Unit name: Environmental Change in Japanese Alps

Keywords: Japanese Alps, climate changes, global warming, biodiversity, ecosystems

       The Japanese Alps region is a valuable research field to examine global warming and other environmental changes because climate changes and the influences of human activities in this area become noticeable in a shorter period of time than in other areas due to its topographic and environmental characteristics. The research unit conducted a five-year study of the influences of climate changes on ecosystems in mountainous areas as well as changes in the movements of water and soil and other natural conditions. Furthermore, a research team consisting of researchers of the University of Tsukuba, Shinshu University, and Gifu University with an interest in Japanese Alps region as an academic field, collaborated to conduct multidisciplinary research in the fields of organisms, agriculture/forestry, and geoscience to examine the effects of climate changes on the lives of people.

Following the completion of the research unit, Shizuoka University, the University of Toyama, and University of Yamanashi participated in the research activity in 2015, and the research subject has covered a wider area: the Japanese Alps region that covers both the Japan Sea and Pacific Ocean sides. Comprehensive research has been conducted to examine the influences of climate changes on both mountainous and urban areas.

Mountainous fields on the Japan Sea side, in the inland area, and on the Pacific Ocean side in which the types of long-term and sporadic environmental changes and ecological responses significantly vary.

Examinations of the influences of climate changes from various perspectives, utilizing the characteristics of different fields

Figure 1: An experiment on global warming (The temperature in the greenhouse is raised, and the effects on plants are examined.)

In field experiments, greenhouses are placed in mountains to artificially create conditions required to cause global warming. We observed changes in vegetation in greenhouses, and conducted experiments to artificially cause vegetative changes by cutting down plants and examine the movement of soil. Each university conducts a variety of experiments according to the characteristics of their fields, or two or more universities conducted experiments at the same time to examine the influences of climate changes.

Expansion of the research team and theme – a wider research field that covers the overall central mountainous area, and the promotion of international collaboration

Figure 2: Visual recording of slope failure with a time-lapse camera

Mountains uplifted by active crustal movements are located in the Japanese Alps region – where mountain ranges run longitudinally, and landforms changes at a high rate. From the viewpoint of meteorology, the Japan Sea and Pacific Ocean sides of the area have heavy snowfall and rainfall, respectively. Slope failures and floods triggered by excessive water possibly cause significant damages to downstream areas. In few fields of the world other than the Japanese Alps region, are such dynamic changes caused. In this sense, the area serves as a model to understand the earth comprehensively. In this broad field, universities collaborate with each other and conduct surveys on meteorological phenomena and ecosystems to comprehend changes that occur in the Japanese Alps region as a whole.

The research subjects also cover the field of social science, including environmental economics and changes in colonies, to examine the influences of climate changes on tourism and industries. The research team has developed into a large organization referred to as the “Japanese Alps Inter-University Cooperative Project” consisting of approximately 140 researchers from many different organizations, and implemented education for young researchers and conducted international collaborative research. The organization aims to become an academic society in mountain science in the future.

Interviewed on August 28, 2015