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Newsletter ‐ Asian conservation ecology
Feedbacks from participants of Tai-hu
fish and aquatic plant field course
Lina Kawaguchi
Tai-hu fish and aquatic plant field course was
conducted in China from 24 May to 1 June 2010.
From Tai-hu (Lake Tai) to the upper reach of
Tiao-xi (Tiao River), water quality and the
diversities of fishes and aquatic plants were
surveyed.
We got feedbacks from the participants of this
field course: Kazuhiro Bessho (Mathematical
Biology Laboratory, Graduate School of Systems
Life Sciences) and Shun Hirota (Laboratory of
Ecological Science, Graduate School of Systems
Life Sciences).
Q1: Why do you choose Tai-hu fish and
aquatic plant field course?
Bessho: The theme of my doctor thesis is on
aquatic ecosystem. I chose the most relevant field
course.
Hirota: I have been interested in fresh water
fishes and aquatic plants for a long time. Also, I
heard that we can see various fish and plant
species in Tiao-xi that are rare in Japan.
Q2: What did you do during the field course?
Bessho: I mainly collected samples of aquatic
plants.
Hirota: I conducted a survey on fresh water fishes
using electric shocker.
Q3: How was the field course?
Bessho: It was my first time to conduct surveys
gradually going upstream on a river, and I
enjoyed it. But, I felt water pollution in developing
area was serious because turbidity was very high
in the lower reach. When I saw aquatic plants
were still alive under such bad condition, I was
impressed by the high ability of organisms to
adapt to environment.
Hirota: I was very happy to see Leptobotia
tchangi whose relative species ``Ayumodoki’’
(Leptobotia curta) is listed as endangered in
Japan. However, environmental deterioration due
to economic development is going on. I hope to
contribute to the conservation of environment of
Thai-hu and Tiao-xi.
(Photo by Shun Hirota)
Newsletter (Asian Conservation Ecology) Vol.2, No.4 (August 2010)
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Newsletter ‐ Asian conservation ecology
Recent major activities
■
Field course
• Yakushima fish field course (9-19 June 2010,
Yakushima)
• Observation trip to the breeding sites of
black-faced spoonbill and tagging of juveniles
for satellite tracking (25-27June 2010, Sondo
and Gangwa Island, Korea)
■
Symposium & Meeting
• International Symposium "Sustainable Land
Use and Rural Development in Mountainous
Regions of Southeast Asia" ( 21-23 July 2010,
Hanoi, Vietnam)
• DIVERSITAS bioGENESIS scientific
committee meeting (19 & 20 July 2010, Bali,
Indonesia)
■
Publications
• Ide, T., Wachi, N. and Abe, Y. (in press)
Discovery of a new Plagiotrochus species
(Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) inducing galls on
the evergreen oak, Quercus (Cyclobalanopsis)
glauca Thunberg, in Japan. Annals of the
Entomological Soceity of America
• Nishida S., West D., Crockford S. and Koike H.
(in press) Ancient DNA analysis for the sea
otter (Enhydra lutris) from archaeological sites
on Adak, Aleutian Islands. The People Before:
The Archaeology and Paleobiology of Adak
Island, Aleutian Islands, Alaska
• Matsumoto K. (2010) Causal factors for spatial
variation in long-term phenological trends in
Ginkgo biloba L. in Japan. International
Journal of Climatology 30: 1280-1288
• Okayasu T., Okuro T., Undarmaa J., Takeuchi
K. (2010) Impact of the spatial and temporal
arrangement of pastoral use on desertification
around animal concentration points. Land
Degradation and Development 21: 248-259
• Kano Y, Kawaguchi Y., Yamashita T. &
Shimatani Y. (2010) Distribution of the oriental
weatherloach, Misgurnus anguillicaudatus, in
paddy fields and its implications for
conservation in Sado Island, Japan.
Ichthyological Research 58: 180-188
■
Others
Monitoring of H2O, energy and CO2 fluxes has
started in Lambir Hills National Park (Sarawak,
Malysia).
Upcoming events
■
Conference & Workshop
• International Conference on Managing
Forest Resources for Multiple Ecosystem
Services under Robust and Fragile
Environments (8-10 August 2010, Phnom
Penh, Cambodia)
Canopy crane (left) and flux measurement system
at 60 m height (right, Photo by Kazuho Matsumoto) Breeding site of black-faced spoonbill in Sondo
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Newsletter ‐ Asian conservation ecology
• International joint workshop of DIVERSITAS
bioDISCOVERY and bioGENESIS
“Eco-Evolutionary Approaches to Climate
Changes: Rapid Adaptation to Climate
Changes in Plants” (28-30 August 2010,
Kyushu University)
