In the above articles, the URLs for their data sets in the JaLTER database are no longer valid due to a system migration issue. The data sets are now in MetaCat in JaLTER and the updated URLs for their data sets are as follow:
In the above articles, the URLs for their data sets in the JaLTER database are no longer valid due to a system migration issue. The data sets are now in MetaCat in JaLTER and the updated URLs for their data sets are as follow:
Manganese (Mn) hyperaccumulator plants are rare in nature but provide important insights into plant–soil interactions, Mn nutritional physiology, and biogeochemical cycling. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) herbarium analysis of Japanese wild plants was used to investigate Mn concentrations in 25 different Ilex species (totaling 619 specimens). Among the 25 analyzed Ilex species, nine species had leaves containing > 10,000 mg kg−1 Mn (dry weight), and in six of these species, multiple hyperaccumulator-level specimens were found, representing 8%–21% of the specimens within those six species. Analysis of Mn and six other essential elements (K, Ca, P, S, Fe, and Zn) revealed that Ilex had, on average, four times higher Zn concentrations than those in most other plants, with a significant positive correlation between Mn and Zn. No other elements showed significant correlations with Mn. In contrast to other Mn hyperaccumulators, including Chengiopanax sciadophylloides from Japan, no positive Mn–Ca correlation was observed. These findings identify Ilex as the second Mn hyperaccumulator group reported from Japan and show that, like C. sciadophylloides, hyperaccumulation in Ilex was achieved under ordinary forest soils without known contamination sources (noncontaminated soil). The distinct accumulation pattern observed here in the genus Ilex suggests a physiological mechanism different from the Mn-Ca co-accumulation observed in other Mn hyperaccumulators.
Island Columbiformes exhibit diverse evolutionary trajectories related to flight ability. Although a reduction in flight ability is a common feature of island avifauna, some species retain or even increase flight ability after colonizing islands, thereby enabling movement between islands within archipelagos. Understanding the movement ecology of mobile island pigeons is essential for evaluating avian adaptations and ecological functions in island ecosystems. In this study, we conducted satellite tracking of the Black Wood Pigeon (Columba janthina) in the Izu Islands, Japan, to clarify its interisland movement patterns and habitat use, which may influence the movement decisions related to breeding. Among the 18 pigeons tracked from 2022 to 2025, 12 individuals moved to different islands. Single interisland flights ranged from approximately 4 km (Hachijo to Hachijokojima) to 170 km (Hachijo to Ohshima). Individuals on Aogashima island tended to disperse to various islands after the breeding season and return the following spring. Analysis of habitat selection across land-use categories revealed a preference for afforestation areas and Sasa shrubs during the breeding period. Habitat shifts were also observed in association with interisland movements. These findings suggest that Black Wood Pigeons may be partially migratory or nomadic, with flexible use of the entire archipelago, depending on individual decisions regarding migration. This study will facilitate further research to better understand the patterns and functions of bird movements at the archipelagic scale.
The resource budget hypothesis is widely accepted as a physiological explanation of masting, which is characterized by highly variable, synchronous reproduction within a population across years. According to the hypothesis, when resources are depleted by a large reproductive output, it takes more than one year to replenish them. This results in intermittent mass flowering and seed production. The key resources depleted by a single reproduction have been identified in several woody species but rarely in herbaceous species. We examined the adequacy of the resource budget hypothesis for masting in the herbaceous species Veratrum album subsp. oxysepalum and identified the key resources. Over an 11-year period, we investigated stem volume as an indicator of resource storage level and flowering in 61 individuals, each consisting of a single ramet, tagged in the 2013 mast year in a population in northern Japan. We compared the concentrations and masses of carbon and nitrogen in the aboveground and belowground parts of flowering and non-flowering ramets. Stem volume decreased in the year after reproduction and gradually recovered in subsequent years. Flowering occurred again once the ramet had grown to a large size. These results support the predictions of the resource budget hypothesis. Flowering ramets had greater concentrations and masses of carbon in their aboveground parts than non-flowering ramets, but smaller concentrations and masses in their belowground parts. Conversely, there were no consistent differences in nitrogen concentration or mass between flowering and non-flowering ramets. Therefore, carbon is the key limiting factor in reproduction for this species.
Bryophytes play key roles in ecosystem functioning but have received limited attention in functional ecology, especially in tropical regions. This review synthesized data from 75 studies that measured functional traits in Brazilian bryophytes over the past 26 years. We analyzed traits across eight categories, traits distribution across Brazilian biomes, and among bryophyte groups (mosses, liverworts, and hornworts), and related these patterns to research focus, geographic distribution, author productivity, and collaboration networks. Reproductive traits predominated, and research was concentrated in the Atlantic Forest, while the Amazon, Caatinga, Cerrado, Pantanal, and Pampa remain poorly explored. Despite growing interest in functional ecology, these spatial and thematic biases reflect the dominance of a few highly productive specialists within a predominantly national collaboration network, shaping methodological approaches and reinforcing knowledge gaps. Our review also identified ongoing challenges in trait classification and functional interpretation. Nevertheless, Brazilian researchers have made important advances in bryophyte functional trait ecology, despite structural constraints that limit broader progress. We advocate expanding trait coverage, improving methodological standardization, and strengthening interdisciplinary and international collaborations to reduce existing biases. Establishing a regional trait database and developing a common conceptual framework for bryophyte functional traits would support hypothesis-driven research, enable cross-regional comparisons, and inform conservation strategies at multiple scales. Overall, our review maps the current state of bryophyte functional trait research in Brazil and outlines pathways to enhance its ecological and biogeographic relevance nationally and globally.
