Permafrost Ecosystems: Siberian Larch Forests

502 Pages·2010·2.31 MB·English

by  A. Osawa

Ecological Studies, Vol. 209
Analysis and Synthesis
Edited by
M.M. Caldwell, Washington, USA
G. Heldmaier, Marburg, Germany
R.B. Jackson, Durham, USA
O.L. Lange, Würzburg, Germany
H.A. Mooney, Stanford, USA
E.-D. Schulze, Jena, Germany
U. Sommer, Kiel, Germany
Ecological Studies
Further volumes can be found at springer.com
Volume 191 Volume 201
Wetlands: Functioning, Biodiversity The Everglades Experiments:
Conservation, and Restoration (2006) Lessons for Ecosystem Restoration (2008)
R. Bobbink, B. Beltman, J.T.A. Verhoeven, C. Richardson (Ed.)
and D.F. Whigham (Eds.)
Volume 202
Volume 192 Ecosystem Organization of a
Geological Approaches to Coral Complex Landscape: Long-Term
Reef Ecology (2007) Research in the Bornho¨ved Lake District,
R.B. Aronson (Ed.) Germany (2008)
O. Fra¨nzle, L. Kappen, H.-P. Blume,
Volume 193 and K. Dierssen (Eds.)
Biological Invasions (2007)
W. Nentwig (Ed.) Volume 203
The Continental-Scale Greenhouse
Volume 194 Gas Balance of Europe (2008)
Clusia: A Woody Neotropical Genus of H. Dolman,R.Valentini, and A. Freibauer
Remarkable Plasticity and Diversity (2007) (Eds.)
U. Lu¨ttge (Ed.)
Volume 204
Volume 195 Biological Invasions in Marine
The Ecology of Browsing and Grazing Ecosystems: Ecological, Management,
(2008) and Geographic Perspectives (2009)
I.J. Gordon and H.H.T. Prins (Eds.) G. Rilov and J.A. Crooks (Eds.)
Volume 196 Volume 205
Western North American Juniperus Coral Bleaching: Patterns, Processes,
Communites: A Dynamic Vegetation Type Causes and Consequences (2009)
(2008) M.J.H van Oppen and J.M. Lough (Eds.)
O. Van Auken (Ed.)
Volume 206
Volume 197 Marine Hard Bottom Communities:
Ecology of Baltic Coastal Waters (2008) Patterns, Dynamics, Diversity,
U. Schiewer (Ed.) and Change (2009)
M. Wahl (Ed.)
Volume 198
Gradients in a Tropical Mountain Volume 207
Ecosystem of Ecuador (2008) Old-Growth Forests: Function,
E. Beck, J. Bendix, I. Kottke, Fate and Value (2009)
F. Makeschin, R. Mosandl (Eds.) C. Wirth, G. Gleixner,
and M. Heimann (Eds.)
Volume 199
Hydrological and Biological Volume 208
Responses to Forest Practices: The Alsea Functioning and Management
Watershed Study (2008) of European Beech Ecosystems (2009)
J.D. Stednick (Ed.) R. Brumme and P.K. Khanna (Eds.)
Volume 200 Volume 209
Arid Dune Ecosystems: The Nizzana Permafrost Ecosystems: Siberian Larch
Sands in the Negev Desert (2008) Forests (2009)
S.-W. Breckle, A. Yair, A. Osawa, O.A. Zyryanova, Y. Matsuura,
and M. Veste (Eds.) T. Kajimoto, R.W. Wein (Eds.)
Akira Osawa Olga A. Zyryanova
●
Yojiro Matsuura Takuya Kajimoto
●
Ross W. Wein
Editors
Permafrost Ecosystems
Siberian Larch Forests
Editors
Akira Osawa Olga A. Zyryanova
Kyoto University V.N. Sukachev Institute of Forest
Kyoto Krasnoyarsk
Japan Russia
[email protected] [email protected]
Yojiro Matsuura Takuya Kajimoto
Forestry and Forest Products Forestry and Forest Products
Research Institute Research Institute
Ibaraki Tsukuba
Japan Japan
[email protected] [email protected]
Ross W. Wein
University of Alberta
Edmonton, AB
Canada
[email protected]
ISBN 978-1-4020-9692-1 e-ISBN 978-1-4020-9693-8
DOI 10.1007/978-1-4020-9693-8
Springer Dordrecht Heidelberg London New York
Library of Congress Control Number: 2009942785
© Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2010
No part of this work may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording or otherwise, without written
permission from the Publisher, with the exception of any material supplied specifically for the purpose
of being entered and executed on a computer system, for exclusive use by the purchaser of the work
Cover illustration: Distribution patterns of boreal forests (shaded area) and southern boundaries of the
zones of continuous permafrost (thick broken line) in northern hemisphere. Natural range of Larix
gmelinii and that of L. cajanderi are also shown. Location of the major study area at Tura is indicated
by a star. Distribution of L. cajanderi and that of boreal forest do not match exactly at Chukotskoye
Nagor’ye between 165˚E and 180˚E due to different sources of information. (Modified from Larson
1980; Brown et al. 1997; Abaimov et al. 1998; See also Fig. 1.1 for details.)
