Age trends of genetic parameters, early selection and family by site interactions for growth traits in Larix kaempferi open-pollinated families.

PubMed

Diao, Shu; Hou, Yimei; Xie, Yunhui; Sun, Xiaomei

2016-07-07

Japanese larch (Larix kaempferi) as a successful exotic species has become one of the most important economic and ecological conifers in China. In order to broaden the genetic resource of Larix kaempferi, an effort was made in 1996 to introduce 128 families from seven seed orchards in Japan, with which to establish two progeny trials in climatically different environments. The experiment was aimed to determine the strategy of early selection, particularly important for long-rotated Japanese larch, and the optimal breeding program for specific environments. Growth trajectories revealed different growth performances of stem height (HGT) and diameter at breast height (DBH) in two different environments, Hubei and Liaoning. In both sites, there were marked variabilities in HGT, DBH and volume (VOL) among families at each year. The trends of individual and family heritability and age-age correlations were found to follow a certain dynamic pattern. Based on these trends, the optimum selection age was determined at four years for HGT and five years for DBH in Hubei and Liaoning. Genetic gains for VOL were 34.4 and 6.04 % in Hubei and Liaoning respectively when selection ratio was 10 % at age 16. Type-B correlations were less than 0.67 and rank correlations of breeding value were less than 0.4 for HGT, DBH and VOL between the two sites, revealing that there exist pronounced family-by-site interactions for the growth traits of Larix kaempferi. Early selection for Larix kaempferi is an effective strategy to overcome its long rotation age. In early selection, dual growth trait selection is more effective than single one. Regionalization deployment should be considered in Larix. kaempferi breeding program based on different environmental factors.

cDNA cloning, genomic organization and expression analysis during somatic embryogenesis of the translationally controlled tumor protein (TCTP) gene from Japanese larch (Larix leptolepis).

PubMed

Zhang, Li-Feng; Li, Wan-Feng; Han, Su-Ying; Yang, Wen-Hua; Qi, Li-Wang

2013-10-15

A full-length cDNA and genomic sequences of a translationally controlled tumor protein (TCTP) gene were isolated from Japanese larch (Larix leptolepis) and designated LaTCTP. The length of the cDNA was 1, 043 bp and contained a 504 bp open reading frame that encodes a predicted protein of 167 amino acids, characterized by two signature sequences of the TCTP protein family. Analysis of the LaTCTP gene structure indicated four introns and five exons, and it is the largest of all currently known TCTP genes in plants. The 5'-flanking promoter region of LaTCTP was cloned using an improved TAIL-PCR technique. In this region we identified many important potential cis-acting elements, such as a Box-W1 (fungal elicitor responsive element), a CAT-box (cis-acting regulatory element related to meristem expression), a CGTCA-motif (cis-acting regulatory element involved in MeJA-responsiveness), a GT1-motif (light responsive element), a Skn-1-motif (cis-acting regulatory element required for endosperm expression) and a TGA-element (auxin-responsive element), suggesting that expression of LaTCTP is highly regulated. Expression analysis demonstrated ubiquitous localization of LaTCTP mRNA in the roots, stems and needles, high mRNA levels in the embryonal-suspensor mass (ESM), browning embryogenic cultures and mature somatic embryos, and low levels of mRNA at day five during somatic embryogenesis. We suggest that LaTCTP might participate in the regulation of somatic embryo development. These results provide a theoretical basis for understanding the molecular regulatory mechanism of LaTCTP and lay the foundation for artificial regulation of somatic embryogenesis. © 2013.

Tree-ring variation in western larch (Larix occidentalis Nutt. ) exposed to sulfur dioxide emissions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fox, C.A.; Kincaid, W.B.; Nash, T.H. III

1984-12-01

Tree-ring analysis of western larch (Larix occidentialis Nutt) demonstrated both direct and indirect affects of sulfur dioxide emissions from the lead/zinc smelter at Trail, B.C. Tree cores were collected from 5 stands known to have been polluted and from 3 control stands. Age effects were removed by fitting theoretical growth curves, and macrocliate was modeled using the average of the controls and two laged values thereof. Separate analyses were performed for years before and after installation of two tall stacks, for drought and nondrought years, and for years prior to initiation of smelting. Regression analyses revealed a negative effect onmore » annual growth that diminished with increasing distance from the smelter and during drought years. Furthermore, chronology statistics suggested an increase in sensitivity to climate that persisted decades beyond implementation of pollution controls, which reduced emissions 10-fold. 38 references, 6 figures, 3 tables.« less

Neural cell activation by phenolic compounds from the Siberian larch (Larix sibirica).

PubMed

Loers, Gabriele; Yashunsky, Dmitry V; Nifantiev, Nikolay E; Schachner, Melitta

2014-07-25

Small organic phenolic compounds from natural sources have attracted increasing attention due to their potential to ameliorate the serious consequences of acute and chronic traumata of the mammalian nervous system. In this contribution, it is reported that phenols from the knot zones of Siberian larch (Larix sibirica) wood, namely, the antioxidant flavonoid (+)-dihydroquercetin (1) and the lignans (-)-secoisolariciresinol (2) and (+)-isolariciresinol (3), affect migration and outgrowth of neurites/processes from cultured neurons and glial cells of embryonic and early postnatal mice. Compounds 1-3, which were available in preparative amounts, enhanced neurite outgrowth from cerebellar granule neurons, dorsal root ganglion neurons, and motoneurons, as well as process formation of Schwann cells in a dose-dependent manner in the low nanomolar range. Migration of cultured astrocytes was inhibited by 1-3, and migration of neurons out of cerebellar explants was enhanced by 1. These observations provide evidence for the neuroactive features of these phenolic compounds in enhancing the beneficial properties of neurons and reducing the inhibitory properties of activated astrocytes in an in vitro setting and encourage the further investigation of these effects in vivo, in animal models of acute and chronic neurological diseases.

Southern montane populations did not contribute to the recolonization of West Siberian Plain by Siberian larch (Larix sibirica): a range-wide analysis of cytoplasmic markers.

PubMed

Semerikov, Vladimir L; Semerikova, Svetlana A; Polezhaeva, Maria A; Kosintsev, Pavel A; Lascoux, Martin

2013-10-01

While many species were confined to southern latitudes during the last glaciations, there has lately been mounting evidence that some of the most cold-tolerant species were actually able to survive close to the ice sheets. The contribution of these higher latitude outposts to the main recolonization thrust remains, however, untested. In the present study, we use the first range-wide survey of genetic diversity at cytoplasmic markers in Siberian larch (Larix sibirica; four mitochondrial (mt) DNA loci and five chloroplast (cp) DNA SSR loci) to (i) assess the relative contributions of southern and central areas to the current L. sibirica distribution range; and (ii) date the last major population expansion in both L. sibirica and adjacent Larix species. The geographic distribution of cpDNA variation was uninformative, but that of mitotypes clearly indicates that the southernmost populations, located in Mongolia and the Tien-Shan and Sayan Mountain ranges, had a very limited contribution to the current populations of the central and northern parts of the range. It also suggests that the contribution of the high latitude cryptic refugia was geographically limited and that most of the current West Siberian Plain larch populations likely originated in the foothills of the Sayan Mountains. Interestingly, the main population expansion detected through Approximate Bayesian Computation (ABC) in all four larch species investigated here pre-dates the LGM, with a mode in a range of 220,000-1,340,000 years BP. Hence, L. sibirica, like other major conifer species of the boreal forest, was strongly affected by climatic events pre-dating the Last Glacial Maximum. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

History of Larix decidua Mill. (European larch) since 130 ka

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wagner, Stefanie; Litt, Thomas; Sánchez-Goñi, Maria-Fernanda; Petit, Rémy J.

2015-09-01

Retrospective studies focussing on forest dynamics using fossil and genetic data can provide important keys to prepare forests for the future. In this study we analyse the impact of past climate and anthropogenic changes on Larix decidua Mill. (European larch) populations based on a new range-wide fossil compilation encompassing the last 130 ka and on recently produced genetic data (nuclear, mitochondrial). Results demonstrate that during the last 130 ka L. decidua persisted close to its current distribution range and colonized vast areas outside this range during the first two early Weichselian interstadials (c. 87-109 ka and c. 83-78 ka), reaching a distributional maxima in the north-central European lowlands. Some fossil sites point to notably rapid responses to some abrupt climate events (Dansgaard-Oeschger cycles and Heinrich Events). Combined fossil and genetic data identify at least six MIS 2 refuges and postglacial recolonization pathways. The establishment of extant L. decidua forests dates back to the first two millennia of the Holocene (c. 11.5-9.5 ka) and the onset of anthropogenic impact was inferred since the late Neolithic (c. 6 ka), with major changes occurring since the Bronze Age (c. 4 ka). During the last 300 years human-induced translocations resulted in recent admixture of populations originating from separate refuges. Altogether, the results of this study provide valuable clues for developing sustainable conservation and management strategies targeting ancient genetic lineages and for studying evolutionary issues.

The eastern larch beetle in Alaska.

Treesearch

Richard A. Werner

1986-01-01

The eastern larch beetle (Dendroctonus simplex LeConte) exists throughout the range of tamarack (Larix laricina (Du Roi) K. Koch) in interior Alaska where it has a 1-year life cycle. Beetles overwinter as adults in the bark of the trunk below snowline in infested trees. Tamarack trees that are slow growing because of repeated...

Effects of simulated nitrogen deposition on ectomycorrhizae community structure in hybrid larch and its parents grown in volcanic ash soil: The role of phosphorous.

PubMed

Wang, Xiaona; Agathokleous, Evgenios; Qu, Laiye; Fujita, Saki; Watanabe, Makoto; Tamai, Yutaka; Mao, Qiaozhi; Koyama, Akihiro; Koike, Takayoshi

2018-03-15

With the rapid industrial development and modern agricultural practices, increasing nitrogen (N) deposition can cause nutrient imbalance in immature volcanic ash soil commonly found in Japan. Larch species, widely distributed in northeast Eurasia, are associated with ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi which play a critical role in nutrient acquisition for their hosts. In this study, we investigated species richness and diversity of ECM fungi associated with a hybrid larch (F 1 ) and its parents, Dahurian larch (Larix gmelinii var. japonica) and Japanese larch (L. kaempferi), under simulated N deposition (0 and 100kgha -1 yr -1 ) with/without phosphorous (P) (0 and 50kgha -1 yr -1 ). Seedlings planted in immature volcanic ash with low nutrient availability were subjected to the N and P treatments for fifteen months. We found that response of ECM community structure to the increased nutrient availability depended on host genotypes. Nutrient addition significantly affected ECM structure in Japanese larch, but no such significant effect was found for Dahurian larch. Effects of the nutrient addition to ECM fungal community in F 1 were intermediate. F 1 was tolerant to high N loading, which was due to consistent, relatively high association with Suillus sp. and Hebeloma sp. F 1 showed heterosis in relative biomass, which was most apparent under high N treatments. This co-variation of ECM fungal community structure and F 1 biomass in response to N loading suggest that ECM community structure might play an important role in host growth. The present findings indicate effects of N deposition on ECM fungal community structure can depend on larch species, thus it is challenging to predict general trends. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy using an attenuated total reflection probe to distinguish between Japanese larch, pine and citrus plants in healthy and diseased states

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gandolfo, D. S.; Mortimer, H.; Woodhall, J. W.; Boonham, N.

2016-06-01

FTIR spectroscopy coupled with an Attenuated Total Reflection (ATR) sampling probe has been demonstrated as a technique for detecting disease in plants. Spectral differences were detected in Japanese Larch (Larix kaempferi) infected with Phytophthora ramorum at 3403 cm-1 and 1730 cm-1, from pine (Pinus spp.) infected with Bursaphelenchus xylophilus at 1070 cm-1, 1425 cm-1, 1621 cm-1 and 3403 cm-1 and from citrus (Citrus spp.) infected with 'Candidatus liberibacter' at 960 cm-1, 1087 cm-1, 1109 cm-1, 1154 cm-1, 1225 cm-1, 1385 cm-1, 1462 cm-1, 1707 cm-1, 2882 cm-1, 2982 cm-1 and 3650 cm-1. A spectral marker in healthy citrus has been identified as Pentanone but is absent from the diseased sample spectra. This agrees with recent work by Aksenov, 2014. Additionally, the spectral signature of Cutin was identified in the spectra of Pinus spp. and Citrus spp. and is consistent with work by Dubis, 1999 and Heredia-Guerrero, 2014.

Growth of western larch after thinning from above and below to several density levels: 10-year results.

Treesearch

K.W. Seidel

1980-01-01

The 10-year growth of a 55-year-old, even-aged western larch (Larix occidentalis Nutt.) stand after it was thinned from above and below to a wide range of stocking levels was measured in eastern Oregon. Basal area and volume growth increased as stand density increased for both thinning methods. Despite heavy infestations of the larch casebearer...

Cone and seed production of western larch in response to girdling and nitrogen fertilization - an update

Treesearch

Russell T. Graham; Jonalea R. Tonn; Theresa B. Jain

1995-01-01

Western larch (Larix occidentalis Nutt.) is a sporadic cone and seed producer. Because the species is such an important component of the -Northern Rocky Mountain forests, methods of increasing seed production are needed. Girdling, fertilizing, and a combination of the two were used on 75-year-old western larch in northern Idaho. Girdling at the base of the live crown...

Container configuration influences western larch and big sagebrush seedling development

Treesearch

Matthew Mehdi Aghai

2012-01-01

Big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata Nutt.), a woody shrub, and western larch (Larix occidentalis Nutt.), a deciduous conifer, are among many western North American species that have suffered a decline in presence and natural regeneration across their native ranges. These species are economically, ecologically, and intrinsically valuable, therefore many current...

Stocktype and vegetative competition influences on Pseudotsuga menziesii and Larix occidentalis seedling establishment

Treesearch

Jeremiah R. Pinto; Bridget A. McNassar; Olga A. Kildisheva; Anthony S. Davis

2018-01-01

Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca (Mayr) Franco), and western larch (Larix occidentalis Nutt.) are species of ecological and commercial importance that occur throughout the Western United States. Effective reforestation of these species relies on successful seedling establishment, which is affected by planting stock quality, stocktype size, and...

Connecting overwintering success of eastern larch beetle to health of tamarack. Chapter 16

Treesearch

Robert C. Venette; Abigail J. Walter

2012-01-01

Michigan, Wisconsin, Maine, and Minnesota have experienced extensive mortality of tamarack (eastern larch) (Larix laricina). The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources reported tamarack mortality on 54,000 acres of Minnesota forests between 2001 and 2006 (Minnesota Department of Natural Resources 2006). Although the exact cause of tree mortality...

Biology and behavior of a larch bud moth, Zeiraphera sp., in Alaska.

Treesearch

Richard A. Werner

1980-01-01

A possibly new species or subspecies of larch bud moth of the genus Zeiraphera, closely related to Z. improbana (Walker), was found associated with tamarack, Larix laricina (Du Roi) K. Koch, stands in interior Alaska. An outbreak occurred during 1975 and 1976 over an area of 240 000 ha (590,000 acres)....

Inhibition of melanin production by a combination of Siberian larch and pomegranate fruit extracts.

PubMed

Diwakar, Ganesh; Rana, Jatinder; Scholten, Jeffrey D

2012-09-01

In an effort to find botanicals containing polyphenolic compounds with the capacity to inhibit melanin biosynthesis, we identified a novel combination of Siberian larch (Larix sibirica) extract, standardized to 80% taxifolin, and pomegranate fruit (Punica granatum) extract, containing 20% punicalagins, that demonstrates a synergistic reduction of melanin biosynthesis in Melan-a cells. The combination of Siberian larch and pomegranate extracts (1:1) produced a 2-fold reduction in melanin content compared to Siberian larch or pomegranate extracts alone with no corresponding effect on cell viability. Siberian larch and pomegranate fruit extracts inhibited expression of melanocyte specific genes, tyrosinase (Tyr), microphthalmia transcription factor (Mitf), and melanosome structural proteins (Pmel17 and Mart1) but did not inhibit tyrosinase enzyme activity. These results suggest that the mechanism of inhibition of melanin biosynthesis by Siberian larch and pomegranate extracts, alone and in combination, is through downregulation of melanocyte specific genes and not due to inhibition of tyrosinase enzyme activity. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Height growth to age 8 of larch species and hybrids in Wisconsin.

