In this issue we take a look at recent field
trips to Cambodia and Malaysia. We
catch up it what are students and staff
have been up to and tell you about other
recent activities and the upcoming
events. We hope you enjoy this issue.
Field Trip Reports
Cambodia
Wanggyu Kim (PhD student)
Entomological Laboratory, Faculty of
Agriculture, Kyushu University
On December 2, 2013, I flew to Cambodia with GCOE members for the two-week field research course. The field survey focused on the flora of Cambodia and it is my first overseas field work (except in Japan).
My major research topic is the gall-inducing cecidomyiids (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae). Many species of cecidomyiid induce the gall on the host plant. Galls are host-plant specific and have diverse morphological features. During the field survey, I not only had a chance to collect cecidomyiid galls, but I also get more information about the host plants because many GCOE members are botanists and taxonomists. We surveyed flora of the Bokor National Park in Cambodia and collected many plant specimens
and I also collected some cecidimyiid galls in the
several survey locations. Two species of cecidomyiid (Host plant: Gnetum sp. and Gen. sp.) emerged before the departure from Cambodia. I will identify them by observing morphological features and DNA analysis in the future. I hope to visit again Cambodia to survey the cecidomyiid fauna.
Cecidomyiid gall on Dehaasia cuneata (Bokor National Park, Cambodia)
Cecidomyiid gall on Gnetum sp. (Bokor National Park, Cambodia
Kouki Uchinomiya (PhD student)
Newsletter - Asian conservation ecology
Mathematical Biology Laboratory,
Graduate School of System of Life Sciences,
Kyushu University
I attended the vegetation and mycorrhiza survey in the Bokor National Park, Cambodia. It was my first overseas survey trip and I did not find any
problems. Thanks to the skilled GCOE members. In the vegetation survey, we measured the breast- height diameter and height of the trees. The surveyed elevation was about 630 meter and I felt that the plant diversity is higher than Japan. Syzygium sp. was one the most impressive trees
in the site survey of the Bokor National Park. It has large buttress root and I have never seen such trees in Japan.
Syzygium sp.(photo by Dr. Shuichiro Tagane)
I also engaged in the mycorrhiza survey led by Dr. Toju (Kyoto University) who is investigating the interaction between plant and fungi. Mycorrhiza is given to a mutualistic association between a fungus (Myco) and the roots (rhiza) of the plants. We collected a few hundreds of mycorrhiza and Dr. Toju is identifying them by DNA barcoding method. As I am studying the plant–mycorrhizal fungal mutualism in the theoretical models, the field course was very interesting and stimulating. We cannot recognize mycorrhiza in everyday life. However, there is tremendous diversity among fungi and plants by looking into the underground. As I major in mathematical biology, there is also a rare chance for the field survey. The practical field course provided me to know the state of
organisms in the field. This experience will be very useful for the theoretical study.
Meng Zhang (PhD student)
Ecological Laboratory,
Department of Biology, Kyushu University
I joined the practical field survey of the GCOE program in Cambodia, during 2nd to 15th December, 2013.
I first attended the "Asia Forest Workshop 2013" which was held on December 3-5, 2013 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The workshop focused on different topics such as biodiversity, water, and carbon.
Professor Tetsukazu Yahara (Kyushu University, Japan) in the Asia Forest Workshop
2013 (Phnom Penh, Cambodia)
On December 5th, 2013, I went to the Bokor National Park (which took about two hours by bus from Phnom Penh) to survey plant diversity along the elevational gradients for the two weeks. Using the line transect sampling, we recorded all tree species (over 4 meters tall) along different altitude gradients, collected them and made the herbarium specimens.
Plant survey in the Bokor National Park
The fabulous waterfall Bokor Mountain, after finishing the plant survey
Some beautiful plants in the Bokor National
Park, Cambodia
Argyreia sp. (Convolvulaceae; Photo by Dr.
