Alpine plant communities and glacial landforms on the Southern Alps of Japan
2008
Masuzawa, T.(Shizuoka Univ. (Japan). Faculty of Science) | Tomita, M. | Hasegawa, H.
The Southern Alps are the largest mountain range in Japan, extending over three prefectures, Shizuoka, Yamanashi, and Nagano in central Honsyu, and include 12 peaks higher than 3,000 m above sea level. Most of the mountains in the Southern Alps of Japan are composed of sedimentary rock in the Shimanto Belt. Typical glacial landforms have remained around Mt. Arakawadake in the center of the Southern Alps of Japan. These glacial landforms are at the southern limit of the Japanese archipelago. In this area, circumpolar plants are also at their southern limit. There are many reports on the relationship between glacial landforms and alpine plant communities in alpine areas of Hokkaido and the Northern Alps, but there are very few reports on plant communities of the Southern Alps. We investigated and surveyed the topography and vegetation at a cirque on the southeast face of Maedake, and found eight topographical types. The data have been incorporated into distribution maps of topography, landscape, and vegetation in the glacial landform at the southern limit of the Japanese archipelago.
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