Treesearch

Don E. Riemenschneider; Hans Nienstaedt

1983-01-01

Height growth of tamarack; Siberian, European and Japanese larch; and hybrids between the European and Japanese larch were compared in an 8-year-old test in north-central Wisconsin. Hybrids were tallest and best reached 469 cm (15.4 feet) in mean height at age 8 years from seed. Hybrids exceeded European larch mean height by 12% and tamarack by 23%. Breeding...

Cytoplasmic DNA variation and biogeography of Larix Mill. in northeast Asia.

PubMed

Polezhaeva, Maria A; Lascoux, Martin; Semerikov, Vladimir L

2010-03-01

Range-wide variation in 54 populations of Dahurian larch (Larix gmelinii) and related taxa in Northeast Asia was assessed with four mitochondrial PCR-RFLP and five chloroplast SSR markers. Eleven mitotypes and 115 chlorotypes were detected. The highest diversity was observed in the southern Russian Far East where hybrids of L. gmelinii, L. olgensis and L. kamtschatica are distributed. In contrast, only two mitotypes occurred in L. cajanderi and L. gmelinii. The Japanese larch (L. kaempferi) was found to be closely related to populations of L. kamtschatica inhabiting the Kuril Islands and South Sakhalin, populations from the northern part of Sakhalin being more closely related to continental species. In general, both mitochondrial (G(ST) = 0.786; N(ST) = 0.823) and chloroplast (G(ST) = 0.144; R(ST) = 0.432) markers showed a strong phylogeographical structure and evidence of isolation-by-distance. Yet both markers did not allow a clear delineation of species borders. In particular, and contrary to expectations, cpDNA was not significantly better than mtDNA at delineating species borders. This lack of concordance between morphological species and molecular markers could reflect extensive ancestral haplotype sharing and past and ongoing introgression. Finally the distribution of mtDNA and cpDNA variation suggests the presence of several refugia during Pleistocene glacial intervals. In particular, mtDNA and cpDNA reveal weak but visible differentiation between L. gmelinii and L. cajanderi, suggesting independent glacial histories of these species.

Oxyfluorfen strongly affects Larix occidentalis but minimally affects Sagina procumbens in a bareroot nursery

Treesearch

R. Kasten Dumroese; Jasmine L. Williams; Jeremy R. Pinto; Peng Zhang

2014-01-01

Our objective was to evaluate oxyfluorfen for control of birdseye pearlwort (Sagina procumbens L.) in a bareroot nursery crop of western larch (Larix occidentalis Nutt.) seedlings. Oxyfluorfen applied at rates up to 0.56 kg a.i./ha in a split-plot experiment with combinations and frequencies of pre- and postemergence sprays gave minimal control of birdseye pearlwort....

Nursery cultural practices to achieve targets: A case study in western larch irrigation

Treesearch

Anthony S. Davis; Robert F. Keefe

2011-01-01

Nursery cultural practices are used to help growers achieve pre-determined size and physiological targets for seedlings. In that regard, irrigation is used to accelerate or slow growth and as a trigger for changing growth phase. In a case study highlighting the effects of irrigation on seedling development, western larch (Larix occidentalis Nutt.) seedlings were grown...

Endurance of larch forest ecosystems in eastern Siberia under warming trends

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sato, H.; Iwahana, G.; Ohta, T.

2015-12-01

The larch (Larix spp.) forest in eastern Siberia is the world's largest coniferous forest. However, its existence depends on near-surface permafrost, which increases water availability for trees, and the boundary of the forest closely follows the permafrost zone. Therefore, the degradation of near-surface permafrost due to forecasted warming trends during the 21st century is expected to affect the larch forest in Siberia. However, predictions of how warming trends will affect this forest vary greatly, and many uncertainties remain about land-atmospheric interactions within the ecosystem. We developed an integrated land surface model to analyze how the Siberian larch forest will react to current warming trends. This model analyzed interactions between vegetation dynamics and thermo-hydrology and showed that, under climatic conditions predicted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) scenarios 2.6 and 8.5, annual larch net primary production (NPP) increased about 2 and 3 times, respectively, by the end of 21st century compared with that in the 20th century. Soil water content during larch growing season showed no obvious trend, even after decay of surface permafrost and accompanying sub-surface runoff. A sensitivity test showed that the forecasted warming and pluvial trends extended leafing days of larches and reduced water shortages during the growing season, thereby increasing productivity.

Climate-Induced Larch Growth Response Within the Central Siberian Permafrost Zone

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kharuk, Viacheslav I.; Ranson, Kenneth J.; Im, Sergei T.; Petrov, Il'ya A.

2015-01-01

Aim: estimation of larch (Larix gmelinii) growth response to current climate changes. Location: permafrost area within the northern part of Central Siberia (approximately 65.8 deg N, 98.5 deg E). Method: analysis of dendrochronological data, climate variables, drought index SPEI, GPP (gross primary production) and EVI vegetation index (both Aqua/MODIS satellite derived), and soil water content anomalies (GRACE satellite measurements of equivalent water thickness anomalies, EWTA). Results: larch tree ring width (TRW) correlated with previous year August precipitation (r = 0.63), snow accumulation (r = 0.61), soil water anomalies (r = 0.79), early summer temperatures and water vapor pressure (r = 0.73 and r = 0.69, respectively), May and June drought index (r = 0.68-0.82). There are significant positive trends of TRW since late 1980s and GPP since the year 2000. Mean TRW increased by about 50%, which is similar to post-Little Ice Age warming. TRW correlated with GPP and EVI of larch stands (r = 0.68-0.69). Main conclusions: within the permafrost zone of central Siberia larch TRW growth is limited by early summer temperatures, available water from snowmelt, water accumulated within soil in the previous year, and permafrost thaw water. Water stress is one of the limiting factors of larch growth. Larch TRW growth and GPP increased during recent decades.

A western larch-engelmann spruce spacing study in eastern Oregon: results after 10 years.

Treesearch

K.W. Seidel

1984-01-01

The 10-year growth response from a spacing study in an even-aged stand of western larch (Larix occidentalis Nutt.) and Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii Parry ex Engelm.), thinned at age 10 to 9- and 15-foot spacings, was measured in eastern Oregon. Both basal area and total cubic volume increment per acre increased at the...

Ecological impacts and management strategies for western larch in the face of climate-change

Treesearch

Gerald E. Rehfeldt; Barry C. Jaquish

2010-01-01

Approximately 185,000 forest inventory and ecological plots from both USA and Canada were used to predict the contemporary distribution of western larch (Larix occidentalis Nutt.) from climate variables. The random forests algorithm, using an 8-variable model, produced an overall error rate of about 2.9 %, nearly all of which consisted of predicting presence at...

Resin duct size and density as ecophysiological traits in fire scars of Pseudotsuga menziesii and Larix occidentalis

Treesearch

Estelle Arbellay; Markus Stoffel; Elaine K. Sutherland; Kevin T. Smith; Donald A. Falk

2014-01-01

Resin ducts (RDs) are features present in most conifer species as defence structures against pests and pathogens; however, little is known about RD expression in trees following fire injury. This study investigates changes in RD size and density in fire scars of Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) and western larch (Larix occidentalis) as a means to evaluate the...

Stratification requirements for germination of western larch (Larix occidentalis Nutt.) seed.

Treesearch

Frank C. Sorenson

1990-01-01

A northeast Washington collection of western larch seeds was stratified for 0,10, 20, 40, and 80 days and incubated at 55, 64, and 73 °F. The germination percentage of filled seeds and speed and uniformity of germination were improved by long stratification, particularly at the lowest incubation temperature. Stratified seeds were also nursery sown in early April and...

Water relations and photosynthetic performance in Larix sibirica growing in the forest-steppe ecotone of northern Mongolia.

PubMed

Dulamsuren, Choimaa; Hauck, Markus; Bader, Martin; Osokhjargal, Dalaikhuu; Oyungerel, Shagjjav; Nyambayar, Suran; Runge, Michael; Leuschner, Christoph

2009-01-01

Shoot water relations were studied in Siberian larch (Larix sibirica Ledeb.) trees growing at the borderline between taiga and steppe in northern Mongolia. Larix sibirica is the main tree species in these forests covering 80% of Mongolia's forested area. Minimum shoot water potentials (Psi(m)) close to the point of zero turgor (Psi(0)) repeatedly recorded throughout the growing season suggest that the water relations in L. sibirica were often critical. The Psi(m) varied in close relation to the atmospheric vapor pressure deficit, whereas Psi(0) was correlated with monthly precipitation. Young larch trees growing at the forest line to the steppe were more susceptible to drought than mature trees at the same sites. Furthermore, isolated trees growing on the steppe exhibited lower Psi(m) and recovered to a lower degree from drought overnight than the trees at the forest line. Indications of drought stress in L. sibirica were obtained in two study areas in Mongolia's forest-steppe ecotone: one in the mountain taiga of the western Khentey in northernmost Mongolia, the other in the forest-steppe at the southern distribution limit of L. sibirica on Mt. Bogd Uul, southern Khentey. Larix sibirica growing in riverine taiga with contact to the groundwater table was better water-supplied than the larch trees growing at the forest line to the steppe. Larch trees from the interior of light taiga forests on north-facing slopes, however, exhibited more critical water relations than the trees at the forest line. Frequent drought stress in mature trees and even more in young larch trees at the forest-steppe borderline suggests that L. sibirica does not have the potential to encroach on the steppe under the present climate, except in a sequence of exceptionally moist and cool years. A regression of the present borderline between forest and steppe is likely to occur, as average temperatures are increasing everywhere and precipitation is decreasing regionally in Mongolia's taiga forest

Effect of fall-applied nitrogen on growth, nitrogen storage, and frost hardiness of bareroot Larix olgensis seedlings

Treesearch

Guolei Li; Yong Liu; Yan Zhu; Qingmei Li; R. Kasten Dumroese

2012-01-01

Nursery response of evergreen trees to fall fertilization has been studied widely, but little attention has been given to deciduous trees. Bareroot Olga Bay larch (Larix olgensis Henry) seedlings were fertilized in the nursery with urea at four rates (0, 30, 60, 90 kg N ha-1), with half of each rate applied on two dates (September 16 and October 1, 2009). The seedlings...

Growth and yield of western larch: 15-year results of a levels-of-growing-stock study.

Treesearch

K.W. Seidel

1982-01-01

The 15-year growth response from a levels-of-growing-stock study in an even-aged western larch (Larix occidentalis Nutt.) stand in northeastern Oregon, first thinned at age 33, showed that trees growing at lower stand densities grew more rapidly in diameter but did not grow faster in height than trees in high density plots. Both basal area and...

Influence of topographic heterogeneity on the abandance of larch forest in eastern Siberia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sato, H.; Kobayashi, H.

2016-12-01

In eastern Siberia, larches (Larix spp.) often exist in pure stands, constructing the world's largest coniferous forest, of which changes can significantly affect the earth's albedo and the global carbon balance. We have conducted simulation studies for this vegetation, aiming to forecast its structures and functions under changing climate (1, 2). In previous studies of simulating vegetation at large geographical scales, the examining area is divided into coarse grid cells such as 0.5 * 0.5 degree resolution, and topographical heterogeneities within each grid cell are just ignored. However, in Siberian larch area, which is located on the environmental edge of existence of forest ecosystem, abundance of larch trees largely depends on topographic condition at the scale of tens to hundreds meters. We, therefore, analyzed patterns of within-grid-scale heterogeneity of larch LAI as a function of topographic condition, and examined its underlying reason. For this analysis, larch LAI was estimated for each 1/112 degree from the SPOT-VEGETATION data, and topographic properties such as angularity and aspect direction were estimated form the ASTER-GDEM data. Through this analysis, we found that, for example, sign of correlation between angularity and larch LAI depends on hydrological condition on the grid cell. We then refined the hydrological sub-model of our vegetation model SEIB-DGVM, and validated whether the modified model can reconstruct these patterns, and examined its impact on the estimation of biomass and vegetation productivity of entire larch region. -- References --1. Sato, H., et al. (2010). "Simulation study of the vegetation structure and function in eastern Siberian larch forests using the individual-based vegetation model SEIB-DGVM." Forest Ecology and Management 259(3): 301-311.2. Sato, H., et al. (2016). "Endurance of larch forest ecosystems in eastern Siberia under warming trends." Ecology and Evolution

Growth and yield of western larch in response to several density levels and two thinning methods: 15-year results.

Treesearch

K.W. Seidel

1986-01-01

The 15-year growth response from a levels-of-growing-stock study in an even-aged western larch (Larix occidentalis Nutt.) stand, first thinned from above and below at age 55, was measured in northeastern Oregon. Basal area and volume growth increased with stand density for both thinning methods, whereas diameter growth decreased. Attacks of the...

Fire Return Interval Within the Northern Boundary of the Larch Forest

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kharuk, V. I.; Dvinskaya, M. L.; Ranson, K. J.

2011-01-01

Larch (Larix spp.) dominant forests compose a large proportion of the forests of Russia (i.e., about 40% of forested areas). These forests range from the Yenisei ridge on the west to the Pacific Ocean on the east, and from Lake Baikal on the south to the 73rd parallel in the north. Larch stands comprise the world s northern most forest at Ary-Mas (72 deg 28' N, 102 deg 15' E). Larch dominated forests occupy about 70% of the permafrost areas in Siberia. Larch forms high closure stands as well as open forests, and is found mainly over permafrost, where other tree species barely survive. Wildfires are typical for this territory with the majority occurring as ground fires due to low crown closure. Due to the thin active layer in permafrost soils and a dense lichen-moss cover, ground fires may cause stand mortality. The vast areas of larch-dominant forests is generally considered as a "carbon sink"; however, positive long-term temperature trends at higher latitudes are expected to result in an increase of fire frequency, and thus may convert this area to a source for greenhouse gases. There are recent observations regarding the increase of fire frequency within non-protected territories. Surprisingly, there are few publications on fire chronoseqences for the huge forested territory between the Ural Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. Also there is a general understanding that bimodal (late spring -- early summer and late summer-beginning of fall) fire seasonal distribution in the south becomes uni-modal (late spring -- early summer) in the north. The purpose of this study is to investigate the wildfire history at the northern edge of the zone of larch dominance.

Larch dwarf mistletoe not found on alpine larch

Treesearch

Robert L. Mathiasen; Brian W. Geils; Clinton E. Carlson; Frank G. Hawksworth

1995-01-01

Reports of larch dwarf mistletoe parasitizing alpine larch are based on two collections of this host/parasite combination made by J.R. Weir in Montana during the early 1900s. Examination of host material from these collections indicates that the host is western larch, not alpine larch as previously reported. Attempts to locate larch dwarf mistletoe on alpine larch were...

Longevity of active Phytophthora ramorum in terminal tree hosts following the removal of primary sporulating hosts

Treesearch

Barnaby Wylder; Mick Biddle; Anna Harris; Joan Webber

2017-01-01

The Forestry Commission-managed forest estate located in Plym, Devon (southwest England) was one of the first locations in late summer 2009 to have stands of Larix kaempferi (Japanese larch) confirmed as infected with Phytophthora ramorum (EU1 lineage). The 398 ha forest had a high proportion (>30%) of

Spatial variations in larch needle and soil δ15N at a forest-grassland boundary in northern Mongolia.