Printed on acid-free paper
Springer is part of Springer Science+Business Media (www.springer.com)
Dedicated to Prof. Anatoly P. Abaimov
who led ecological research in the
permafrost forest biome of Siberia.
Preface
This volume summarizes the results of ecological research on Siberian larch forests
that has been conducted jointly by a team of Russian and Japanese scientists in
northern Central Siberia during the past decade. In the following pages, we report
our findings, including assertions, discoveries, and re-discoveries on the patterns
and processes of the larch forests that were so common to Russian ecologists but
very remote, inaccessible, and unusual to foreign scientists. Inaccessibility of the
Siberian ecosystems stemmed, of course, from the world politics particularly those
after the Second World War. The Soviet Union had practically prohibited foreign
scientists from conducting any scientific investigation in Siberia. Ecological knowl-
edge from this region had been published nearly exclusively in the Russian lan-
guage, and was not distributed widely. In the meanwhile, ecological concepts and
methods progressed in the western-block countries somewhat independently of the
ecological knowledge within the Soviet Union. As a result, some major discrepan-
cies have developed in the ecological knowledge. There were also discrepancies in
the methods of analyses in forest soils and ecophysiological measurements. By
working together, we have overcome some differences. We have also realized that
the larch ecosystems of Siberia are unusually nutrient-limited systems. This fact
has led to some discoveries in both forest structure and function, which will be
discussed in some depth in the following chapters.
Opportunity for a joint research came rather suddenly. Michael Gorbachev, then
the president of the Soviet Union, visited Japan in 1989, and proposed with Prime
Minister Toshiki Kaifu to set aside funds for joint scientific investigation of the
territory of Siberia. Gorbachev fell from power shortly thereafter, and the Soviet
Union has disappeared from the world map – but the promises were kept in both
sides. A major research program on atmospheric and terrestrial carbon dynamics in
Siberia was organized in 1991 by funds from the Environment Agency (now
Ministry of the Environment) of Japan. Japanese ecologists started visiting Siberia,
first in Yakutia in 1991, then began to concentrate the efforts near a village of Tura
in 1995 at 64°N and 100°E, about 800 km east of the Yenisei River and in the midst
of the continuous permafrost zone. Russian Government has also contributed funds
through V.N. Sukachev Institute of Forest at Krasnoyarsk.
The purpose of our investigation has been to describe Larix gmelinii (Rupr.)
Rupr. (Gmelin larch) ecosystems in northern taiga of Central Siberia and to discern
vii
viii Preface
the potential role those forests may play under the climate that is considered to be
warming. A series of study sites and study plots were established near Tura by add-
ing necessary study areas to those already been established by the scientists of V.N.
Sukachev Institute of Forest. Stand structure, stand development, forest production,
forest floor vegetation, tree ecophysiology, and soils have been examined. Carbon
budget study with CO flux measurement and nitrogen dynamics study with fertil-
2
ization experiment have been initiated recently as well. This volume describes
mostly the former part of our investigation, but some materials from the latter will
also be included.
Readers should be reminded that this book does not provide the whole picture
of larch forests in Siberia. It reviews where our knowledge stands, and adds some
new information and implications that were obtained through our investigation. We
do not pretend that the work has been completed. A series of investigations
answered some questions. But this process created further questions. Many of them
have not yet been answered. We hope to make a point in this book that the larch
ecosystem over continuous permafrost is a distinct and wide-spread biome, and
should be recognized as such in ecological disciplines. With this hope, we included
discussions comparing larch ecosystems of Siberia to other biomes. Implications of
the structure and functioning of the larch forests under global warming are also
added toward the end of the book. We hope that these discussions are enlightening
and useful to the readers.
The book is composed of five major parts. Part I describes ecological setting of
Siberian ecosystems that are dominated by the larch species. Part II is devoted to
the description of dynamics and function of the larch forest ecosystems. Part III
describes tree ecophysiology and the environment for the larch species in Siberia.
Part IV deals with comparisons of our findings to forest ecosystems on the other
parts of the globe and implications with respect to responses to the anticipated
climate change in the following decades. Finally, Part V synthesizes characteristics
of larch species and larch forests in Siberia, including their potential responses to
climate change.
Our activities in Siberia owe numerous individuals and organizations. Gen Inoue
of Nagoya University (then at National Institute for Environmental Studies) was the
key person organizing the initial scientific program with the Japanese Environment
Agency during 1991–1992. Without him, there would have been no program.
