Article
Forestry
Yukiko Abe, Hiroyuki Kurokochi, Kazutoshi Yoshitake, Ryo Yonezawa, Shuichi Asakawa, Takeshi Tange
Summary: This study investigated the composition of soil bacterial communities in a Cryptomeria japonica plantation at different times after clear-cutting, revealing variations in the frequencies of Proteobacteria and Acidobacteria, which are affected by soil temperature and the presence of organic layers post-clear-cutting.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Barbara Dunck, Liliana Rodrigues, Eva Lima-Fernandes, Fernanda Cassio, Claudia Pascoal, Karl Cottenie
Summary: The study evaluated the short-term effects of stream eutrophication and colonization time on freshwater benthic communities, identifying the importance of priority effects in aquatic decomposers and consumers, while deterministic processes were more significant for aquatic producers. The research demonstrated that stochastic and deterministic processes both play a role in shaping community structure, with the relative importance of each process varying systematically along a trophic gradient.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Ryota Hayashi, Nagamitsu Maie, Rota Wagai, Yasuhiro Hirano, Yosuke Matsuda, Toru Okamoto, Ryusei Wada, Toko Tanikawa
Summary: This study focuses on the behavior of particulate organic matter (POM) and mineral-associated organic matter (MAOM) in acidic soils, specifically looking at the effects of tree species and vertical distribution. The findings suggest that the content of MAOM in low-ABC soils is higher in Cryptomeria japonica stands and lower in Chamaecyparis obtusa stands compared to high-ABC soils.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Maira Peixoto Mendes, Beatriz Cupe-Flores, Karsten Liber
Summary: This study investigated the distribution of selenium in water and sediment and its transfer in the food chain. The results showed differences in selenium bioaccumulation among different benthic macroinvertebrate taxa, but an approximately one-to-one trophic transfer ratio was observed between benthic primary consumers and benthic predatory taxa.
ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Diana N. Michler-Kozma, Thomas R. Neu, Friederike Gabel
Summary: This study investigates the effects of different types of plastic on primary production of biofilms and the food quality for a benthic grazer in freshwater. The results show that during the colder and darker months, microbial colonization on polyethylene (PE) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) was inhibited, leading to reduced algal growth and sublethal effects on the growth and reproduction of freshwater snails. These findings highlight the potential adverse effects of plastic pollution on food webs and call for further research.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Akwasi Dwira Mensah, Hiroto Toda, Sonoko Dorothea Bellingrath-Kimura, Hiroaki Kato, Dongsu Choi
Summary: This study found that in the distribution and migration of Cs-137 under organic matter layers, the F-layer of oak and cedar trees is the main accumulation zone for Cs-137 in the soil, with its downward migration influenced by water infiltration. Organic matter fractions with high C/N ratios, such as Cedar-F, lead to Cs-137 transport and retention, while fractions with low C/N ratios, like Oak-F, result in Cs-137 release and adsorption by the soil.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Paula Ortiz, Eduardo Quiroga, Paulina Montero, Madeleine Hamame, Federico Betti
Summary: The study revealed that benthic marine food webs in estuarine Patagonian fjords are influenced by salmon farming activities, with isotopic analysis detecting the effects of food sources and aquaculture waste; high δN-15 values in sponge and encrusting coral may serve as ecological indicators for assessing environmental pollution.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Gemma Lobera, Isabel Pardo, Liliana Garcia, Celso Garcia, Ludmilla O. Ribeiro, Piet F. M. Verdonschot
Summary: This experiment aimed to investigate the resistance and resilience of resources and benthic invertebrates in temporary streams after flooding events. It found that resources and benthic invertebrates showed high resistance to flow pulses, but low resilience of benthic organic matter to natural seasonal flooding. However, richness and densities of benthos increased during the study, suggesting that hyporheic zone could be the main source of colonizers in post-flood periods.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Lloyd P. Werry, Mirco Bundschuh, Simon M. Mitrovic, Richard P. Lim, Ben J. Kefford
Summary: This study investigated the rate of leaf litter breakdown in alpine streams and how temperature and other factors influenced this process. The results showed that water temperature had a significant impact on the rate of leaf litter breakdown, with higher rates observed during warmer deployment periods and at lower elevations. Additionally, both microbial and macroinvertebrate activities were equally important in leaf litter breakdown.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Soil Science
Yukiko Abe, Naishen Liang, Munemasa Teramoto, Jun Koarashi, Mariko Atarashi-Andoh, Shoji Hashimoto, Takeshi Tange
Summary: Soil respiration is an important process in the global carbon cycle and its spatial variability was studied on volcanic ash soil. The study found that organic carbon content in soil is not a key factor in controlling soil respiration rate, while the low-density fraction (LF-C) plays a significant role. After logging, soil respiration rate decreased significantly and LF-C stock was much lower compared to the standing-tree plot.