PubMed

Fujiyoshi, Lei; Sugimoto, Atsuko; Tsukuura, Akemi; Kitayama, Asami; Lopez Caceres, M Larry; Mijidsuren, Byambasuren; Saraadanbazar, Ariunaa; Tsujimura, Maki

2017-03-01

The spatial patterns of plant and soil δ 15 N and associated processes in the N cycle were investigated at a forest-grassland boundary in northern Mongolia. Needles of Larix sibirica Ledeb. and soils collected from two study areas were analysed to calculate the differences in δ 15 N between needle and soil (Δδ 15 N). Δδ 15 N showed a clear variation, ranging from -8 ‰ in the forest to -2 ‰ in the grassland boundary, and corresponded to the accumulation of organic layer. In the forest, the separation of available N produced in the soil with 15 N-depleted N uptake by larch and 15 N-enriched N immobilization by microorganisms was proposed to cause large Δδ 15 N, whereas in the grassland boundary, small Δδ 15 N was explained by the transport of the most available N into larch. The divergence of available N between larch and microorganisms in the soil, and the accumulation of diverged N in the organic layer control the variation in Δδ 15 N.

Climate-Driven Changes Within the Larch Forest of Northern Siberia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kharuk, V.

2015-12-01

Thanks to the support of NASA's Carbon Cycle and Ecosystem Focus Area programs, joint NASA/ Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences studies have been conducted throughout Siberia. The overall objective has been to obtain field and satellite measurements to examine carbon stocks and track changes in forests across this vast area. In this presentation, we discuss some of the finding from this 25+ year collaboration' i.e., observed climate-driven changes within larch communities in northern Siberia. Field measurements and satellite data, including Terra/MODIS, Landsat, GRACE and QuickBird were used for analysis of forest conditions. The following results will be discussed. (1). At the northern limit of larch (Larix gmelinii) range (i.e.,~72°N) tree mortality was observed during the cooling period from the 16th century to the beginning of the 19th century. Post- Little Ice Age (LIA) trees re-establishment followed warming temperatures by the middle of the19th century. The current tree line has recovered to the pre-LIA line location although tree heights and stand densities are comparatively lower. The mean rate of upward migration was found to be 0.35 m yr-1 (with a range of 0.21-0.58). (2) The migration of the "dark needle conifers" (DNC: Abies sibirica, Pinus sibirica, Picea obovata) into the southern margin zone of larch dominated forest was documented. Meanwhile, within the traditional DNC range decline and mortality of both Siberian pine and fir were observed and attributed, primarily, due to an increased drought. (3) Within Central Siberia larch growth is limited by early summer temperatures and available water from thawing permafrost. Larch tree ring width (TRW) correlated with early summer temperatures and water vapor pressure (r = 0.73 and r = 0.69, respectively), drought (SPEI; r = 0.68-0.82), snow accumulation (r = 0.61), previous year precipitation (r = 0.63) and soil water anomalies (r = 0.79). Larch TRW growth and Gross Primary Productivity

Simulating topographic controls on the abundance of larch forest in eastern Siberia, and its consequences under changing climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sato, H.; Kobayashi, H.

2017-12-01

In eastern Siberia, larches (Larix spp.) often exist in pure stands, constructing the world's largest coniferous forest, of which changes can significantly affect the earth's albedo and the global carbon balance. Our previous studies tried to reconstruct this vegetation, aiming to forecast its structures and functions under changing climate (1, 2). In previous studies of simulating vegetation at large geographical scales, the examining area is divided into coarse grid cells such as 0.5 × 0.5 degree resolution, and topographical heterogeneities within each grid cell are just ignored. However, in Siberian larch area, which is located on the environmental edge of existence of forest ecosystem, abundance of larch trees largely depends on topographic condition at the scale of tens to hundreds meters. In our preliminary analysis, we found a quantitative pattern that topographic properties controls the abundance of larch forest via both drought and flooding stresses in eastern Siberia. We, therefore, refined the hydrological sub-model of our dynamic vegetation model SEIB-DGVM, and validated whether the modified model can reconstruct the pattern, examined its impact on the estimation of biomass and vegetation productivity under the current and forecasted future climatic conditions. -- References --1. Sato, H., et al. (2010). "Simulation study of the vegetation structure and function in eastern Siberian larch forests using the individual-based vegetation model SEIB-DGVM." Forest Ecology and Management 259(3): 301-311. 2. Sato, H., et al. (2016). "Endurance of larch forest ecosystems in eastern Siberia under warming trends." Ecology and Evolution

Larch Casebearer in Western Larch

Treesearch

Scott Tunnock; Roger B. Ryan

1995-01-01

The larch casebearer (Coleophora laricella (Hubner), a native of Europe, was introduced into North America in 1886. The insect, which probably entered on planting stock, now infests almost all species of larch and tamarack in the United States.

Linking tree demography to climate change feedbacks: fire, larch forests, and carbon pools of the Siberian Arctic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alexander, H. D.; Loranty, M. M.; Natali, S.; Pena, H., III; Ludwig, S.; Spektor, V.; Davydov, S. P.; Zimov, N.; Mack, M. C.

2017-12-01

Fire severity is increasing in larch forests of the Siberian Arctic as climate warms, and initial fire impacts on tree demographic processes could be an especially important determinant of long-term forest structure and carbon (C) dynamics. We hypothesized that (1) larch forest regrowth post-fire is largely determined by residual soil organic layer (SOL) depth because of the SOL's role as a seedbed and thermal regulator, and (2) changes in post-fire larch recruitment impact C accumulation through stand density impacts on understory microclimate and permafrost thaw. We tested these hypotheses by (1) experimentally creating a soil burn severity gradient in a Cajander larch (Larix cajanderi Mayr.) forest near Cherskiy, Russia and (2) quantifying C pools across a stand density gradient within a 75-year old fire scar. From 2012-2015, we added larch seeds to plots burned at different severities and monitored recruitment along with permafrost and active layer (i.e., subject to annual freeze-thaw) conditions (SOL depth, temperature, moisture, and thaw depth). Across the density gradient, we inventoried larch trees and harvested ground-layer vegetation to estimate aboveground contribution to C pools. We quantified woody debris C pools and sampled belowground C pools (soil, fine roots, and coarse roots) in the organic + upper (0-10 cm) mineral soil. Larch recruits were rare in unburned and low severity plots, but a total of 6 new germinants m-2 were tallied in moderate and high severity plots during the study. Seedling survival for > 1 year was only 40 and 25% on moderate and high severity treatments, respectively, but yielded net larch recruitment of 2 seedlings m-2, compared to 0.3 seedlings m-2 on low severity plots. Density of both total and established recruits increased with decreasing residual SOL depth, which correlated with increased soil temperature, moisture, and thaw depth. At 75-year post-fire, total C pools increased with increased larch density, largely due to

Isolation, characterization and expression analysis of the BABY BOOM (BBM) gene from Larix kaempferi × L. olgensis during adventitious rooting.

PubMed

Li, Kui-Peng; Sun, Xiao-Mei; Han, Hua; Zhang, Shou-Gong

2014-11-10

The full-length cDNA and genomic sequences of the BABY BOOM (BBM) gene, designated LkBBM, were isolated from Larix kaempferi × Larix olgensis. The 3324 bp cDNA was cloned and its open reading frame (ORF) consists of 2370 nucleotides. The deduced 789 amino acid protein contains two AP2 domains and a BBM specific motif. Four conserved motifs between BBM and PLT were identified, which may be conducive to the similar function of BBM and PLT. The three dimensional (3D) structure of LkBBM was predicted and β-sheets in the AP2-R2 domain of LkBBM might recognize the specific base pairs in the major groove. Analysis of the LkBBM gene structure indicates that the gene has eight introns and nine exons. In the 5'-flanking promoter region of LkBBM, many important potential cis-acting elements were identified, such as the TATABOX5 element (a functional TATA element), ROOTMOTIFTAPOX1 element (element of root specificity), AUXREPSIAA4 element (element involved in auxin responsiveness and gene expression in root meristem), MYB1AT element (element involved in MYB recognition), ARR1AT element (element involved in cytokinin responsiveness), GARE1OSREP1 element (element involved in gibberellin responsiveness) and PYRIMIDINEBOXHVEPB1 element (element involved in abscisic acid responsiveness), which all suggested that the expression of LkBBM is highly regulated. Compared with gene expression levels in the stem, stem tip and leaf, LkBBM shows a specific expression in the root, which indicates that LkBBM plays a key role in regulating the development and growth of root in larch. In the processing of larch adventitious root formation, LkBBM started to express on the eighth day after rooting treatment and its transcript level increased continuously afterwards. According to the gene characteristics, LkBBM is proposed as a molecular marker for root primordia of larch, and the initial period of LkBBM expression may be the formation period of root primordia in the processing of adventitious

AmeriFlux CA-WP1 Alberta - Western Peatland - LaBiche River,Black Spruce/Larch Fen

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Flanagan, Lawrence B.

This is the AmeriFlux version of the carbon flux data for the site CA-WP1 Alberta - Western Peatland - LaBiche River,Black Spruce/Larch Fen. Site Description - Latitude: 54.9538359° N Longitude: 112.4669767° W, the site is dominated by stunted trees of Larix laricina and Picea mariana, with Betula pumila, Ledum groenlandicum and Salix sp. (shrubs) and a wide range of moss species. There is also an abundant dwarf-shrub and herb layer including: Andromeda polifolia, Carex sp., Empetrum nigrum, Menyanthese trifoliata, Oxycoccus microcarpus, Potentilla palustris, Rubus acaulis, Smilacina trifolia, Vaccinium vitis-idea.

Time since death and decay rate constants of Norway spruce and European larch deadwood in subalpine forests determined using dendrochronology and radiocarbon dating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petrillo, Marta; Cherubini, Paolo; Fravolini, Giulia; Marchetti, Marco; Ascher-Jenull, Judith; Schärer, Michael; Synal, Hans-Arno; Bertoldi, Daniela; Camin, Federica; Larcher, Roberto; Egli, Markus

2016-03-01

Due to the large size (e.g. sections of tree trunks) and highly heterogeneous spatial distribution of deadwood, the timescales involved in the coarse woody debris (CWD) decay of Picea abies (L.) Karst. and Larix decidua Mill. in Alpine forests are largely unknown. We investigated the CWD decay dynamics in an Alpine valley in Italy using the chronosequence approach and the five-decay class system that is based on a macromorphological assessment. For the decay classes 1-3, most of the dendrochronological samples were cross-dated to assess the time that had elapsed since tree death, but for decay classes 4 and 5 (poorly preserved tree rings) radiocarbon dating was used. In addition, density, cellulose, and lignin data were measured for the dated CWD. The decay rate constants for spruce and larch were estimated on the basis of the density loss using a single negative exponential model, a regression approach, and the stage-based matrix model. In the decay classes 1-3, the ages of the CWD were similar and varied between 1 and 54 years for spruce and 3 and 40 years for larch, with no significant differences between the classes; classes 1-3 are therefore not indicative of deadwood age. This seems to be due to a time lag between the death of a standing tree and its contact with the soil. We found distinct tree-species-specific differences in decay classes 4 and 5, with larch CWD reaching an average age of 210 years in class 5 and spruce only 77 years. The mean CWD rate constants were estimated to be in the range 0.018 to 0.022 y-1 for spruce and to about 0.012 y-1 for larch. Snapshot sampling (chronosequences) may overestimate the age and mean residence time of CWD. No sampling bias was, however, detectable using the stage-based matrix model. Cellulose and lignin time trends could be derived on the basis of the ages of the CWD. The half-lives for cellulose were 21 years for spruce and 50 years for larch. The half-life of lignin is considerably higher and may be more than

A Physicochemical and Pharmacological Study of the Newly Synthesized Complex of Albendazole and the Polysaccharide Arabinogalactan from Larch Wood.

PubMed

Chistyachenko, Yulia S; Meteleva, Elizaveta S; Pakharukova, Maria Y; Katokhin, Aleksey V; Khvostov, Mikhail V; Varlamova, Anastasiya I; Glamazdin, Igor I; Khalikov, Salavat S; Polyakov, Nikolay E; Arkhipov, Ivan A; Tolstikova, Tatyana G; Mordvinov, Viatcheslav A; Dushkin, Alexander V; Lyakhov, Nikolay Z

2015-01-01

Inclusion complexes of albendazole (ABZ) with the polysaccharide arabinogalactan from larch wood Larix sibirica and Larix gmelinii were synthesized using a solid-state mechanochemical technology. We investigated physicochemical properties of the synthesized complexes in the solid state and in aqueous solutions as well as their anthelmintic activity against Trichinella spiralis, Hymenolepis nаna, Fasciola hepatica, Opisthorchis felineus, and mixed nematodoses of sheep. Formation of the complexes was demonstrated by means of intrinsic solubility and the NMR relaxation method. The mechanochemically synthesized complexes were more stable in comparison with the complex produced by mixing solutions of the components. The complexes of ABZ showed anthelmintic activity at 10-fold lower doses than did free ABZ. The complexes also showed lower acute toxicity and hepatotoxicity. These results suggest that it is possible to design new drugs on the basis of the ABZ:arabinogalactan complex that are safer and more effective than albendazole.

Tracing fresh assimilates through Larix decidua exposed to elevated CO₂ and soil warming at the alpine treeline using compound-specific stable isotope analysis.

PubMed

Streit, Kathrin; Rinne, Katja T; Hagedorn, Frank; Dawes, Melissa A; Saurer, Matthias; Hoch, Günter; Werner, Roland A; Buchmann, Nina; Siegwolf, Rolf T W

2013-02-01

How will carbon source-sink relations of 35-yr-old larch trees (Larix decidua) at the alpine treeline respond to changes in atmospheric CO(2) and climate? We evaluated the effects of previously elevated CO(2) concentrations (9 yr, 580 ppm, ended the previous season) and ongoing soil warming (4 yr, + 4°C). Larch branches were pulse labeled (50 at% (13)CO(2)) in July 2010 to trace fresh assimilates through tissues (buds, needles, bark and wood) and non-structural carbon compounds (NCC; starch, lipids, individual sugars) using compound-specific isotope analysis. Nine years of elevated CO(2) did not lead to increased NCC concentrations, nor did soil warming increase NCC transfer velocities. By contrast, we found slower transfer velocities and higher NCC concentrations than reported in the literature for lowland larch. As a result of low dilution with older carbon, sucrose and glucose showed the highest maximum (13)C labels, whereas labels were lower for starch, lipids and pinitol. Label residence times in needles were shorter for sucrose and starch (c. 2 d) than for glucose (c. 6 d). Although our treatments showed no persistent effect on larch carbon relations, low temperature at high altitudes clearly induced a limitation of sink activities (growth, respiration, root exudation), expressed in slower carbon transfer and higher NCC concentrations. © 2012 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2012 New Phytologist Trust.

Plasticity in gas-exchange physiology of mature Scots pine and European larch drive short- and long-term adjustments to changes in water availability.

PubMed

Feichtinger, Linda M; Siegwolf, Rolf T W; Gessler, Arthur; Buchmann, Nina; Lévesque, Mathieu; Rigling, Andreas

2017-09-01

Adjustment mechanisms of trees to changes in soil-water availability over long periods are poorly understood, but crucial to improve estimates of forest development in a changing climate. We compared mature trees of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) and European larch (Larix decidua) growing along water-permeable channels (irrigated) and under natural conditions (control) at three sites in inner-Alpine dry valleys. At two sites, the irrigation had been stopped in the 1980s. We combined measurements of basal area increment (BAI), tree height and gas-exchange physiology (Δ 13 C) for the period 1970-2009. At one site, the Δ 13 C of irrigated pine trees was higher than that of the control in all years, while at the other sites, it differed in pine and larch only in years with dry climatic conditions. During the first decade after the sudden change in water availability, the BAI and Δ 13 C of originally irrigated pine and larch trees decreased instantly, but subsequently reached higher levels than those of the control by 2009 (15 years afterwards). We found a high plasticity in the gas-exchange physiology of pine and larch and site-specific responses to changes in water availability. Our study highlights the ability of trees to adjust to new conditions, thus showing high resilience. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Growth characteristics of natural and planted Dahurian larch in northeast China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jia, Bingrui; Zhou, Guangsheng

2018-04-01

Dahurian larch (Larix gmelinii Rupr.) is the dominant species in both natural and planted forests in northeast China, which is situated in the southernmost part of the global boreal forest biome and is undergoing great climatically induced changes. Published studies (1965-2015) on tree above-ground growth of Dahurian larch forests in northeast China were collected in this study and critically reviewed, and a comprehensive growth data set was developed from 122 sites, which are distributed between 40.85 and 53.47° N in latitude, between 118.20 and 133.70° E in longitude and between 130 and 1260 m in altitude. The data set is composed of 743 entries and includes growth data (mean tree height, mean diameter at breast height (DBH), mean tree volume and/or stand volume) and associated information, i.e., geographical location (latitude, longitude, altitude, aspect and slope), climate (mean annual temperature (MAT) and mean annual precipitation (MAP)), stand description (origin, stand age, stand density and canopy density) and sample regime (observation year, plot area and plot number). It provides a quantitative reference for plantation management practices and boreal forest growth prediction under future climate change. The data set is freely available for noncommercial scientific applications, and the DOI for the data is https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.880984.

