Response of an Indicator Species, , to Temporal and Spatial Variations in Sika Deer Density.

Identifying appropriate indicator species for the impact of deer on forest vegetation is crucial for forest management in deer habitats and is required to be sensitive to temporal and spatial variations in deer density. was selected as a new indicator to evaluate the response to these variations. We examined the population-level characteristics, morphological characteristics at the individual level, and grazing intensity of at temporally different deer density sites in Hokkaido, Japan.

Robustness of trait distribution metrics for community assembly studies under the uncertainties of assembly processes.

Numerous studies have revealed the existence of nonrandom trait distribution patterns as a sign of environmental filtering and/or biotic interactions in a community assembly process. A number of metrics with various algorithms have been used to detect these patterns without any clear guidelines. Although some studies have compared their statistical powers, the differences in performance among the metrics under the conditions close to actual studies are not clear.

Ecosystem impacts of folivory and frugivory by Japanese macaques in two temperate forests in Yakushima.

Comparing animal consumption to plant primary production provides a means of assessing an animal's impact on the ecosystem and an evaluation of resource limitation. Here, we compared annual fruit and leaf consumption by Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) relative to the annual production of these foods in the lowlands and highlands of Yakushima Island, Japan. We estimated consumption by macaques by the direct observation of macaque groups for 1 year in each habitat.

Dietary adaptations of temperate primates: comparisons of Japanese and Barbary macaques.

Habitat, diet and leaf chemistry are compared between Japanese and Barbary macaques to reveal the similarities and differences in dietary adaptations of temperate primates living at the eastern and western extremes of the genus Macaca. Tree species diversity and proportion of fleshy-fruited species are much higher in Japan than in North Africa. Both species spend considerable annual feeding time on leaves.

Genets of dwarf bamboo do not die after one flowering event: evidence from genetic structure and flowering pattern.

Dwarf bamboos in the genus Sasa are believed to be long-lived, synchronously flowering, and monocarpic plants. However, the monocarpy of dwarf bamboo has not been confirmed, because whether all ramets within one genet flower at the same time cannot be determined without differentiating the genetic structure among ramets. This study aims to evaluate the reproductive traits of Sasa pubiculmis by verifying the monocarpy and physiological integration between flowering ramets and non-flowering ramets during a 4-year flowering period.