economic drivers of insufficiency and uncertainty in biodiversity estimates: a comparison of wood plant diversity among biogeographical regions

Event date： 2018.10

Language：English   Presentation type：Symposium, workshop panel (public)  

Venue：Okinawa   Country：Japan  

Biodiversity estimates of stony coral species: regional and global-scale analysis

Event date： 2018.7

Language：English  

Country：Other  

Beta diversity of angiosperm tree communities: roles of climate and geography

Event date： 2018.7

Language：English  

Country：Other  

Species pool properties tell historical diversification processes: species abundance, phylogenetic and functional structure of woody plants on East Asian archipelago

Event date： 2018.7

Language：English  

Country：Other  

Biodiversity gradients of woody plants along latitude and elevation: the role of functional group-specific cold tolerance

Event date： 2018.6

Language：English  

Country：Other  

Global-scale assessment of forest management impacts on biodiversity patterns

Event date： 2018.3

Language：English   Presentation type：Symposium, workshop panel (public)  

Venue：Okinawa   Country：Japan  

Spatial conservation prioritization of plant biodiversity: how to balance between species usefulness, endangered status and endemicity

Event date： 2017.6

Language：English  

Country：Other  

Combining trait-based ecology and ethnobotany: impacts of biodiversity loss on timber provisioning service

Event date： 2017.6

Language：English  

Country：Other  

Revealing ecological advantage of plant clonality at the macroecological scale Session: Macroecological analysis and modelling of vegetation patterns

Event date： 2017.6

Language：English  

Country：Other  

Phylogenetic community assembly of angiosperm trees along climatic and geographical gradients

Event date： 2017.6

Language：English  

Country：Other  

Macro-scale species abundance distribution inferred from widespread vegetation plot data

Event date： 2017.6

Language：English  

Country：Other  

Effect of selective extinction and range shift on diversity patterns of temperate flora through the Cenozoic

Event date： 2017.3

Language：English   Presentation type：Symposium, workshop panel (public)  

Venue：那覇   Country：Japan  

Conservation prioritization of the Ryukyu archipelago: a multi-scale analysis demonstrates the nation-level importance and intra-regional priority areas

Type：Competition, symposium, etc. 

Type：Competition, symposium, etc. 

Type：Academic society, research group, etc.