Subterranean ecosystems are characterized by environmental stability and low availability of trophic resources, both of which are key factors shaping invertebrate communities. Although interest in subterranean biodiversity has increased in recent years, the influence of environmental variables across multiple spatial scales remains poorly understood. In this study, we evaluated the role of microhabitat characteristics in determining species richness, community composition, and taxonomic distinctness of terrestrial invertebrates in 16 limestone caves in the Serra da Bodoquena, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Sampling was conducted at two spatial scales: 39 mesoscale plots (3 × 10 m) and 117 microscale plots (1 × 1 m), and complemented by non-systematic general collections targeting troglobitic species. In total, 445 species belonging to 27 orders were recorded. Twenty species displayed traits associated with cave life. We found that trophic resource diversity and distance from the cave entrance influenced species richness, with resource heterogeneity promoting richness while increasing distance reduced it. At the meso-scale, community composition was primarily determined by small variations in temperature, indicating that even minimal differences in a thermally stable environment can act as important ecological filters for the distribution of subterranean species. At the micro-scale, shelter availability was the main factor associated with community composition, highlighting the role of substrate physical structure in providing refuges and microclimates that support different species. Taxonomic distinctness showed a positive correlation with species richness, indicating that richer communities sustain greater evolutionary diversity. In light of anthropogenic pressures, our findings provide a scientific basis for guiding conservation strategies.
To protect local ecosystem and biodiversity, it is critical to implement continuous and comprehensive monitoring programs that can effectively track changes in environmental conditions and species dynamics. However, the high costs associated with such programs (e.g., monitoring programs) pose significant challenges to their consistent and long-term implementation. To reduce the costs and enhance the continuity of programs, selecting local indicator species that effectively reflect environmental conditions and predict species distributions can be a valuable approach. Here, we examined whether generalized joint attribute modeling (GJAM) has the potential to select local indicator species using data on water environmental factors and fish densities in two rivers in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. We applied GJAM to select local indicator species for water quality and species richness. Candidate local indicator species for water quality were selected based on the coefficient matrix of environmental factors derived from GJAM, and candidate local indicator species for high species richness were selected based on the correlation matrix of species densities derived from GJAM. To validate this approach, we calculated rank correlations between biochemical oxygen demand, total nitrogen, species richness, and the densities of these candidate species. Cottus pollux was selected as a candidate local indicator species for water quality, and Tribolodon hakonensis, Pseudogobio esocinus esocinus, Cobitis sp. BIWAE type C, and Rhinogobius spp., excluding R. flumineus, were selected as local indicator species for high species richness. This method will be effective for the simultaneous selection of local indicator species for water quality and species richness.
Developing cost-effective monitoring tools that cover a broad range of taxonomic groups is urgently needed to implement effective conservation strategies. One promising approach involves collecting genetic samples from hematophagous, sarcophagous, or coprophagous invertebrates, followed by amplification and sequencing of residual vertebrate DNA to reveal vertebrate diversity. In invertebrate-derived DNA (iDNA) monitoring, species-specific life histories, physiological traits, and behavioral characteristics introduce distinct biases, depending on the invertebrate taxon used. In this study, we assessed terrestrial vertebrate diversity by simultaneously employing iDNA derived from leeches and flies, together with camera trapping, in a species-poor temperate forest ecosystem in Yakushima, Japan. Our aim was to evaluate the detection biases of each method and to identify optimal combinations of monitoring tools. We detected a greater number of vertebrate species using fly-derived iDNA (15 species) than using leech-derived iDNA (5 species). Fly-derived iDNA detected mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians, whereas leech-derived iDNA detected only mammals and amphibians. This difference was partly due to the greater ease of collecting flies compared with leeches, which resulted in different sample sizes. However, even when accounting for sample size, fly-derived iDNA captured a broader range of species. Camera trapping detected a comparable number of mammal species to fly-derived iDNA but provided lower taxonomic resolution. Notably, we detected all non-volant terrestrial mammal species known to inhabit in this ecosystem of low species diversity by combining fly-derived iDNA with camera trapping. However, these methods were less effective in detecting avian and reptilian diversity.
The genetic structure and demographic history of the Asian black bear (Ursus thibetanus) in Japan were investigated using Double digest restriction-site associated DNA sequencing (ddRADseq). Analysis of 83 individuals revealed seven regional populations with clear geographic structure. Bayesian clustering and principal coordinate analysis showed low genetic differentiation in central populations and higher divergence in peripheral populations. The fluctuation of effective population size (Ne) inferred from SNP data showed an initial decline until around 200,000 years ago, followed by two additional reductions in most populations, with no evidence of recovery. These declines likely correspond to migration from the continent, habitat loss during the Last Glacial Maximum, and human expansion. Nuclear data suggest male-biased gene flow across mitochondrial DNA lineage boundaries. Isolated populations exhibited low heterozygosity and high genetic differentiation, emphasizing the impact of habitat fragmentation. This is the first large-scale population genomic study of Asian black bears and provides important insights for conservation and future genomic research.
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