Diverging climate trends in Mongolian taiga forests influence growth and regeneration of Larix sibirica

PubMed Central

Dulamsuren, Choimaa; Khishigjargal, Mookhor; Leuschner, Hanns Hubert; Leuschner, Christoph

2010-01-01

Central and semiarid north-eastern Asia was subject to twentieth century warming far above the global average. Since forests of this region occur at their drought limit, they are particularly vulnerable to climate change. We studied the regional variations of temperature and precipitation trends and their effects on tree growth and forest regeneration in Mongolia. Tree-ring series from more than 2,300 trees of Siberian larch (Larix sibirica) collected in four regions of Mongolia’s forest zone were analyzed and related to available weather data. Climate trends underlie a remarkable regional variation leading to contrasting responses of tree growth in taiga forests even within the same mountain system. Within a distance of a few hundred kilometers (140–490 km), areas with recently reduced growth and regeneration of larch alternated with regions where these parameters remained constant or even increased. Reduced productivity could be correlated with increasing summer temperatures and decreasing precipitation; improved growth conditions were found at increasing precipitation, but constant summer temperatures. An effect of increasing winter temperatures on tree-ring width or forest regeneration was not detectable. Since declines of productivity and regeneration are more widespread in the Mongolian taiga than the opposite trend, a net loss of forests is likely to occur in the future, as strong increases in temperature and regionally differing changes in precipitation are predicted for the twenty-first century. PMID:20571829

Diverging climate trends in Mongolian taiga forests influence growth and regeneration of Larix sibirica.

PubMed

Dulamsuren, Choimaa; Hauck, Markus; Khishigjargal, Mookhor; Leuschner, Hanns Hubert; Leuschner, Christoph

2010-08-01

Central and semiarid north-eastern Asia was subject to twentieth century warming far above the global average. Since forests of this region occur at their drought limit, they are particularly vulnerable to climate change. We studied the regional variations of temperature and precipitation trends and their effects on tree growth and forest regeneration in Mongolia. Tree-ring series from more than 2,300 trees of Siberian larch (Larix sibirica) collected in four regions of Mongolia's forest zone were analyzed and related to available weather data. Climate trends underlie a remarkable regional variation leading to contrasting responses of tree growth in taiga forests even within the same mountain system. Within a distance of a few hundred kilometers (140-490 km), areas with recently reduced growth and regeneration of larch alternated with regions where these parameters remained constant or even increased. Reduced productivity could be correlated with increasing summer temperatures and decreasing precipitation; improved growth conditions were found at increasing precipitation, but constant summer temperatures. An effect of increasing winter temperatures on tree-ring width or forest regeneration was not detectable. Since declines of productivity and regeneration are more widespread in the Mongolian taiga than the opposite trend, a net loss of forests is likely to occur in the future, as strong increases in temperature and regionally differing changes in precipitation are predicted for the twenty-first century.

Release and retention patterns of organic compounds and nutrients after the cold period in foliar litterfall of pure European larch, common beech and red oak plantations in Lithuania

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Čiuldienė, D.; Aleinikovienė, J.; Muraškienė, M.; Marozas, V.; Armolaitis, K.

2017-01-01

This study was carried out in alien warmth-tolerant forest plantations of red oak ( Quercus rubra), common beech ( Fagus sylvatica) and European larch ( Larix decidua). We compared the changes in foliar litterfall mass and biochemical composition after five months of cold period. The mean mass of fresh foliar litterfall collected in late autumn was 30% higher in red oak compared to the larch and beech plantations. After the cold period, the reduction of foliar litterfall mass did not exceed 10% in any of the studied plantations. The fresh foliar litterfall of red oak was the richest in cellular fibre and easily decomposable glucose and nutrients such as P and Mg, larch was distinguished by the highest lignin, N, K and Ca concentrations, while beech fresh foliar litterfall was the poorest in the aforementioned nutrients. After the cold period, the changes in the biochemical composition of foliar litterfall revealed different patterns. In the spring, the beech and red oak foliar litterfall was the richest in N, P and Ca, meanwhile the larch foliar litterfall still had the highest concentration of lignin but, in contrast to the autumn, was the poorest in nutrients. After the cold period Lignin: N, C: N and C: P ratios reached critical values indicating that the foliar litterfall of beech and red oak had started to decompose. The highest lignin concentration and the highest and most stable Lignin: N, C: N, C: P and N: P ratios after the cold period indicated that the slowest foliar litterfall decomposition took place in the larch plantation.

Time since death and decay rate constants of Norway spruce and European larch deadwood in subalpine forests determined using dendrochronology and radiocarbon dating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petrillo, M.; Cherubini, P.; Fravolini, G.; Ascher, J.; Schärer, M.; Synal, H.-A.; Bertoldi, D.; Camin, F.; Larcher, R.; Egli, M.

2015-09-01

Due to the large size and highly heterogeneous spatial distribution of deadwood, the time scales involved in the coarse woody debris (CWD) decay of Picea abies (L.) Karst. and Larix decidua Mill. in Alpine forests have been poorly investigated and are largely unknown. We investigated the CWD decay dynamics in an Alpine valley in Italy using the five-decay class system commonly employed for forest surveys, based on a macromorphological and visual assessment. For the decay classes 1 to 3, most of the dendrochronological samples were cross-dated to assess the time that had elapsed since tree death, but for decay classes 4 and 5 (poorly preserved tree rings) and some others not having enough tree rings, radiocarbon dating was used. In addition, density, cellulose and lignin data were measured for the dated CWD. The decay rate constants for spruce and larch were estimated on the basis of the density loss using a single negative exponential model. In the decay classes 1 to 3, the ages of the CWD were similar varying between 1 and 54 years for spruce and 3 and 40 years for larch with no significant differences between the classes; classes 1-3 are therefore not indicative for deadwood age. We found, however, distinct tree species-specific differences in decay classes 4 and 5, with larch CWD reaching an average age of 210 years in class 5 and spruce only 77 years. The mean CWD rate constants were 0.012 to 0.018 yr-1 for spruce and 0.005 to 0.012 yr-1 for larch. Cellulose and lignin time trends half-lives (using a multiple-exponential model) could be derived on the basis of the ages of the CWD. The half-lives for cellulose were 21 yr for spruce and 50 yr for larch. The half-life of lignin is considerably higher and may be more than 100 years in larch CWD.

Tree-ring proxies of larch bud moth defoliation: latewood width and blue intensity are more precise than tree-ring width.

PubMed

Arbellay, Estelle; Jarvis, Ingrid; Chavardès, Raphaël D; Daniels, Lori D; Stoffel, Markus

2018-05-19

Reconstructions of defoliation by larch bud moth (LBM, Zeiraphera diniana Gn.) based on European larch (Larix decidua Mill.) tree rings have unraveled outbreak patterns over exceptional temporal and spatial scales. In this study, we conducted tree-ring analyses on 105 increment cores of European larch from the Valais Alps, Switzerland. The well-documented history of LBM outbreaks in Valais provided a solid baseline for evaluating the LBM defoliation signal in multiple tree-ring parameters. First, we used tree-ring width measurements along with regional records of LBM outbreaks to reconstruct the occurrence of these events at two sites within the Swiss Alps. Second, we measured earlywood width, latewood width and blue intensity, and compared these parameters with tree-ring width to assess the capacity of each proxy to detect LBM defoliation. A total of six LBM outbreaks were reconstructed for the two sites between AD 1850 and 2000. Growth suppression induced by LBM was, on average, highest in latewood width (59%), followed by total ring width (54%), earlywood width (51%) and blue intensity (26%). We show that latewood width and blue intensity can improve the temporal accuracy of LBM outbreak reconstructions, as both proxies systematically detected LBM defoliation in the first year it occurred, as well as the differentiation between defoliation and non-defoliation years. This study introduces blue intensity as a promising new proxy of insect defoliation and encourages its use in conjunction with latewood width.

Field survey of growth and colonization of nonnative trees on mainland Alaska.

Treesearch

John. Alden

2006-01-01

Six of nine nonnative boreal conifers in three genera (Abies, Larix, and Pinus) regenerated in 11 to 31 years after they were introduced to mainland Alaska. Lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia Engel.) and the Siberian larches (Larix sibirica Ledeb. and...

European larch phenology in the Alps: can we grasp the role of ecological factors by combining field observations and inverse modelling?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Migliavacca, M.; Cremonese, E.; Colombo, R.; Busetto, L.; Galvagno, M.; Ganis, L.; Meroni, M.; Pari, E.; Rossini, M.; Siniscalco, C.; Morra di Cella, U.

2008-09-01

Vegetation phenology is strongly influenced by climatic factors. Climate changes may cause phenological variations, especially in the Alps which are considered to be extremely vulnerable to global warming. The main goal of our study is to analyze European larch ( Larix decidua Mill.) phenology in alpine environments and the role of the ecological factors involved, using an integrated approach based on accurate field observations and modelling techniques. We present 2 years of field-collected larch phenological data, obtained following a specifically designed observation protocol. We observed that both spring and autumn larch phenology is strongly influenced by altitude. We propose an approach for the optimization of a spring warming model (SW) and the growing season index model (GSI) consisting of a model inversion technique, based on simulated look-up tables (LUTs), that provides robust parameter estimates. The optimized models showed excellent agreement between modelled and observed data: the SW model predicts the beginning of the growing season (BGS) with a mean RMSE of 4 days, while GSI gives a prediction of the growing season length (LGS) with a RMSE of 5 days. Moreover, we showed that the original GSI parameters led to consistent errors, while the optimized ones significantly increased model accuracy. Finally, we used GSI to investigate interactions of ecological factors during springtime development and autumn senescence. We found that temperature is the most effective factor during spring recovery while photoperiod plays an important role during autumn senescence: photoperiod shows a contrasting effect with altitude decreasing its influence with increasing altitude.

European larch phenology in the Alps: can we grasp the role of ecological factors by combining field observations and inverse modelling?

PubMed

Migliavacca, M; Cremonese, E; Colombo, R; Busetto, L; Galvagno, M; Ganis, L; Meroni, M; Pari, E; Rossini, M; Siniscalco, C; Morra di Cella, U

2008-09-01

Vegetation phenology is strongly influenced by climatic factors. Climate changes may cause phenological variations, especially in the Alps which are considered to be extremely vulnerable to global warming. The main goal of our study is to analyze European larch (Larix decidua Mill.) phenology in alpine environments and the role of the ecological factors involved, using an integrated approach based on accurate field observations and modelling techniques. We present 2 years of field-collected larch phenological data, obtained following a specifically designed observation protocol. We observed that both spring and autumn larch phenology is strongly influenced by altitude. We propose an approach for the optimization of a spring warming model (SW) and the growing season index model (GSI) consisting of a model inversion technique, based on simulated look-up tables (LUTs), that provides robust parameter estimates. The optimized models showed excellent agreement between modelled and observed data: the SW model predicts the beginning of the growing season (B(GS)) with a mean RMSE of 4 days, while GSI gives a prediction of the growing season length (L(GS)) with a RMSE of 5 days. Moreover, we showed that the original GSI parameters led to consistent errors, while the optimized ones significantly increased model accuracy. Finally, we used GSI to investigate interactions of ecological factors during springtime development and autumn senescence. We found that temperature is the most effective factor during spring recovery while photoperiod plays an important role during autumn senescence: photoperiod shows a contrasting effect with altitude decreasing its influence with increasing altitude.

Warm season precipitation signal in δ2 H values of wood lignin methoxyl groups from high elevation larch trees in Switzerland.

PubMed

Riechelmann, Dana F C; Greule, Markus; Siegwolf, Rolf T W; Anhäuser, Tobias; Esper, Jan; Keppler, Frank

2017-10-15

In this study, we tested stable hydrogen isotope ratios of wood lignin methoxyl groups (δ 2 H methoxyl values) as a palaeoclimate proxy in dendrochronology. This is a quite new method in the field of dendrochronology and the sample preparation is much simpler than the methods used before to measure δ 2 H values from wood. We measured δ 2 H methoxyl values in high elevation larch trees (Larix decidua Mill.) from Simplon Valley (southern Switzerland). Thirty-seven larch trees were sampled and five individuals analysed for their δ 2 H methoxyl values at annual (1971-2009) and pentadal resolution (1746-2009). The δ 2 H methoxyl values were measured as CH 3 I released upon treatment of the dried wood samples with hydroiodic acid. 10-90 μL from the head-space were injected into the gas chromatography/high-temperature conversion/isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC/HTC-IRMS) system. Testing the climate response of the δ 2 H methoxyl values, the annually resolved series show a positive correlation of r = 0.60 with June/July precipitation. The pentadally resolved δ 2 H methoxyl series do not show any significant correlation to climate parameters. Increased precipitation during June and July, which are on average warm and relatively dry months, results in higher δ 2 H values of the xylem water and, therefore, higher δ 2 H values in the lignin methoxyl groups. Therefore, we suggest that δ 2 H methoxyl values of high elevation larch trees might serve as a summer precipitation proxy. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Genes Sufficient for Synthesizing Peptidoglycan are Retained in Gymnosperm Genomes, and MurE from Larix gmelinii can Rescue the Albino Phenotype of Arabidopsis MurE Mutation.

PubMed

Lin, Xiaofei; Li, Ningning; Kudo, Hiromi; Zhang, Zhe; Li, Jinyu; Wang, Li; Zhang, Wenbo; Takechi, Katsuaki; Takano, Hiroyoshi

2017-03-01

The endosymbiotic theory states that plastids are derived from a single cyanobacterial ancestor that possessed a cell wall. Peptidoglycan (PG), the main component of the bacteria cell wall, gradually degraded during plastid evolution. PG-synthesizing Mur genes have been found to be retained in the genomes of basal streptophyte plants, although many of them have been lost from the genomes of angiosperms. The enzyme encoded by bacterial MurE genes catalyzes the formation of the UDP-N-acetylmuramic acid (UDP-MurNAc) tripeptide in bacterial PG biosynthesis. Knockout of the MurE gene in the moss Physcomitrella patens resulted in defects of chloroplast division, whereas T-DNA-tagged mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana for MurE revealed inhibition of chloroplast development but not of plastid division, suggesting that AtMurE is functionally divergent from the bacterial and moss MurE proteins. Here, we could identify 10 homologs of bacterial Mur genes, including MurE, in the recently sequenced genomes of Picea abies and Pinus taeda, suggesting the retention of the plastid PG system in gymnosperms. To investigate the function of gymnosperm MurE, we isolated an ortholog of MurE from the larch, Larix gmelinii (LgMurE) and confirmed its presence as a single copy per genome, as well as its abundant expression in the leaves of larch seedlings. Analysis with a fusion protein combining green fluorescent protein and LgMurE suggested that it localizes in chloroplasts. Cross-species complementation assay with MurE mutants of A. thaliana and P. patens showed that the expression of LgMurE cDNA completely rescued the albefaction defects in A. thaliana but did not rescue the macrochloroplast phenotype in P. patens. The evolution of plastid PG and the mechanism behind the functional divergence of MurE genes are discussed in the context of information about plant genomes at different evolutionary stages. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Japanese Society of

Resin duct size and density as ecophysiological traits in fire scars of Pseudotsuga menziesii and Larix occidentalis.

