◆A paper by a research team led by Kuroshio Science ProgramGraduate SchoolKuroshio Science Program Yoshifumi Seto and Associate Professor Motonori Higa Faculty of Science and Technology Natural Sciences has been published in the *Journal of the Japanese Society of Plant Ecology*
Release Date:
Elucidating the characteristics (ecological traits) of grassland plants whose habitats are shrinking or disappearing
大学院博士課程黒潮圏総合科学専攻３年の瀨戸美文さん及び自然科学系理工学部門の比嘉基紀准教授ら研究チームの論文が「植生学会誌」に掲載され、2025年１月31日に電子版が公開されました。
Grasslands that have been maintained through human activities such as mowing and controlled burning are referred to as “semi-natural grasslands.” These semi-natural grasslands were once used as thatch fields and were indispensable to human life. However, due to recent changes in social structures, many have been abandoned or converted into artificial forests, resulting in a rapid decline in the area of semi-natural grasslands.
Semi-natural grasslands are home to numerous "grassland plants" that have relied on human disturbance to sustain their populations, and from spring through fall, these plants bloom with beautiful, delicate flowers. However, as the area of semi-natural grasslands shrinks, the habitats of these grassland plants are diminishing or disappearing, putting many of them at risk of extinction.
Focusing on the fact that ecological characteristics of plants—such as growth rate and seed dispersal methods—vary by species, Mr. Seto’s research group identified the ecological characteristics of grassland plants that are more susceptible to population decline following the abandonment of management practices in semi-natural grasslands. The findings of this study are expected to play a significant role in the development of conservation plans for grassland plants.
Title: Ecological Characteristics of Grassland Plants Declining Due to the Abandonment of Nezasa-Type Grasslands
Authors: Mai Got oda1, Yoshifumi Seto2, Motonori Higa1, Shingo Ishikawa3
所 属：1高知大学理工学部・2高知大学大学院総合人間自然科学研究科・3元高知大学理学部