Mt. Hakkoda Site - Japan

The Hakkoda site is located on the east slope of Mt. Takada-Ohtake, and on the west slope of Mt. Akakuradake (40.35 ~ 40 N, 140.47 ~ 57 E). The forest site includes 14 permanent plots (0.05 ~ 0.25 ha) ranging over beech forests (alt. 400 – 800m), mixed forests (alt. 900m) and abies forests (alt. 1000 – 1400m). In the two plots at each elevation (400, 600, 800, 900, 1000, 1200, 1400m), the studies for forest dynamics and carbon/nutrient cycling have been conducted since 2007. In the plots of beech forests, Fagus crenata dominates canopy layer, and other deciduous broad-leaved species such as Quercus crispula, Acer japonicum and Magnolia obovata coexist. In the plots of abies forests, the forest canopy is dominated by Abies mariesii, and the understory is dominated by dwarf bamboo Sasa kurilensis and Sasa veitchii. 　Twenty-eight moorland sites are located across an altitudinal gradient (574–1285 m). Moorland areas differs among sites (1000–160,000 m2). Six 20-m transects were spaced evenly within each moorland site in 2009. Vegetation survey and measurements of environmental conditions such as pH, EC, and temperature have been conducted since then. The sites are dominated by Moliniopsis japonica and Eriophorum vaginatum. Of these sites, the moor Takada-Yachi has been registered as the Monitoring Sites 1000 founded by the Ministry of the Environment Japan in 2009.