PubMed

Arbellay, Estelle; Stoffel, Markus; Sutherland, Elaine K; Smith, Kevin T; Falk, Donald A

2014-10-01

Resin ducts (RDs) are features present in most conifer species as defence structures against pests and pathogens; however, little is known about RD expression in trees following fire injury. This study investigates changes in RD size and density in fire scars of Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) and western larch (Larix occidentalis) as a means to evaluate the ecophysiological significance of traumatic resinosis for tree defence and survival. Transverse and tangential microsections were prepared for light microscopy and image analysis in order to analyse axial and radial RDs, respectively. Epithelial cells of RDs and fusiform rays associated with radial RDs were also examined. RDs were compared between normal xylem and wound xylem at four different section heights along the fire-injured stem. Following fire injury, P. menziesii axial RDs narrowed by 38-43 % in the first year after injury, and the magnitude of this change increased with stem height. Larix occidentalis axial RDs widened by 46-50 % in the second year after injury. Radial RDs were of equivalent size in P. menziesii, but widened by 162-214 % in L. occidentalis. Fusiform rays were larger following fire injury, by 4-14 % in P. menziesii and by 23-38 % in L. occidentalis. Furthermore, axial RD density increased in both species due to the formation of tangential rows of traumatic RDs, especially in the first and second years after injury. However, radial RD density did not change significantly. These results highlight traumatic resinosis as a species-specific response. Pseudotsuga menziesii produce RDs of equivalent or reduced size, whereas L. occidentalis produce wider RDs in both the axial and radial duct system, thereby increasing resin biosynthesis and accumulation within the whole tree. Larix occidentalis thus appears to allocate more energy to defence than P. menziesii. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company. All rights reserved. For

Recovery of snow-bent young western larch

Treesearch

Wyman C. Schmidt; Jack A. Schmidt

1979-01-01

This paper illustrates how much, how long it takes, and the method in which young western larch responds to snow bend. A 13-year-old vigorous larch stand was flattened by a heavy, wet snow in June 1966 in northwestern Montana. We recorded photographically how two different crown classes (dominant and nondominant) of young larch subjected to four levels of snow beud (...

Tree Line Structure and Dynamics at the Northern Limit of the Larch Forest: Anabar Plateau, Siberia, Russia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kharuk, Viacheslav I.; Ranson, Kenneth J.; Im, Sergey T.; Oskorbin, Pavel A.; Dvinskaya, Maria L.; Ovchinnikov, Dmitriy V.

2013-01-01

The goal of the study was to provide an analysis of climate impact before, during, and after the Little Ice Age (LIA) on the larch (Larix gmelinii) tree line at the northern extreme of Siberian forests. Recent decadal climate change impacts on the tree line, regeneration abundance, and age structure were analyzed. The location of the study area was within the forest-tundra ecotone (elevation range 170-450 m) in the Anabar Plateau, northern Siberia. Field studies were conducted along elevational transects. Tree natality/mortality and radial increment were determined based on dendrochronology analyses. Tree morphology, number of living and subfossil trees, regeneration abundance, and age structure were studied. Locations of pre-LIA, LIA, and post-LIA tree lines and refugia boundaries were established. Long-term climate variables and drought index were included in the analysis. It was found that tree mortality from the 16th century through the beginning of the 19th century caused a downward tree line recession. Sparse larch stands experienced deforestation, transforming into tundra with isolated relict trees. The maximum tree mortality and radial growth decrease were observed to have occurred at the beginning of 18th century. Now larch, at its northern boundary in Siberia, is migrating into tundra areas. Upward tree migration was induced by warming in the middle of the 19th century. Refugia played an important role in repopulation of the forest-tundra ecotone by providing a seed source and shelter for recruitment of larch regeneration. Currently this ecotone is being repopulated mainly by tree cohorts that were established after the 1930s. The last two decades of warming did not result in an acceleration of regeneration recruitment because of increased drought conditions. The regeneration line reached (but did not exceed) the pre-LIA tree line location, although contemporary tree heights and stand densities are comparatively lower than in the pre-LIA period. The mean

Genetic variation, phenotypic stability, and repeatability of drought response in European larch throughout 50 years in a common garden experiment

PubMed Central

George, Jan-Peter; Grabner, Michael; Karanitsch-Ackerl, Sandra; Mayer, Konrad; Weißenbacher, Lambert; Schueler, Silvio

2017-01-01

Abstract Assessing intra-specific variation in drought stress response is required to mitigate the consequences of climate change on forest ecosystems. Previous studies suggest that European larch (Larix decidua Mill.), an important European conifer in mountainous and alpine forests, is highly vulnerable to drought. In light of this, we estimated the genetic variation in drought sensitivity and its degree of genetic determination in a 50-year-old common garden experiment in the drought-prone northeastern Austria. Tree ring data from larch provenances originating from across the species' natural range were used to estimate the drought reaction in four consecutive drought events (1977, 1981, 1990–1994, and 2003) with extremely low standardized precipitation- and evapotranspiration-index values that affected growth in all provenances. We found significant differences among provenances across the four drought periods for the trees’ capacity to withstand drought (resistance) and for their capacity to reach pre-drought growth levels after drought (resilience). Provenances from the species' northern distribution limit in the Polish lowlands were found to be more drought resistant and showed higher stability across all drought periods than provenances from mountainous habitats at the southern fringe. The degree of genetic determination, as estimated by the repeatability, ranged up to 0.39, but significantly differed among provenances, indicating varying degrees of natural selection at the provenance origin. Generally, the relationship between the provenances’ source climate and drought behavior was weak, suggesting that the contrasting patterns of drought response are a result of both genetic divergence out of different refugial lineages and local adaptation to summer or winter drought conditions. Our analysis suggests that European larch posseses high genetic variation among and within provenances that can be used for assisted migration and breeding programs. PMID

Relationships between root respiration rate and root morphology, chemistry and anatomy in Larix gmelinii and Fraxinus mandshurica.

PubMed

Jia, Shuxia; McLaughlin, Neil B; Gu, Jiacun; Li, Xingpeng; Wang, Zhengquan

2013-06-01

Tree roots are highly heterogeneous in form and function. Previous studies revealed that fine root respiration was related to root morphology, tissue nitrogen (N) concentration and temperature, and varied with both soil depth and season. The underlying mechanisms governing the relationship between root respiration and root morphology, chemistry and anatomy along the root branch order have not been addressed. Here, we examined these relationships of the first- to fifth-order roots for near surface roots (0-10 cm) of 22-year-old larch (Larix gmelinii L.) and ash (Fraxinus mandshurica L.) plantations. Root respiration rate at 18 °C was measured by gas phase O2 electrodes across the first five branching order roots (the distal roots numbered as first order) at three times of the year. Root parameters of root diameter, specific root length (SRL), tissue N concentration, total non-structural carbohydrates (starch and soluble sugar) concentration (TNC), cortical thickness and stele diameter were also measured concurrently. With increasing root order, root diameter, TNC and the ratio of root TNC to tissue N concentration increased, while the SRL, tissue N concentration and cortical proportion decreased. Root respiration rate also monotonically decreased with increasing root order in both species. Cortical tissue (including exodermis, cortical parenchyma and endodermis) was present in the first three order roots, and cross sections of the cortex for the first-order root accounted for 68% (larch) and 86% (ash) of the total cross section of the root. Root respiration was closely related to root traits such as diameter, SRL, tissue N concentration, root TNC : tissue N ratio and stele-to-root diameter proportion among the first five orders, which explained up to 81-94% of variation in the rate of root respiration for larch and up to 83-93% for ash. These results suggest that the systematic variations of root respiration rate within tree fine root system are possibly due to the

Soil Properties Related to Coniferous Seedling Height Growth in Northern Wisconsin

Treesearch

John J. Rawinski; James A. Bowles; Nonan V. Noste

1980-01-01

Soil properties (organic matter content, pH, texture, and microclimate) were related to early height growth of jack pine (Pinus banksiana, Lamb.), red pine (Pinus resinosa, Ait.), white spruce (Picea glauca, (Moench) Voss), and hybrid larch (Larix leptolepis x Larizx decidua) planted in northern Wisconsin. Based on 2-year height growth, jack pine and hybrid larch...

Wildfires in Northern Siberian Larch Dominated Communities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Khaurk, Viacheslav I.; Ranson, Kenneth J.; Dvinskaya, Maria L.; Im, Sergey T.

2011-01-01

The fire history of the northern larch forests within the permafrost zone in a portion of northern Siberia (approx 66 deg N, 100 deg E) was studied. Since there is little to no human activities in this area fires within the study area were mostly caused by lightning. Fire return intervals (FRI) were estimated based on burn marks on tree stems and dates of tree natality. FRI values varied from 130 yr to 350 yr with 200 +/- 50 yr mean. In southerly larch dominated communities FRI was found to be shorter (77 +/- 20 yr at approx 61 deg. N, and 82 +/- 7 at 64 deg N), and longer at the northern boundary (approx 71 deg) of larch stands (320 +/- 50 yr). During the Little Ice Age period in the 16th to 18th centuries FRI was approximately twice as long as recorded in this study. Fire caused changes in the soil including increases in soil drainage and permafrost thawing depth and a radial growth increase of about 2 times (with more than 6 times observed). This effect may simulate the predicted warming impact on the larch growth in the permafrost zone.

[Seasonal variation of soil heat conduction in a larch plantation and its relations to environmental factors].

PubMed

Wang, Wen-Jie; Cui, Song; Liu, Wei; Zu, Yuan-Gang; Sun, Wei; Wang, Hui-Min

2008-10-01

Based on a 3-year (2003-2005) observation of soil heat flux (SHF) in a larch (Larix gmelinii) plantation, the characteristics of soil heat conduction in the plantation and their relationships with environment factors were analyzed. The results showed that there was an obvious seasonal variation of SHF in different years and sampling sites. The SHF was positive from April to August and mostly negative from September to next March, with an almost balance between heat income and outcome at annual scale. Solar net radiation had significant effects on the SHF and soil heat conductance (k), and an obvious time-lag effect was found, with 4-5 hours' time-lag in winter and 2-3 hours' time-lag in summer. Based on the real-time measurement of SHF and soil temperature difference at the study sites, the k value was significantly higher in early spring (P < 0.05), but no significant difference was observed in other seasons (P > 0.05). Therefore, when we use the observation data of soil temperature from weather stations to estimate soil heat flux, the k value in spring (from March to May) could induce a bias estimation.

Higher climate warming sensitivity of Siberian larch in small than large forest islands in the fragmented Mongolian forest steppe.

PubMed

Khansaritoreh, Elmira; Dulamsuren, Choimaa; Klinge, Michael; Ariunbaatar, Tumurbaatar; Bat-Enerel, Banzragch; Batsaikhan, Ganbaatar; Ganbaatar, Kherlenchimeg; Saindovdon, Davaadorj; Yeruult, Yolk; Tsogtbaatar, Jamsran; Tuya, Daramragchaa; Leuschner, Christoph; Hauck, Markus

2017-09-01

Forest fragmentation has been found to affect biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in multiple ways. We asked whether forest size and isolation in fragmented woodlands influences the climate warming sensitivity of tree growth in the southern boreal forest of the Mongolian Larix sibirica forest steppe, a naturally fragmented woodland embedded in grassland, which is highly affected by warming, drought, and increasing anthropogenic forest destruction in recent time. We examined the influence of stand size and stand isolation on the growth performance of larch in forests of four different size classes located in a woodland-dominated forest-steppe area and small forest patches in a grassland-dominated area. We found increasing climate sensitivity and decreasing first-order autocorrelation of annual stemwood increment with decreasing stand size. Stemwood increment increased with previous year's June and August precipitation in the three smallest forest size classes, but not in the largest forests. In the grassland-dominated area, the tree growth dependence on summer rainfall was highest. Missing ring frequency has strongly increased since the 1970s in small, but not in large forests. In the grassland-dominated area, the increase was much greater than in the forest-dominated landscape. Forest regeneration decreased with decreasing stand size and was scarce or absent in the smallest forests. Our results suggest that the larch trees in small and isolated forest patches are far more susceptible to climate warming than in large continuous forests pointing to a grim future for the forests in this strongly warming region of the boreal forest that is also under high land use pressure. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Larch arabinogalactan for dry eye protection and treatment of corneal lesions: investigations in rabbits.

PubMed

Burgalassi, Susi; Nicosia, Nadia; Monti, Daniela; Falcone, Giulia; Boldrini, Enrico; Chetoni, Patrizia

2007-12-01

The aim of the present study was to investigate the corneal protective and healing properties of arabinogalactan (AG), a natural polysaccharide present in conifers of the genus Larix (Larch). AG was tested in comparison with other two polysaccharides possessing well-established properties in the treatment of dry eye: tamarind seed polysaccharide and hyaluronic acid. The AG formulation was subjected to the following investigations: rheologic measurements; evaluation of mucoadhesive properties by rheologic interaction with mucin; ferning test; and in vivo evaluation on rabbits, including treatment of an experimental dry eye; evaluation of the preocular retention; and evaluation of healing rate of experimental corneal wound. AG dispersions showed a newtonian nonviscous behavior, eta = 1.6 mPa . s for 10% w/w solution; it possessed good mucoadhesive properties useful for retention on the eye surface. In fact, a prolonged time of residence in rabbit eyes was ascertained using fluorescein-labeled AG. Five percent (5.0%) w/w AG exerted a good protective effect against the appearance of corneal dry spots. It also reduced significantly the healing time of an experimental corneal lesion since 27 h after the first treatment. These findings suggest that AG may be a potential therapeutic product for dry eye protection and for the treatment of corneal wounds.

Trace element concentrations in needles and bark of Larix Sibirica within the Mo-W ore field (Buryat Republic, Russia)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Timofeev, Ivan; Kosheleva, Natalia

2016-04-01

The present study aims to assess the changes in the trace element (TE) composition of Larix Sibirica species growing in the impact area of Dzhida Mo-W plant in the Zakamensk city. The objectives of the study were: (1) to reveal the biogeochemical background features and changes in the TE composition of larch needles and bark in the mining region; (2) to determine patterns of spatial distribution of TE content in larch organs; (3) to assess the ecological state of larch plantation in different land-use zones of the city. A landscape-geochemical survey of the territory was carried out in summer of 2013. Total of 21 mixed (taken from 3-5 trees) samples of needles and bark were collected in undisturbed and different land-use areas. The bulk contents of TEs in dry plant samples were analyzed by mass spectrometry with induced coupled plasma. Sixteen priority pollutants were selected for thorough analysis, including elements of hazard classes I (Zn, As, Pb, Cd), II (Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Mo, Sb), III (V, Sr, Ba, W), and some others (Sn, Bi). Concentrations of TEs (C_b) in background trees were compared with the global clarks (C_g) for annual increment of terrestrial vegetation (Dobrovol'skii 2003) via calculating the global enrichment EF_g=C_b/Cg and dispersion factors DF_g=C_g/C_b}. The concentrations of the elements in the urban samples Ci were grouped depending on the type of land use and compared with the background (C_b) via calculating the local enrichment EF_l=C_i/Cb and dispersion factors DF_l=C_b/C_i. The ecological state of the urban plants was diagnosed using three TE ratios. The Fe/Mn ratio represents photosynthetic activity with optimum value 1.5-2.5. The Pb/Mn ratio characterizes balance between technogenic and biophilic elements, its value for unpolluted terrestrial plants is 0.006. The Cu/Zn ratio determines the proportionality in the provision of enzyme synthesis with these metals, its optimum value is 0.27. TE composition of needles of background larch is

Assessing the threat posed by indigenous exotics: A case study of two North American bark beetle species

Treesearch

K. J. Dodds; D. W. Gilmore; S. J. Seybold

2010-01-01

The Douglas-fir beetle, Dendroctonus pseudotsugae Hopkins, was detected in 2001 in northern Minnesota outside its natural range and the range of its native hosts, Douglas-fir, Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirbel) Franco, and western larch, Larix occidentalis Nutt. Consecutive years of...

Intraseasonal carbon sequestration and allocation in larch trees growing on permafrost in Siberia after 13C labeling (two seasons of 2013-2014 observation).

