Butterfly community composition and conservation in and around a primary woodland of Mount Fuji, central Japan

Abstract:The relative importance of different bottom-up-mediated effects in shaping insect communities in tropical secondary forests are poorly understood. Here, we explore the roles of vegetation structure, forest age, local topography (valley vs. hill top) and soil variables in predicting fruit-feeding butterfly and tree community composition, and tree community composition in predicting fruit-feeding butterfly community composition, in different-aged naturally regenerating and primary forests of Kibale National Park, Uganda. We also examine which variables are best predictors of fruit-feeding butterfly species richness or diversity. Butterflies (88 species) were sampled with a banana-baited trap and trees (98 taxa) with a 40 × 20-m sampling plot at 80 sampling sites. The environmental variables explained 31% of the variation in the tree community composition, the best predictors being local topography, forest age and cover of Acanthus pubescens (a shrub possibly arresting succession). The fruit-feeding butterfly community composition was better predicted by tree community composition (explaining 10% of the variation) rather than vegetation structure, local topography or soil factors. Environmental variables and tree species richness (or diversity) were poor predictors of butterfly species richness (or diversity). Our results emphasize the importance of tree community to recovery of herbivorous insect communities in tropical secondary forests.

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Relationship of butterfly diversity with nectar plant species richness in and around the Aokigahara primary woodland of Mount Fuji, central Japan

Biodiversity and Conservation ◽

10.1007/s10531-007-9265-4 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 17 (11) ◽

pp. 2713-2734 ◽

Cited By ~ 38

Author(s):

Masahiko Kitahara ◽

Mitsuko Yumoto ◽

Takato Kobayashi

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Plant Species ◽

Plant Species Richness ◽

Central Japan ◽

Butterfly Diversity ◽

Mount Fuji ◽

Relationship Of

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Hydrogeological Features of Mount Fuji and the Surrounding Area, Central Japan: An Overview

Journal of Institute of Science and Technology ◽

10.3126/jist.v19i1.13834 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

pp. 96-105 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Danda Pani Adikari

Keyword(s):

Groundwater Discharge ◽

Snow Melt ◽

Surrounding Area ◽

Central Japan ◽

Long Period ◽

The North ◽

The People ◽

Mount Fuji ◽

Over Exploitation ◽

Snow Fall

Mount Fuji (3776 m), Japan's highest mountain and one of the world's most picturesque stratovolcano was studied to give an overview of its hydrogeological features. The mountain was made from voluminous lava flows and pyroclastic materials produced through three generations of volcanic activities. The volcanic products, characterized by abundant pore spaces and fractures, play a role as productive aquifers by absorbing and storing rain and snow melt as groundwater and releasing it over a long period. Its foot slopes contain abundant water with Fuji-Five-Lakes in the north and hundreds of springs with enormous discharge to the south, leaving the upper slopes dry. Approximately 2.2 billion tons of rain and snow fall annually at Mt. Fuji, and ~4.5 million tons of groundwater is stored each day in average. The total amount of spring or groundwater discharge from Mt. Fuji is estimated at 6.55 x 106 m3/day and that in its southwestern slopes is ~1.76 x 106 m3/day. Rain and snow falling above the altitude of ~1,000 m is their main source of recharge. The water provides vital resources for the people living around it; however, over exploitation of this resource have already caused some decline in its quality and quantity.Journal of Institute of Science and Technology, 2014, 19(1): 96-105

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Effect of pollinator size on seed set in Lamium album var. barbatum

Plant Ecology and Evolution ◽

10.5091/plecevo.2021.1642 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 154 (2) ◽

pp. 201-206

Author(s):

Mitsuru Hattori ◽

Yoko Tamada ◽

Takao Itino

Keyword(s):

Geographic Variation ◽

Community Composition ◽

Seed Set ◽

Flowering Period ◽

Central Japan ◽

Corolla Length ◽

Flowering Season ◽

Pollinator Community ◽

Study Sites ◽

Lamium Album

Background and aims – Previous researchers have demonstrated that geographic variation in pollinator community composition can generate diversity in the floral traits of animal-pollinated plants. Our study focused on the bumblebee-pollinated white dead-nettle Lamium album var. barbatum. Geographic variation in corolla length of this species is known to be correlated with regional pollinator size. The aim of this study is to clarify whether size-matching between flower and pollinator affects seed set in L. album.Material and methods – In the present study, we investigated two L. album populations on Mount Norikura, central Japan. We determined the pollinator community composition and corolla length during the flowering period of L. album and recorded seed set after a single visit by different pollinator categories.Key results – We observed that the main pollinators of L. album were bumblebee queens and workers. Bumblebee queens visited flowers more frequently than workers during peak flowering. Furthermore, size-matching between flowers and bumblebee queens, but not workers, strongly promoted seed set. These results suggest that L. album flower size is adapted to bumblebee queens, the main pollinator during peak flowering season in our study sites.

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