Kunihide Takahashi of Hokkaido University (then a member of Forestry and Forest
Products Research Institute of Japan) was instrumental in creating a vital program
in forest ecology. Masami Fukuda of University of Alaska, Fairbanks (then at
Hokkaido University) supplied us ample insight and suggestions on the field work
in Siberia. Ruzhena V. Gordeeva, director of Evenkia Department of Nature
Protection at Tura, provided logistical help in our field activities. Viktor M.
Borovikov and Sergey Tenishev of Evenkia Department of Forestry helped us in
many ways at the field station in Tura. Galina M. Gruncheva and Galina A.
Borovikova, among others, worked as cooks at our field station at separate field
seasons, to whom we are grateful. Scientific field assistance were provided by
many students, including T. Chikhachova, K. Fukuzaki, A. Ishizaki, E. Mizumachi,
Preface ix
O. Rezvykh, Y. Seo, A. Shcherbacheva, A. Shinkareva, V. Shkikunov, Y. Yanagihara,
and V. Zyryanov. Following colleagues helped us focus on particular aspects of
research activities through many discussions: M. Araki, A. Bondarev, K. Fukuyama,
M. Ishizuka, G. Iwahana, S. Kagawa, G. Kofman, K. Kushida, V. Kuzmichov,
O. Martinsson, T. Miyaura, K. Noguchi, K. Ono, N. Saigusa, H. Saito, H. Sakai,
H. Sawada, T. Sofronova, R. Tabuchi, G. Takao, A. Takenaka, T. Toma, S.
Yamamoto, Y. Yamamura, and T. Yokota. We tried to list all persons who contrib-
uted to our study greatly; however, if there are any relevant names missing from the
above list, it is solely a mistake of the editors.
O. Martinsson, T. Lei, N. Kurachi, and S. Sugita read the manuscript and pro-
vided invaluable comments. Parts of the manuscript were also read and commented
by students in a graduate course in boreal forest ecosystems at Kyoto University,
including T. Agata, K. Fukuzaki, S. Takahashi, M. Takenaka, and M. Togo. We
thank particularly E.-D. Schulze who carefully reviewed the entire manuscript, and
helped us to improve the quality of the book substantially. Funding for our scien-
tific work came mostly from Ministry of Environment of Japan through projects
S-1 and B-053 as noted earlier. However, additional funds were also provided from
Science and Technology Agency of Japan; Ministry of Education, Science, Sports,
and Technology of Japan; Ryukoku University; Sukachev Institute of Forest,
Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences; Russian Fund of Basic Research;
and Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute of Japan. We are thankful to all
these donors. Institutional and managerial support for our activities was also pro-
vided by E. Petrenko of V.N. Sukachev Institute of Forest, and N. Kanaya of
Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute of Japan. We are particularly grate-
ful to A. Onuchin, the director of V.N. Sukachev Institute of Forest, who oversaw
our activities and helped us in invaluable ways. Ria Kanters of Springer provided
editorial support that made our book much more readable than its original form.
Last, but not to the least, we thank our families to have endured various inconve-
niences while we were away in Siberia for field work over many field seasons:
Without their support, this work would have been impossible.
Kyoto, Japan Akira Osawa
Krasnoyarsk, Russia Olga A. Zyryanova
Tsukuba, Japan Yojiro Matsuura
Tsukuba, Japan Takuya Kajimoto
Edmonton, Canada Ross W. Wein
Contents
Part I Ecological Settings
1 Introduction ............................................................................................... 3
A. Osawa and O.A. Zyryanova
1.1 Permafrost Forest Biome ................................................................... 3
1.2 The Environment and Ecology .......................................................... 5
1.3 Natural Regions of Siberia ................................................................. 7
1.4 Main Region of Study ........................................................................ 8
1.5 Brief History of Investigation ............................................................ 11
References ................................................................................................... 13
2 Floristic Diversity and its Geographical Background
in Central Siberia ...................................................................................... 17
O.A. Zyryanova, A.P. Abaimov, H. Daimaru, and Y. Matsuura
2.1 Introduction ........................................................................................ 17
2.2 Regional Landforms Near Tura, Central Siberia ............................... 18
2.2.1 Geological Setting .................................................................. 18
2.2.2 Slope Landforms .................................................................... 18
2.2.3 Fluvial Landforms .................................................................. 24
2.3 Soils in Permafrost Region of Siberia ................................................ 25
2.3.1 Permafrost Distribution in Siberia ......................................... 25
2.3.2 Unique Soil Characteristics .................................................... 26
2.3.3 Revised Knowledge on the Circumpolar Biomes .................. 27
2.4 Geographical Patterns of Floristic Diversity in Central Siberia ......... 27
2.5 Plant Species Diversity of Larch Association .................................... 34
2.5.1 Description of Species Diversity ............................................ 34
2.5.2 Observed Patterns and Interpretations .................................... 34
2.6 Conclusions ........................................................................................ 36
References ................................................................................................... 36
xi