PubMed

Masyagina, Oxana; Prokushkin, Anatoly; Kirdyanov, Alexander; Artyukhov, Aleksey; Udalova, Tatiana; Senchenkov, Sergey; Rublev, Aleksey

2016-12-01

This research is an attempt to study seasonal translocation patterns of photoassimilated carbon within trees of one of the high latitudes widespread deciduous conifer species Larix gmelinii (Rupr. Rupr). For this purpose, we applied whole-tree labeling by 13 CO 2 , which is a powerful and effective tool for tracing newly developed assimilates translocation to tissues and organs of a tree. Experimental plot has been established in a mature 105-year-old larch stand located within the continuous permafrost area near Tura settlement (Central Siberia, 64°17'13″N, 100°11'55″E, 148 m a.s.l.). Measurements of seasonal photosynthetic activity and foliage parameters (i.e., leaf length, area, biomass, etc.), and sampling were arranged from early growing season (June 8, 2013; May 14, 2014) until yellowing and senescence of needles (September 17, 2013; September 14, 2014). Labeling by 13 C of the tree branch (June 2013, for 3 branch replicates in 3 different trees) and the whole tree was conducted at early (June 2014), middle (July 2014), and late (August 2013) phase of growing season (for different trees in 3 replicates each time) by three pulses [(CO 2 )max = 3000-4000 ppmv, 13 CO 2 (30 % v/v)]. We found at least two different patterns of carbon translocation associated with larch CO 2 assimilation depending on needle phenology. In early period of growing season (June), 13 C appearing in newly developed needles is a result of remobilized storage material use for growth purposes. Then approximately at the end of June, growth processes is switching to storage processes lasting to the end of growing season.

High severity experimental burns in Siberian larch forests increase permafrost thaw and larch tree regeneration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alexander, H. D.; Davydov, S.; Zimov, N.; Mack, M. C.

2013-12-01

Global change models predict increased fire activity in boreal forests as climate warms and dries. We hypothesized that fire-driven decreases in soil organic layer (SOL) depth will (1) increase permafrost thaw by reducing the insulating capacity of the SOL and (2) improve seedbed conditions for tree regeneration. Over time, these changes will lead to altered patterns of above- and belowground carbon (C) accumulation. To test these hypotheses, we conducted plot-level experimental burns in July 2012 in a low-density, mature larch stand near the Northeast Science Station in Cherskii, Siberia. Dried fuels of naturally occurring vegetation were added to plots to achieve four burn severity treatments based on residual SOL depths: control, low (> 8 cm), moderate (5-8 cm), and high severity (2-5 cm). Pre-fire and during two growing seasons post-fire, we measured thaw depth, soil moisture, and soil temperature to determine severity effects on permafrost thaw. We also sowed larch seeds in fall 2012 and quantified germination rates the following growing season. By 1 wk post-fire, thaw depth was 15-25 cm deeper in plots burned at high severity (55 cm) compared to other treatments (30-40 cm). These differences in thaw depth with burn severity were maintained during the subsequent growing season and were associated with increased soil temperature and moisture. Larch regeneration was 10x higher on severely burned plots than those unburned. Our findings highlight the potential for increased fire severity to degrade permafrost and alter successional dynamics and patterns of C accumulation.

Genetic aftereffects of increased temperature in Larix

Treesearch

Michael S. Greenwood; Keith W. Hutchinson

1996-01-01

We tested the hypothesis that temperature during gametogenesis and embryogenesis can affect progeny genotype and phenotype. Identical crosses were made among cloned parents of Larix spp. inside and outside a greenhouse, where the temperature inside averaged 4?C above the outside temperature. Significant growth differences as a function of crossing...

Modeling species’ realized climatic niche space and predicting their response to global warming for several western forest species with small geographic distributions

Treesearch

Marcus V. Warwell; Gerald E. Rehfeldt; Nicholas L. Crookston

2010-01-01

The Random Forests multiple regression tree was used to develop an empirically based bioclimatic model of the presence-absence of species occupying small geographic distributions in western North America. The species assessed were subalpine larch (Larix lyallii), smooth Arizona cypress (Cupressus arizonica ssp. glabra...

Transcriptome Analysis of mRNA and miRNA in Somatic Embryos of Larix leptolepis Subjected to Hydrogen Treatment.

PubMed

Liu, Yali; Han, Suying; Ding, Xiangming; Li, Xinmin; Zhang, Lifeng; Li, Wanfeng; Xu, Haiyan; Li, Zhexin; Qi, Liwang

2016-11-22

Hydrogen is a therapeutic antioxidant that has been used extensively in clinical trials. It also acts as a bioactive molecule that can alleviate abiotic stress in plants. However, the biological effects of hydrogen in somatic embryos and the underlying molecular basis remain largely unknown. In this study, the morphological and physiological influence of exogenous H₂ treatment during somatic embryogenesis was characterized in Larix leptolepis Gordon. The results showed that exposure to hydrogen increased the proportions of active pro-embryogenic cells and normal somatic embryos. We sequenced mRNA and microRNA (miRNA) libraries to identify global transcriptome changes at different time points during H₂ treatment of larch pro-embryogenic masses (PEMs). A total of 45,393 mRNAs and 315 miRNAs were obtained. Among them, 4253 genes and 96 miRNAs were differentially expressed in the hydrogen-treated libraries compared with the control. Further, a large number of the differentially expressed mRNAs and miRNAs were related to reactive oxygen species (ROS) homeostasis and cell cycle regulation. We also identified 4399 potential target genes for 285 of the miRNAs. The differential expression data and the mRNA-miRNA interaction network described here provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms that determine the performance of PEMs exposed to H₂ during somatic embryogenesis.

Transcriptome Analysis of mRNA and miRNA in Somatic Embryos of Larix leptolepis Subjected to Hydrogen Treatment

PubMed Central

Liu, Yali; Han, Suying; Ding, Xiangming; Li, Xinmin; Zhang, Lifeng; Li, Wanfeng; Xu, Haiyan; Li, Zhexin; Qi, Liwang

2016-01-01

Hydrogen is a therapeutic antioxidant that has been used extensively in clinical trials. It also acts as a bioactive molecule that can alleviate abiotic stress in plants. However, the biological effects of hydrogen in somatic embryos and the underlying molecular basis remain largely unknown. In this study, the morphological and physiological influence of exogenous H2 treatment during somatic embryogenesis was characterized in Larix leptolepis Gordon. The results showed that exposure to hydrogen increased the proportions of active pro-embryogenic cells and normal somatic embryos. We sequenced mRNA and microRNA (miRNA) libraries to identify global transcriptome changes at different time points during H2 treatment of larch pro-embryogenic masses (PEMs). A total of 45,393 mRNAs and 315 miRNAs were obtained. Among them, 4253 genes and 96 miRNAs were differentially expressed in the hydrogen-treated libraries compared with the control. Further, a large number of the differentially expressed mRNAs and miRNAs were related to reactive oxygen species (ROS) homeostasis and cell cycle regulation. We also identified 4399 potential target genes for 285 of the miRNAs. The differential expression data and the mRNA-miRNA interaction network described here provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms that determine the performance of PEMs exposed to H2 during somatic embryogenesis. PMID:27879674

Early and late seasonal carbon sequestration and allocation in larch trees growing on permafrost in Central Siberia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masyagina, Oxana; Prokushkin, Anatoly; Kirdyanov, Alexander; Artyukhov, Aleksey; Udalova, Tatiana; Senchenkov, Sergey; Rublev, Aleksey

2014-05-01

Despite large geographic extent of deciduous conifer species Larix gmelinii, its seasonal photosynthetic activity and translocation of photoassimilated carbon within a tree remain poorly studied. To get better insight into productivity of larch trees growing on permafrost soils in Siberian larch biome we aimed to analyze dynamics of foliage parameters (i.e. leaf area, biomass, %N, %P etc.), seasonal dynamics of photosynthetic activity and apply whole tree labeling by 13CO2, which is powerful and effective tool for tracing newly developed assimilates translocation to tissues and organs of a tree (Kagawa et al., 2006; Keel et al., 2012). Experimental plot has been established in mature 105 year-old larch stand located within the continuous permafrost area near Tura settlement (Central Siberia, 64o17'13" N, 100o11'55" E, 148 m a.s.l.). Trees selected for experiments represented mean tree of the stand. Measurements of seasonal photosynthetic activity and foliar biomass sampling were arranged from early growing season (June 8, 2013) until yellowing and senescence of needles on September 17, 2013. Labeling by 13C in whole tree chamber was conducted by three pulses ([CO2]max ≤ 2,500 ppmv, 13CO2 (30% v/v)) at the early (June) and late (August) phase of growing season for different trees in 3 replicates each time. Both early season and late season labeling experiments demonstrated high rate of 13CO2 assimilation and respective enrichment of needle tissues by 13C: δ13C increased from -28.7 up to +670‰ just after labeling. However, there was distinct post-labeling dynamics of needle δ13C among two seasonal experiments. At the early season 13C depletion in labeled needles was slower, and δ13C approached after 40 days ca. +110 ‰ and remained constant till senescence. In the late season (August) needles were losing labeled C with much faster rate and approached only +1.5 ‰ upon senescence (28 days exposition). These findings suggest that in early season ca. 20% of

Climatic interpretation of tree-ring methoxyl d2H time-series from a central alpine larch forest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riechelmann, Dana F. C.; Greule, Markus; Siegwolf, Rolf T. W.; Esper, Jan; Keppler, Frank

2017-04-01

We measured stable hydrogen isotope ratios of lignin methoxyl groups (d2HLM) in high elevation larch trees (Larix decidua Mill.) from the Simplon Valley in southern Switzerland. Thirty-seven larch trees were sampled and five individuals analysed for their d2HLM values at annual (1971-2009) and pentadal resolution (1746-2009). Testing the climate response of the d2HLM series, the annually resolved series show a positive correlation of r = 0.60 with June/July precipitation and weaker but negative correlation with June/July temperature. In addition, a negative correlation with June-August d2H in precipitation of the nearby GNIP station in Locarno is observed. The pentadally resolved d2HLM series show no significant correlation to climate parameters. The positive correlation of the annually resolved data to summer precipitation is uncommon to d2H measurements from tree-rings (Feakins et al., 2013; Helle and Schleser, 2004; McCarroll and Loader, 2004; Mischel et al., 2015; White et al., 1994). However, we explain the positive association with warm season hydroclimate as follows: methoxyl groups of lignin are directly formed from tissues in the xylem water. More precipitation during June and July, which are on average relatively dry month, results in higher d2H values of the xylem water and therefore, higher d2H value in the lignin methoxyl groups. Therefore, we suggest that d2HLM values of high elevation larch trees might likely serve as a summer precipitation proxy. References: Feakins, S.J., Ellsworth, P.V., Sternberg, L.d.S.L., 2013. Lignin methoxyl hydrogen isotope rations in a coastal ecosystem. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 121: 54-66. Helle, G., Schleser, G.H., 2004. Interpreting Climate Proxies from Tree-rings. In: Fischer, H., Floeser, G., Kumke, T., Lohmann, G., Miller, H., Negendank, J.F.W., et al., editors. The Climate in Historical Times. Springer Berlin Heidelberg, pp. 129-148. McCarroll, D., Loader, N.J., 2004. Stable isotopes in tree rings. Quaternary

Effect of warming on larch trees in the Asian southern border of the boreal forest, Mongolia and China in the 20th century.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lopez Caceres, Maximo Larry; Cho, Qiqin; Nobori, Yoshihiro; Takeda, Kazuo; Byambasuren, Mijidsuren; Zhang, Yandong; Sugimoto, Atsuko

2016-04-01

In recent decades air temperature (Ta) has been increasing steadily around the globe and it is reported that in the last 40 years Ta in Mongolia alone has increased by about 2.1 deg.C. The boreal region as a whole is expected to experience changes due to atmospheric drying, permafrost degradation, increases in the frequency of forest fires and other factors that will lead to a shift of the forest ecosystems northward. The southern border of the boreal forest distributes in northern Mongolia and northeast China, which as transition areas are more sensitive to changes. In a 500 km long south-north transect of larch forests extending in each of these two countries, larch forest sites were chosen (Larix sibirica in Mongolia and Larix gmeliini in China). Studies until now have used only tree-ring analysis to determined past and recent climate in Mongolia and China. However, isotope analysis has not been coupled with this analysis to give a wider overview of the environmental changes taking place in these regions. Therefore in this study tree core samples were collected for tree-ring and carbon isotope analysis to be coupled with available meteorological data. These data indicate that in the last four decades, the northernmost site of the selected transect has experienced the largest increase in Ta, but nevertheless the annual Ta in the southernmost site remained several degrees higher. On the other hand precipitation shows a very slight increase in the central and northernmost sites while an insignificant decrease is observed in the southernmost site. Tree-ring analysis shows that for most of the 20th century tree ring growth had lower inter-annual variability until the beginning of the 1970's but from then on the annual variability has increased. Unlike the results of the tree-ring analysis, the carbon isotope analysis revealed that until the 1970's the increases in the drying atmospheric conditions (higher temperature-no changes in rainfall) were not present but the

Examining the response of larch needle carbohydrates to climate using compound-specific δ13C and concentration analyses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rinne, Katja T.; Saurer, Matthias; Kirdyanov, Alexander V.; Bryukhanova, Marina V.; Prokushkin, Anatoly S.; Churakova Sidorova, Olga V.; Siegwolf, Rolf T. W.

2016-04-01

Little is known about the dynamics of concentrations and carbon isotope ratios of individual carbohydrates in leaves in response to climatic and physiological factors. Improved knowledge of the isotopic ratio in sugars will enhance our understanding of the tree ring isotope ratio and will help to decipher environmental conditions in retrospect more reliably. Carbohydrate samples from larch (Larix gmelinii) needles of two sites in the continuous permafrost zone of Siberia with differing growth conditions were analysed with the Compound-Specific Isotope Analysis (CSIA). We compared concentrations and carbon isotope values (δ13C) of sucrose, fructose, glucose and pinitol combined with phenological data. The results for the variability of the needle carbohydrates show high dynamics with distinct seasonal characteristics between and within the studied years with a clear link to the climatic conditions, particularly vapour pressure deficit. Compound-specific differences in δ13C values as a response to climate were detected. The δ13C of pinitol, which contributes up to 50% of total soluble carbohydrates, was almost invariant during the whole growing season. Our study provides the first in-depth characterization of compound-specific needle carbohydrate isotope variability, identifies involved mechanisms and shows the potential of such results for linking tree physiological responses to different climatic conditions.

Integrating proximal and satellite optical data for the analysis of ecosystem carbon uptake and plant phenology at the European larch Specnet site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galvagno, Marta; Gamon, John; Cremonese, Edoardo; Garrity, Steven; Huemmrich, K. Fred; Filippa, Gianluca; Morra di Cella, Umberto; Rossini, Micol

2017-04-01

Automated canopy-level optical sampling in tandem with ecosystem-atmosphere flux observations is continuously carried on at a variety of ecosystems through the Specnet network (http://specnet.info/). Specifically, 9 sites within US and Europe were selected since 2015, to investigate the use of novel NDVI and PRI low-cost sensors for the analysis of ecosystem functioning and phenology. Different plant functional types, such as grasslands, deciduous, and evergreen forests belong to the network, here we present specific data from the larch (Larix decidua Mill.) forest Italian site. Three automated NDVI and three automated PRI spectral reflectance sensors (Decagon Devices Inc.) were installed in 2015 on the top of the 20-meters eddy covariance tower, pointing toward the west, north, and east orientations. An additional system, composed by one NDVI and PRI system was installed to monitor the understory component. The objective of this analysis is the comparison between these in-situ inexpensive sensors, independent NDVI and PRI sensors (Skye Instruments) previously installed on the 20-meters tower and satellite-derived NDVI. Both MODIS and Sentinel NDVI data were used for the comparison. Moreover, the newly derived chlorophyll/carotenoid index (CCI, Gamon et al. 2016), computed as the normalized difference between the NDVI red band and PRI 532 nm band, was tested to estimate the seasonal pattern of daily Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) of the larch forest. Results showed that the seasonality of NDVI was comparable among in-situ sensors and satellite data, though orientation-specific differences were observed. Both NDVI and CCI tracked daily GPP, but with different sensitivity to its seasonality. Future analysis will be directed toward a comparison between this site-based results with the other sites within the Specnet network.