ShuichiroTagane)
Illicium cambodianumHance (Illiciaceae; Photo
by Dr. Shuichiro Tagane)
Malaysia
GCOE team members: Dr. Yuichi Kano, Koji
Noshita (PhD student, Department of Biology,
Faculty of Sciences, Kyushu University), and
Mitsuhiro Aizu (PhD student, Department of
Biodiversity, Graduate School of Social and
Cultural Studies, Kyushu University)
Deforestation for oil-palm plantation is one of the most significant environmental problems in Sarawak, Malaysia. From Sept 17th to 2nd of
October 2013, we surveyed more than 30 sites in Sarawak to assess the effect of the forest degradation on the freshwater fishes trip to arawak.
Forest degradation (Sarawak, Malaysia)
Peat swamp is also important habitat for the freshwater fishes. We found that the indigenous fish species such as Betta spp. and Rasbora spp. in peat swamps. However, the peat swamps are now drastically decreasing and targeted many species in Sarawak.
Newsletter - Asian conservation ecology
Catching fish in a rocky river (Sarawak, Malaysia)
Journey to the interior jungle (Sarawak, Malaysia)
In the Long house, talking with the local people about the freshwater fish biodiversity
(Sarawak, Malaysia)
Other recent activities
The 16th EASEC International Symposium on
Japanese Eel Conservation
On December 1st, 2013, the 16th EASEC International Symposium on Japanese Eel Conservation was held in Tokyo, under the
cooperation between East Asia Eel Resource Consortium (EASEC) and GCOE Asia Conservation Ecology. About 100 persons including researchers, eel farmers, traders, restaurant owners, government and citizens from Japan, Taiwan, Korea and mainland of China gathered at Nakashima Memorial hall of The
University of Tokyo to discuss how to manage Japanese eels.
At the symposium, there were reports on trend of eel resource and conservation effort in each country. The latest researches, tropical eel trading and possible impacts from exotic parasites were also discussed.
Abstract book is available. Please contact Kenzo Kaifu (akaifu*mail.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp, *->@) if you are interested.
A researcher from Fisheries Research Agency explaining the plan for Japanese eel
conservation
Asia Forest Workshop 2013
The “Asia Forest Workshop 2013” was organized
by GCOE members on 3rd-4th December 2013, at Phnom Penh Hotel, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The workshop included one special session on
presentations and 27 posters were arranged during these sessions. We talked about the current situations in Cambodia and shared new research findings from the government officials and researchers during the workshop. University students from Cambodia and Japan also participated in the workshop and asked diverse
questions and exchanged vigorous discussions. The workshop gave the participants to get to know each other and consider starting a collaborative research works.
(Participants in the "Asia Forest Workshop 2013",
Cambodia, photo by Dr. Hironori Toyama)
Publications
Hosoishi, S. and Ogata, K. 2014. Description and DNA barcoding of Crematogaster fraxatrix Forel, 1911 and two new closely related species from Cambodia and Indonesia (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Zookeys (in press)
細石真吾, 2013. 知ら ざ 国＝カンボジアのア リ．昆虫と自然 48 (12): 19-22
Upcoming events
Seminars and Symposiums
The 20th GCOE International Seminar
Date: February 3-5, 2014 (Time: 15:00 ~) Venue: Faculty of Sciences Building 3, 5F Hakozaki Campus, Kyushu University
Lecturer: Dr. Johan Billen, Leuven University,
Belgium
Please visit Asian Conservation website (http://www.conservationecology.asia/) for more detailed information.
Symposium on Why has the eel decreased?
Date: February 9, 2014 (Time: 12:45~16:55) Venue: Library Hall & Conference Room [4F], Hakozaki Campus of Kyushu University Please find the link below for details:
http://www.conservationecology.asia/sympSemi/s imposium/unagii
The annual Joint symposium between Kyushu
University and University of Tokyo
The GCOE program will end in March 2014 and the last annual joint symposium of GCOE program will be held on February 8-9, 2014, Kyushu University.
Please visit Asian Conservation website (http://www.conservationecology.asia/) for more detailed information.
International mini-symposium on Ecosystem
Service and Landscape Structure
Date: February 10, 2014 (Time: 10:00-15:00) Venue: Centennial Hall, Hospital Campus, Kyushu University
Guest Speakers: Teja Tscharntke (University of Göttingen), Doug Landis (Michigan State University), Tadashi Miyashita (The University of Tokyo), Hisatomo Taki (The Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute), and Akira Yoshioka (The University of Tokyo)