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Tiphaine Labed-Veydert, Apostolos-Manuel Koussoroplis, Alexandre Bec, Christian Desvilettes
Summary: The study suggests that organic matter sources in forested headwater streams mainly come from biofilm, bryophytes, and fine benthic detrital particles, rather than leaf litter. Additionally, it highlights the significant contribution of autochthonous organic matter to the development of stream macroinvertebrates, especially in providing long-chain PUFAs.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Adam Zakrzewski, Marta Waliczek, Pawel Kosakowski, Krzysztof Jurek, Irena Matyasik
Summary: A set of 24 core samples from the Lower Keuperian and Grabfeld Formation in the Polish Basin were analyzed using geochemical and petrological methods. The results showed that the organic matter in the samples is mostly mature/overmature. The presence of allochthonous organic matter influenced some geochemical indicators and indicated the presence of a fluvial-deltaic paleoenvironment. The degree of organic matter diagenetic oxidation was determined using various ratios based on phenanthrene, methylphenanthrenes, and aromatic ketones.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF COAL GEOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Chenmin Sun, Liang Peng, Anwei Chen, Yuexi Jiang, Ting Hu, Siqin Wang, Jihai Shao
Summary: The study found that DOM from livestock manure affects the adsorption behavior of Cd by periphyton, but does not alter the adsorption kinetics and isotherm. DOM decreases the adsorption capacity of periphyton for Cd, and the main binding forces for Cd adsorption by periphyton are ion exchange and complexation, while DOM mainly adsorbs Cd through complexation, involving amide and hydroxyl groups competing with periphyton.
JOURNAL OF WATER PROCESS ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Marine
Noor Fazreen Dzulkafli, Akbariah Mahdzir, Hirofumi Hara
Summary: The research utilized various analytical methods to compare the organic matter in different coastal sediments in Peninsular Malaysia, finding differences in elemental analysis among the three samples, which aligned with results from UV-Vis and fluorescence spectroscopy analyses. WEOM was largely dominated by HFOC, and variations in DOM within different coastal ecosystems could be attributed to various human and land activities.
JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Takuya Saito, Norihisa Kusumoto, Tsutom Hiura
Summary: Plants protect themselves from stresses by emitting volatile terpenes, which are also important constituents in the atmosphere. This study investigated the relationship between leaf terpene contents and terpene emissions in Japanese cedar. The results showed that the emissions of monoterpenes were correlated with their leaf contents, while variations in emissions of individual terpenes did not correspond to variations in concentrations in leaves. Diterpenes were emitted when they were present in trees, indicating a linkage between emissions and storage pools. However, the algorithm used in this study could not explain the emissions of diterpenes due to their low vapor pressure.
ECOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Kanae Kobayashi, Keitaro Fukushima, Yuji Onishi, Kazuya Nishina, Akiko Makabe, Midori Yano, Scott D. Wankel, Keisuke Koba, Satoshi Okabe
Summary: The oxygen isotope ratio measurements of NO2- by the azide method are influenced by the delta O-18 value of the sample water, showing significant oxygen isotope exchange between NO2- and H2O. It is important to use water with the same delta O-18(H2O) value as that of the sample to obtain accurate measurements for NO2- and NO3- standards.
RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Chikae Tatsumi, Fujio Hyodo, Takeshi Taniguchi, Weiyu Shi, Keisuke Koba, Keitaro Fukushima, Sheng Du, Norikazu Yamanaka, Pamela Templer, Ryunosuke Tateno
Summary: The study found that the nitrogen uptake patterns of understory trees vary between different overstory trees, possibly due to differences in soil mycorrhizal community and nitrogen availability. Understory trees beneath non-ECM overstory trees primarily absorbed nitrogen as nitrate, while those beneath ECM overstory trees relied on mycorrhizal fungi for nitrogen acquisition. Leaf nitrogen concentrations were lower in understory trees beneath ECM compared to non-ECM overstory trees.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Xiaojun Zheng, Yosihiro Natuhara, Shan Zhong
Summary: Previous studies have shown that habitat degradation and alteration have led to declines in frog populations, posing a serious global ecological issue. This study evaluates the combined effects of midsummer drainage and agricultural modernization on tadpole populations in central Japan, finding that midsummer drainage negatively impacts tadpole survival while modern drainage systems have no influence. This research offers valuable insights into understanding frog population survival in paddy field ecosystems.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Masaru Sakai, Katsuya Iwabuchi, David Bauman
Summary: The study revealed that the stable flow regime of spring-fed streams leads to the accumulation of fine sediment and detritus on the streambed, resulting in a unique and diverse macroinvertebrate assemblage in these habitats. The presence of various burrowers, collector-gatherers, and crenobiont taxa in the spring-fed reach highlights its contribution to enhancing beta diversity in river networks.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Xiaojun Zheng, Yosihiro Natuhara, Jian Li, Guanlin Li, Yizhou Du, Hui Jia, Zhicong Dai, Daolin Du, Shan Zhong, Dan Qin
Summary: This study in central Japan of three frog species found that forest area positively affects the number of egg masses for all species. However, other variables have different effects on the egg mass numbers of the three species at each site.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Kengo Okada, Masaru Sakai, Takashi Gomi, Aimu Iwamoto, Junjiro N. Negishi, Masanori Nunokawa
Summary: Understanding the factors influencing Cs-137 concentrations in freshwater salmonids is crucial for reviving inland fisheries in polluted regions. The study found that Cs-137 concentrations in charr at Fukushima were largely influenced by a combination of uptake and metabolism, while at Gunma site, fluctuations in charr Cs-137 concentrations were mainly determined by specific metabolic rates in summer.
ECOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Yosihiro Natuhara
Summary: This paper provides an overview of the factors affecting the conservation of three specified class II nationally rare species in Japan. The landscape, agricultural land infrastructure, pesticide sensitivity, mid-summer drainage, impacts of abandoned cultivation, invasive alien species, habitat creation, and translocation are all significant factors that need to be considered in order to ensure the sustainability of these species.
LANDSCAPE AND ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Hiromi Uno, Mizushi Yokoi, Keitaro Fukushima, Yoichiro Kanno, Osamu Kishida, Wataru Mamiya, Rei Sakai, Shunsuke Utsumi
Summary: The study conducted intensive fieldwork in the Butokamabetsu River catchment in northern Hokkaido to investigate the assembly of aquatic communities in a temperate floodplain during and after seasonal flooding. The findings showed that hydrological dynamics during flood recession shape the post-flood aquatic communities, with plankton, fish, amphibians, and benthos composition varying spatially according to peak flood flow, timing of flow cessation, and flow at low conditions. Different distribution patterns of these biological groups led to gradual variation in aquatic communities among waterbodies on the floodplain.
FRESHWATER BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Hiromi Uno, Keitaro Fukushima, Mariko Kawamura, Akira Kurasawa, Takuya Sato
Summary: Amphidromous shrimps have significant influence on nutrient cycling in stream ecosystems, altering the mineralization process of benthic macroinvertebrates due to the difference in excretion between shrimps and aquatic insects.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Yosihiro Natuhara, Xiaojun Zheng
Summary: Paddy fields are essential habitats for frogs, and this study evaluates the impacts of farmland consolidation and abandonment on two Rana species using a spatial autocorrelation model. The results show that farmland consolidation and forest area have positive effects on one species, while altitude and road density have negative effects on the other species.
LANDSCAPE AND ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Christine L. Weilhoefer, Shin-ichi Nakano, Souyma Deb, Keitaro Fukushima
Summary: The biomass and community structure of benthic microalgae in Japanese rivers are often limited by nutrient availability. Regardless of in-stream nutrient concentrations and land use, nutrient limitation of primary producer biomass and changes in community structure were observed in all four studied rivers. Nutrient additions resulted in shifts in algal community composition, particularly in forested catchments. These findings highlight the sensitivity of benthic algal communities to nutrient inputs and underscore the importance of considering both biomass and species composition when evaluating the impacts of elevated nutrient levels on river ecosystems.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Genki Katata, Mirai Watanabe, Shimpei Oikawa, Akiko Takahashi, Tomohiro Kubota, Yui Takase, Tadao Enomoto, Nobuo Sakagami, Yugo Suzuki, Keitaro Fukushima, Miki U. Ueda
Summary: In this study, we investigated the role of kudzu canopies in mitigating air pollution on a highway embankment slope in Japan. The results showed that kudzu can act as a vegetation barrier and reduce the concentrations of ozone and nitrogen oxides along the roadside.
ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Akira Kurasawa, Yuji Onishi, Keisuke Koba, Keitaro Fukushima, Hiromi Uno
Summary: An increasing number of studies have examined the ecological influence of semelparous and iteroparous fish migrations on spawning streams. These migrations not only contribute carcasses of spent adults, but also provide nutrients that support stream communities. This study evaluated the ecological influence of an iteroparous three-lips fish in an alluvial stream through field experiments. The results showed that the fish increased nutrient concentrations, organic matter levels, and densities of certain organisms in the stream. The study suggests that further research is needed to understand the complex ways in which migratory fish influence stream ecosystems.
FRESHWATER BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
K. Nagasawa, K. Fukushima, H. Setoguchi, M. Katsuyama, S. Sakaguchi
Summary: Volcanic acidification leads to extremely low pH (2-3) and high Al3+ levels in the soil, which strongly inhibit plant growth. C. angustisquama is a dominant extremophyte in highly acidic solfatara fields due to its high tolerance to low pH. This study found that low pH is a critical factor determining the distribution of C. angustisquama, while both C. angustisquama and its sister species have high tolerance to Al3+ toxicity.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Kenta Iwasaki, Keitaro Fukushima, Yu Nagasaka, Nobuo Ishiyama, Masaru Sakai, Akiko Nagasaka
Summary: Groundwater discharge along channels can have significant impacts on stream discharge, chemistry, and ecological communities. This study presents a method for real-time monitoring and postprocessing of ground-based thermal infrared (TIR) video to determine groundwater discharge sampling points and map surface water temperature. The results show that the distribution of cold and warm springs in headwater streams can be accurately mapped using this method, and the water temperature can provide valuable information about the sources of groundwater discharge.
WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH
(2023)