[Temperature conditions of the formation of frost damages in conifer trees in the high latitudes of Western Siberia].

PubMed

Gurskaia, M A

2014-01-01

Frost damage to the bottom of the stem at a height of 0.2 m and at the height of the position of the thermometer in the weather station (2 m) and higher in the Siberian spruce (Picea obovata Ledeb.) and Siberian larch (Larix sibirica Ledeb.) growing at the northern limits of their natural habitat were studied in order to reveal the upper threshold temperature conditions of their formation. Possible causes of differences in the distribution of frost damage in the stem of the spruce and larch are discussed.

Tree-ring growth patterns and climatic signals along a vertical transect of larch sites in the Simplon and Rhône Valleys (Switzerland)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riechelmann, Dana F. C.; Esper, Jan

2017-04-01

State-of-the-art millennial long temperature reconstructions from the European Alps integrate wood samples of Larix decidua Mill. from the Lötschental and Simplon regions in Switzerland (Büntgen et al., 2005; 2006). Some of the oldest samples that enable the extension of the time-series back into the first millennium AD are obtained from old buildings in Simplon Village, through the precise location of these samples and the elevation of sampling sites remain unknown. We here evaluate the growth characteristics of larch tree-ring width data along a vertical transect in the Simplon and Rhône valleys. 330 trees from nine sites in 985, 1100, 1400, 1575, 1710, 1712, 1900, 2020, and 2150 m asl have been sampled and analysed for their climate signals. The results indicate a stronger temperature signal in the tree-ring width with increasing elevation. The lower the sites the more a drought signal is imprinted in the ring width data. The intermediate site at 1400 m asl does not show any pronounced climate signal. A comparison of growth patterns of living-tree sites with samples from the historical buildings in Simplon Village (Riechelmann et al., 2013) indicates the construction timber to origin from intermediate to higher elevations. We therefore do not expect strong temperature signal from these timbers. References: Büntgen, U., Esper, J., Frank, D.C., Nicolussi, K., Schmidhalter, M., 2005. A 1052-year tree-ring proxy for Alpine summer temperatures. Climate Dynamics 25: 141-153. Büntgen, U., Frank, D.C., Nievergelt, D., Esper J., 2006. Summer temperature variations in the European Alps, A.D. 755-2004. Journal of Climate 19: 5606-5623. Riechelmann, D.F.C., Schmidhalter, M., Büntgen, U., Esper, J., 2013. Extending a high-elevation larch ring width chronology from the Simplon region in the Swiss Alps over the past millenium. TRACE 11:103-108.

Changes in tracheid and ray traits in fire scars of North American conifers and their ecophysiological implications

Treesearch

Estelle Arbellay; Markus Stoffel; Elaine K. Sutherland; Kevin T. Smith; Donald A. Falk

2014-01-01

Fire scars have been widely used as proxies for the reconstruction of fire history; however, little is known about the impact of fire injury on wood anatomy. This study investigates changes in tracheid and ray traits in fire scars of Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), western larch (Larix occidentalis) and ponderosa pine (

The role of fire in sustaining northern goshawk habitat in Rocky Mountain forests

Treesearch

Russell T. Graham; Theresa B. Jain; Richard T. Reynolds; Douglas Boyce

1997-01-01

The northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis), is a northern latitude, forest dwelling raptor. In the Western United States, goshawks live in most forests, including those dominated by western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg.), lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl. ex. Loud.), ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex Laws.), and western larch (Larix occidentalis...

Determining modulus of elasticity of ancient structural timber

Treesearch

Houjiang Zhang; Lei Zhu; Yanliang Sun; Xiping Wang; Haicheng Yan

2011-01-01

During maintenance of ancient timber architectures, it is important to determine mechanical properties of the wood component materials non-destructively and effectively, so that degraded members may be replaced or repaired to avoid structural failure. Experimental materials are four larch (Larix principis-rupprechtii Mayr.) components, which were taken down from the...

Effect of Fertilization on Western Spruce Budworm Feeding in Young Western Larch Stands

Treesearch

Robert L. Talerico; Michael Montgomery; [Tech. Coords

1983-01-01

This study evaluated effects of fertilization of young western larch stands on western spruce budworm feeding in Montana. Various combinations of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium resulted in nearly double the amount of feeding by western spruce budworm larvae, with nitrogen eliciting the most response. Larch growth response to fertilization can be negated by...

Recolonization and radiation in Larix (Pinaceae): evidence from nuclear ribosomal DNA paralogues.

PubMed

Wei, Xiao-Xin; Wang, Xiao-Quan

2004-10-01

Gene paralogy frequently causes the conflict between gene tree and species tree, but sometimes the coexistence of a few paralogous copies could provide more markers for tracing the phylogeographical process of some organisms. In the present study, nrDNA ITS paralogues were cloned from all but one species of Larix, an Eocene genus having two sections, Larix and Multiserialis, with a huge circumboreal distribution and an Eastern Asia-Western North America disjunction, respectively. A total of 96 distinct clones, excluding five putative pseudogenes or recombinants, were obtained and used in the gene genealogy analysis. The clones from all Eurasian species of section Larix are mixed together, suggesting that recolonization and recent morphological differentiation could have played important roles in the evolution of this section. In contrast, the species diversification of the Eurasian section Multiserialis may result from radiation in the east Himalayas and its vicinity, considering extensive nrDNA founder effects in this group. Our study also suggests that the distribution pattern analysis of members of multiple gene family would be very useful in tracking the evolutionary history of some taxa with recent origin or rapid radiation that cannot be resolved by other molecular markers.

Bedrock type significantly affects individual tree mortality for various conifers in the inland Northwest, U.S.A

Treesearch

James A. Moore; David A Hamilton; Yu Xiao; John Byrne

2004-01-01

Individual tree mortality models for western white pine (Pinus monticola Dougl. ex D. Don), Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco), grand fir (Abies grandis (Dougl. ex D. Don) Lindl.), western redcedar (Thuja plicata Donn ex. D. Don), western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg.), and western larch (Larix occidentalis Nutt.) were developed using data...

Homogenization-assisted cavitation hybrid rotation extraction and macroporous resin enrichment of dihydroquercetin from Larix gmelinii.

PubMed

Xia, Yu; Wang, Yinhang; Li, Wei; Ma, Chunhui; Liu, Shouxin

2017-12-01

Cavitation hybrid rotation, which was and is still looked upon as an unavoidable nuisance in the flow systems, for extraction processing intensification of active chemical compounds from natural products. In this study, a homogenization-assisted cavitation hybrid rotation extraction method was applied to extract dihydroquercetin (DHQ) from larch (Larix gmelinii) wood root. The extraction parameters were optimized in single factor experiments with the DHQ extraction yields as the response values. The optimum conditions were as follows: number of extractions, three; ethanol volume fraction for the extraction, 60%; liquid-solid ratio for homogenization, 10mL/g; homogenization time, 8min; liquid-solid ratio for cavitation extraction, 9mL/g, and cavitation extraction time, 35min. Under these conditions, the DHQ content in extract was 4.50±0.02mg/g, and the extraction efficiency was higher than those of traditional techniques. Cavitation can be effectively used to improve the extraction rate by increasing the mass transfer rates and possible rupture of cell wall due to formation of microcavities leading to higher product yields with reduced processing time and solvent consumption. After the extraction process, macroporous resin column chromatography was used to concentrate and purify the DHQ. Three resins were selected from fifteen macroporous resins for further investigation of their performance. Among these resins, AB-8 resin exhibited relatively better adsorption capacities and desorption ratios for DHQ. The ethanol volume fraction of the solutions for sample loading and desorption, and flow rates for loading and desorption were optimized for the macroporous resin column chromatography. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Soil alkalinity on recent burns

Treesearch

Robert Marshall; Clarence Averill

1928-01-01

During late July and early August, 1926, the Kaniksu National Forest in northern Idaho experienced its most severe fire damage since the advent of the white man in that region. About 125,000 acres were burned as a result of the conflagrations. The destroyed forests consisted largely of western white pine (Pinus mionticola), western larch (Larix occidentalis), Douglas...

Cleaning to favor western white pine - its effects upon composition, growth, and potential values

Treesearch

Raymond J. Boyd

1959-01-01

The management of western white pine (Pinus monticola) requires the production of a high proportion of valuable white pine crop trees in order to defray the costs of protection from blister rust. Current average selling prices of lumber give white pine about $50 per m.b.f. advantage over western larch (Larix occidentalis) and Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), the...

Larch Forests of Middle Siberia: Long-Term Trends in Fire Return Intervals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kharuk, Viacheslav I.; Dvinskaya, Mariya L.; Petrov, Ilya A.; Im, Sergei T.; Ranson, Kenneth J.

2016-01-01

Fire history within the northern larch forests of Central Siberia was studied (65+degN). Fires within this area are predominantly caused by lightning strikes rather than human activity. Mean fire return intervals (FRIs) were found to be 112 +/- 49 years (based on firescars) and 106 +/- 36 years (based on firescars and tree natality dates). FRIs were increased with latitude increase and observed to be about 80 years at 64N, about 200 years near the Arctic Circle and about 300 years nearby the northern range limit of larch stands (approx.71+degN). Northward FRIs increase correlated with incoming solar radiation (r = -0.95). Post- Little Ice Age (LIA) warming (after 1850) caused approximately a doubling of fire events (in comparison with a similar period during LIA). The data obtained support a hypothesis of climate-induced fire frequency increase. Keywords Fire ecology Fire history Fire frequency Siberian wildfires Larch forests Climate change

Toxicity of aerosols to larch casebearer larvae

Treesearch

Robert L. Lyon; Margaret E. May

1970-01-01

Six insecticides were tested in the laboratory as aerosols against larch casebeare1 larvae. Their toxicity was determined by both direct contact and residual contact on filter paper. All six were highly toxic at less than 1.05 µg/ cm2 (the equivalent of 1.5 oz./acre). In decreasing order of toxicity at LD90 (direct contact...

Synchrony of forest responses to climate from the aspect of tree mortality in South Korea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, M.; Lee, W. K.; Piao, D.; Choi, G. M.; Gang, H. U.

2016-12-01

Mortality is a key process in forest-stand dynamics. However, tree mortality is not well understood, particularly in relation to climatic factors. The objectives of this study were to: (i) determine the patterns of maximum stem number (MSN) per ha over dominant tree height from 5-year remeasurements of the permanent sample plots for temperate forests [Red pine (Pinus densiflora), Japanese larch (Larix kaempferi), Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis), Chinese cork oak (Quercus variabilis), and Mongolian oak (Quercus mongolica)] using Sterba's theory and Korean National Forest Inventory (NFI) data, (ii) develop a stand-level mortality (self-thinning) model using the MSN curve, and (iii) assess the impact of temperature on tree mortality in semi-variogram and linear regression models. The MSN curve represents the upper range of observed stem numbers per ha. The mortality model and validation statistic reveal significant differences between the observed data and the model predictions (R2 = 0.55-0.81), and no obvious dependencies or patterns that indicate systematic trends between the residuals and the independent variable. However, spatial autocorrelation was detected from residuals of coniferous species (Red pine, Japanese larch and Korean pine), but not of oak species (Chinese cork oak and Mongolian oak). Based on linear regression from residuals, we found that the mortality of coniferous forests tended to increase when the annual mean temperature increased. Conversely, oak mortality nonsignificantly decreased with increasing temperature. These findings indicate that enhanced tree mortality due to rising temperatures in response to climate change is possible, especially in coniferous forests, and are expected to contribute to policy decisions to support and forest management practices.

Growth and Hydrologic Influence of European Larch and Red Pine 10 Years After Planting

Treesearch

Alfred Ray Harris; Richard S. Sartz

1972-01-01

Ten years after planting, European larch and red pine diameters averaged 11.2 and 9.6 cm, and heights averaged 9.7 and 5.1 m. Litter on the larch plots was twice as heavy as on the pine and unplanted conrtol plots. Organic carbon content of the top 5 cm of soil appeared to reflect vegetation differences, but soil bulk density did not. The amount of water depleted by...

Tree-ring evidence for the historical absence of cyclic larch budmoth outbreaks in the Tatra Mountains

Treesearch

Oliver Konter; Jan Esper; Andrew Liebhold; Tomas Kyncl; Lea Schneider; Elisabeth Düthorn; Ulf Buntgen

2015-01-01

The absence of larch budmoth outbreaks and subsequent consequences on tree rings together with a distinct climate–growth relationship enhance the dendroclimatic potential of larch ring width data from the Tatra Mountains. Regular population oscillations are generally considered to arise from trophic interactions, though it is unclear how such cycles are...

Wildfires Dynamics in Siberian Larch Forests

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ponomarev, Evgenii I.; Kharuk, Viacheslav I.; Ranson, Kenneth J.

2016-01-01

Wildfire number and burned area temporal dynamics within all of Siberia and along a south-north transect in central Siberia (45deg-73degN) were studied based on NOAA/AVHRR (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/ Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer) and Terra/MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) data and field measurements for the period 1996-2015. In addition, fire return interval (FRI) along the south-north transect was analyzed. Both the number of forest fires and the size of the burned area increased during recent decades (p < 0.05). Significant correlations were found between forest fires, burned areas and air temperature (r = 0.5) and drought index (The Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index, SPEI) (r = 0.43). Within larch stands along the transect, wildfire frequency was strongly correlated with incoming solar radiation (r = 0.91). Fire danger period length decreased linearly from south to north along the transect. Fire return interval increased from 80 years at 62 N to 200 years at the Arctic Circle (6633' N), and to about 300 years near the northern limit of closed forest stands (about 71+ N). That increase was negatively correlated with incoming solar radiation (r = 0.95). Keywords: wildfires; drought index; larch stands; fire return interval; fire frequency; burned area; climate-induced trends in Siberian wildfires

Synthesis of nickel-incorporated larch-based carbon membranes with controllable porous structure for gas separation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Xin; Li, Wei; Huang, Zhanhua; Liu, Shouxin

2015-11-01

Ni-incorporated larch-based carbon membranes have been synthesized by introducing the Ni(NO3)2 into the liquefied larch using liquefied larch sawdust as precursors and F127 as the soft template. The porous structure can be tailored by the amount of Ni(NO3)2, and the Ni and NiO nanoparticles with a size of 10 nm incorporated in the carbon frameworks. The increase in Ni(NO3)2 content can lead to the formation of disordered porous structure and shrinkage of carbon frameworks. The Ni-incorporated carbon membranes with largest pores possess highest gas permeation for N2, CO2, and O2 of 37.5, 19.8, and 55.5 m3 cm/m2 h kPa, which is larger than that of the pure carbon membranes, respectively. However, the poor ordered porous structure caused by adding large amount of Ni(NO3)2 can reduce the gas separation performance, which is attributed to the weaken of the molecular sieve function. The results indicate that the incorporation of few nanoparticles into larch-based carbon membranes can improve molecular sieve function.

Variability in understory evapotranspiration with overstory density in Siberian larch forests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tobio, A.; Loranty, M. M.; Kropp, H.; Pena, H., III; Alexander, H. D.; Natali, S.; Kholodov, A. L.

2016-12-01

Arctic ecosystems are changing rapidly in response to amplified rates of climate change. Increased vegetation productivity, altered ecosystem carbon and hydrologic cycling, and increased wildfire severity are among the key responses to changing permafrost and climate conditions. Boreal larch forests in northeastern Siberia are a critical but understudied ecosystem affected by these modifications. Understory vegetation in these ecosystems, which typically have low canopy cover, may account for half of all water fluxes. Despite the potential importance of the understory for ecosystem water exchange, there has been relatively little research examining variability in understory evapotranspiration in boreal larch forests. In particular, the water balance of understory shrubs and mosses is largely undefined and could provide insight on how understory vegetation and our changing climate interact. This is especially important because both observed increases in vegetation productivity and wildfire severity could lead to increases in forests density, altering the proportional contributions of over- and understory vegetation to whole ecosystem evapotranspiration. In order to better understand variability in understory evapotranspiration we measured in larch forests with differing overstory density and permafrost conditions that likely vary as a consequence of fire severity. We used the static chamber technique to measure fluxes across a range of understory vegetation types and environmental conditions. In general, we found that the understory vegetation in low density stands transpires more than that in high density stands. This tends to be correlated with a larger amount of aboveground biomass in the low density stands, and an increase in solar radiation, due to less shading by overstory trees. These results will help us to better understand water balances, evapotranspiration variability, and productivity changes associated with climate on understory vegetation. Additionally

Larch Litter Removal Has No Significant Effect On Runoff

Treesearch

Richard S. Startz; David N. Tolsted

1974-01-01

Runoff was measured on paired litter-removed, litter-left plots in an 11-year-old European larch plantation. On five of the six pairs of plots, the plot with the litter left intact yielded more runoff. however, the differences were neither statistically nor hydrologically significant.

Biomass Production of 12-Year-Old Intensively Cultured Larix Eurolepis

Treesearch

Jerry Zavitkovski; Terry Strong

1984-01-01

Between 9 and 12 years Larix eurolepis grew annually about 1.3 m in height and 0.6 cm in diameter. In plots with 0.8 to 1.5 m(2) of growing space, total woody biomass increased from 70.1 to 98.8 mt/ha, and the mean annual biomass increment from 7.8 to 8.2 mt/ha.

Fire-induced surface forcing of the Siberian larch forests since 2000 in the context of climate change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, D.; Loboda, T. V.; He, T.; Zhang, Y.; Liang, S.

2017-12-01

The Siberian larch forests are a major component of the global boreal biome with wildfire being the most important disturbance agent. However, due to their unique characteristics and remote location, coupled with a limited record of remotely sensed datasets, we know little about the post-fire albedo dynamics in the region as well as the associated climatic impact, especially over a relatively longer temporal span at the regional scale. This is unfortunate as it has been suggested that the fire-induced albedo changes may have a pivotal role in controlling the net climatic impact of the boreal forests. Utilizing a 30-m 24-year stand age distribution map of the Siberian larch forests, combined with the full record of the MODIS albedo product, this study quantified the surface forcing induced by stand-replacing fires in the Siberian larch forests over 2001-2015. The results show that the larch forests experienced stand-replacing fires in the region has a cooling effect lasting for more than 25 years, and the magnitude of the cooling (-9.60 ± 0.03 Wm-2) is much larger than previously expected. Due to the strong cooling of stand-replacing fires, coupled with their wide distribution, the net surface forcing of the Siberian larch forests between 2001 and 2013 is negative (-0.78 Wm-2). In contrast, the forests that did not experience stand-replacing fires since 2000 show a warming effect, which is largely attributable to a lengthening of snow-free duration in the region. These results together indicate that wildfire may play a much bigger role in modulating the climatic impact of the Siberian larch forests than we previously thought, but this role is likely weakened by the considerable warming in the region, thus needs to be evaluated in the context of global climate change.

Effects of larch defenses on xylophagous insect guilds

Treesearch

Galina I. Girs; Victor M. Yanovsky

1991-01-01

One of the best studies of a xylophage consortium is the case of larch insects by Isaev and Girs (1975). In their book, a basic theory was presented about host responses to xylophagous insects injury. According to their concept of "sliding resistance," different trunk-infesting insect species have different reactions to the tree's defenses and invade the...

Site index, height growth, normal yields and stocking levels for larch in Oregon and Washington.

Treesearch

P.H. Cochran

1985-01-01

Even-aged stands of larch in Oregon and Washington have cubic volume yields similar to yields from larch in Idaho and Montana. Site index values derived from the heights of the single tallest tree on 1/5-acre plots at an age at breast height of 50 years range from 50 to 110 feet. These values have the same index to productivity as the site index values of 30 to 90 feet...

Duff mound consumption and cambium injury for centuries-old western larch from prescribed burning in western Montana

Treesearch

Michael G. Harrington

2012-01-01

Western larch is one of the most fire-adapted conifers in western North America. Its historical perpetuation depended upon regular fire disturbances, which creates open stand conditions and mineral seedbeds. A stand of 200- to 500-year-old larch in western Montana with deep duff mounds resulting from an unusually long 150-year fire-free period was mechanically thinned...

Use of Larch Light Rings for an Evaluation of Volcanic Explosivity Index

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gurskaya, M. A.

2017-12-01

Volcanic eruptions lead to a global short-term drop in air temperature, including a shortening of the growing season. A reaction to these short-term climatic changes is the formation of light rings (LRs) in Siberian larches growing in the Siberian Subarctic area. The relationships between mass formation (and spatial spread) of LRs and the Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) are shown based on an analysis of larch cores collected at 18 points in the northern forest-tundra from 67°32' to 167°40' N. The eruptions with VEI = 6 and higher statistically differ from weaker eruptions by the number of LRs and their spatial distribution. The doubtful dates of several strong eruptions are discussed.

The Potential Impact of CO2 and Air Temperature Increases on Krummholz's Transformation into Arborescent Form in the Southern Siberian Mountains

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kharuk, V. I.; Dvinskaya, M. L.; Im, S. T.; Ranson, K. J.

2011-01-01

Trees in the southern Siberian Mountains forest-tundra ecotone have considerably increased their radial and apical growth increments during the last few decades. This leads to the widespread vertical transformation of mat and prostrate krummholz forms of larch (Larix sibirica Ledeb) and Siberian pine (Pinus sibirica Du Tour). An analysis of the radial growth increments showed that these transformations began in the mid-1980s. Larch showed a greater resistance to the harsh alpine environment and attained a vertical growth form in areas where Siberian pine is still krummholz. Upper larch treeline is about 10 m higher than Siberian pine treeline. Observed apical and radial growth increment increases were correlated with CO2 concentration (r = 0.83-0.87), summer temperatures (r = 0.55-0.64), and "cold period" (i.e. September-May) air temperatures (r = 0.36-0.37). Positive correlation between growth increments and winter precipitation was attributed to snow cover protection for trees during wintertime.

Boreal tree hydrodynamics: asynchronous, diverging, yet complementary.

PubMed

Pappas, Christoforos; Matheny, Ashley M; Baltzer, Jennifer L; Barr, Alan G; Black, T Andrew; Bohrer, Gil; Detto, Matteo; Maillet, Jason; Roy, Alexandre; Sonnentag, Oliver; Stephens, Jilmarie

2018-05-08

Water stress has been identified as a key mechanism of the contemporary increase in tree mortality rates in northwestern North America. However, a detailed analysis of boreal tree hydrodynamics and their interspecific differences is still lacking. Here we examine the hydraulic behaviour of co-occurring larch (Larix laricina) and black spruce (Picea mariana), two characteristic boreal tree species, near the southern limit of the boreal ecozone in central Canada. Sap flux density (Js), concurrently recorded stem radius fluctuations and meteorological conditions are used to quantify tree hydraulic functioning and to scrutinize tree water-use strategies. Our analysis revealed asynchrony in the diel hydrodynamics of the two species with the initial rise in Js occurring 2 h earlier in larch than in black spruce. Interspecific differences in larch and black spruce crown architecture explained the observed asynchrony in their hydraulic functioning. Furthermore, the two species exhibited diverging stomatal regulation strategies with larch and black spruce employing relatively isohydric and anisohydric behaviour, respectively. Such asynchronous and diverging tree-level hydrodynamics provide new insights into the ecosystem-level complementarity in tree form and function, with implications for understanding boreal forests' water and carbon dynamics and their resilience to environmental stress.

76 FR 81359 - European Larch Canker; Expansion of Regulated Areas

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-28

... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 7 CFR Part 301 [Docket No. APHIS-2011-0029] European Larch Canker; Expansion of Regulated Areas AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health... willkommi (Dasycypha), is a serious plant disease caused by a fungus that can kill mature and immature...

Recent (1977-1980) releases of imported larch casebearer parasites for biological control.

Treesearch

Roger B. Ryan

1981-01-01

Releases of Diadegma laricinellum (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae), Dicladocerus westwoodii, Dicladocerus japonicus, Chrysocharis laricinellae, Elachertus argissaj, Necremnus metalarus (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), and Agathis pumila (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) for biological control of the larch casebearer in...

Testing aerially applied Orthene for control of larch casebearer.

Treesearch

John S. Hard; Stanley Meso; Michael Haskett

1979-01-01

Orthene was tested in a randomized block experiment to determine efficacy against larch casebearer. Needlemining larval populations were sprayed in September 1976 by helicopter with 0.5 lb Orthene/gal water/acre (560 g a.i/9.3 l/ha). Spray deposit was sampled with Kromekote cards. Plot mean larval populations, spray deposit, and defoliation index were analyzed to...

Nitrogen cycle inferred by δ15N in larch stand in northern Mongolia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayashi, Mika; Lopez C., Maximo Larry; Nobori, Yoshihiro; Byambasuren, Mijidsuren; Boy, Jens

2017-04-01

Mongolia represents the southernmost border of boreal forests and therefore is more sensitive to climate change. In boreal regions forest grow under N-limited conditions and for this reason rely on ectomycorrhizal fungi for the uptake of inorganic and dissolved organic N from the soil solution. A drastic increase in air temperature and a decrease or almost no change in summer precipitation has led to a severe climate induced drought that is expected to impact the nitrogen cycle in this region. Until now there has been no study on the nitrogen dynamics and especially not by means of stable isotope in the entire Eurasian boreal forests. Thus, in this study we evaluate the effect of spatial and climatic characteristics on the soil-tree N exchange in three representative larch forest stands (Larix sibirica) in the forest-steppe zone of central Mongolia. The results showed significant differences in the soil available N content and the influence that this difference exerts on the level of N fractionation from roots to leaves. In this study we observed heavier d15N in fine roots than in short roots (where the ectomycorrhizal fungi is attached) which was used as a proxy for soil available d15N. This value did not match total N d15N in any of the three sites selected for this study even though total N d15N has been used in previous studies as a proxy for available N d15N. Higher fractionation was observed in forest stands where available N was more limited indicating a heavier reliance on ectomycorrhizal fungi for inorganic N uptake. Coincidentally, the site with less available N was the southern site with the lowest precipitation. The opposite was found in the northern sites where available N was higher and thus fractionation showed lower values. Different tree tissues (fine and short-roots, stem, leaves) and litter showed multiple, intra-plant processes that influenced the isotope signal of the source-sink nitrogen dynamics.

Climate impact on the tree growth, vigor and productivity in Siberia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kharuk, V.; Im, S.; Petrov, I.; Dvinskaya, M.

2017-12-01

Changing climate has an impact on the Siberian taiga forests. We analyzed GPP and NPP trends, growth index, and stands mortality within the Central Siberia (48°- 75°N/80°-115°E). Considered forests included larch-dominant (Larix sibirica, L. dahurica) and "dark needle conifer" (DNC: Abies sibirica, Pinus sibirica, Picea obovata) stands. GPP and NPP trends calculated based on the Terra/MODIS products. Growth index calculations based on dendrochronology data. Water stress analysis based on the gravimetric and microwave satellite data and MERRA-2 database. Analyzed variables included precipitation, air temperature, VPD, drought index SPEI, and root zone wetness. We found positive GPP trends within majority (>90%) of larch-dominant and DNC ranges, whereas NPP trends are positive on the <40% territory. Negative NPP trends correlated with growth index within key-sites. Siberian pine and fir growth index increase since late 1970th, turning to depression since late 1980th. Within permafrost zone larch growth correlated with sum of positive (t>+10C°) temperatures and vegetation period length. During recent years larch experience water stress in the beginning of vegetation period. Tree decline and mortality observed within DNC stands, and that phenomenon regularly coincided with zones of negative NPP trends. Mortality correlated with VPD, SPEI, and root zone moisture content. Bark beetles (including aggressive species Polygraphus proximus, similar to Dendroctonus ponderosae in American forests) attacked water-stressed trees. Geographically, mortality began on the margins of the DNC range (e.g., within the forest-steppe ecotone) and on terrain features with maximal water stress risk (narrow-shaped hilltops, convex steep south facing slopes, shallow well-drained soils). Currently, Siberian pine and fir decline observed within southern range of these species. In addition, air temperature and aridity increase promotes Siberian silkmoth (Dendrolimus sibiricus) outbreak that

Driving Factors of Understory Evapotranspiration within a Siberian Larch Forest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tobio, A.; Loranty, M. M.; Kropp, H.; Pena, H., III; Alexander, H. D.; Natali, S.; Kholodov, A. L.; Spawn, S.; Farmer, S.

2017-12-01

Amplified rates of climate change are causing alterations in vegetation productivity, hydrologic cycling, and wildfire severity and intensity in arctic ecosystems. Boreal larch forests in northeastern Siberia are a critical but understudied ecosystem that are affected by these modifications. These forests cover 2.5 million km2 with densities ranging from spare to thick. The current average canopy cover is at around 17% and is expected to increase with the observed increases in vegetation productivity and wildfire. These projected changes in forest density can alter the proportional contributions of over- and understory vegetation to whole ecosystem evapotranspiration. Low density boreal forests have much higher rates of understory evapotranspiration and can contribute as much as 80% to total ecosystem evapotranspiration, while the understory in high density forests is responsible for only around 15% of total ecosystem evapotranspiration. The objective of this research is to understand why there are changes in understory evapotranspiration with varying overstory density by looking at light levels, biomass, vegetation, and air and soil differences. To better learn about these differences in understory evapotranspiration in boreal larch forests the driving factors of evapotranspiration were measured within a burn scar with varying densities of high, medium, and low. Water fluxes were conducted using the static chamber technique under different environmental conditions. Furthermore, controlling factors of evapotranspiration such as photosynethically active radiation, vapor pressure deficit, soil moisture, moss cover, biomass, and leaf area index were measured or derived. In general, we found that low density areas have highest rates of evapotranspiration due to larger amount of biomass, and increased access to light, despite low levels of soil moisture. These results can help us understand how and why total ecosystem water exchange will change in boreal larch forests

The role of organic soil layer on the fate of Siberian larch forest and near-surface permafrost under changing climate: A simulation study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

SATO, H.; Iwahana, G.; Ohta, T.

2013-12-01

Siberian larch forest is the largest coniferous forest region in the world. In this vast region, larch often forms nearly pure stands, regenerated by recurrent fire. This region is characterized by a short and dry growing season; the annual mean precipitation for Yakutsk was only about 240 mm. To maintain forest ecosystem under such small precipitation, underlying permafrost and seasonal soil freezing-thawing-cycle have been supposed to play important roles; (1) frozen ground inhibits percolation of soil water into deep soil layers, and (2) excess soil water at the end of growing season can be carried over until the next growing season as ice, and larch trees can use the melt water. As a proof for this explanation, geographical distribution of Siberian larch region highly coincides with continuous and discontinuous permafrost zone. Recent observations and simulation studies suggests that existences of larch forest and permafrost in subsurface layer are co-dependent; permafrost maintains the larch forest by enhancing water use efficiency of trees, while larch forest maintains permafrost by inhibiting solar radiation and preventing heat exchanges between soil and atmosphere. Owing to such complexity and absence of enough ecosystem data available, current-generation Earth System Models significantly diverse in their prediction of structure and key ecosystem functions in Siberian larch forest under changing climate. Such uncertainty should in turn expand uncertainty over predictions of climate, because Siberian larch forest should have major role in the global carbon balance with its huge area and vast potential carbon pool within the biomass and soil, and changes in boreal forest albedo can have a considerable effect on Northern Hemisphere climate. In this study, we developed an integrated ecosystem model, which treats interactions between plant-dynamics and freeze-thaw cycles. This integrated model contains a dynamic global vegetation model SEIB-DGVM, which simulates

Ozone risk assessment for an Alpine larch forest in two vegetative seasons with different approaches: comparison of POD1 and AOT40.

PubMed

Finco, Angelo; Marzuoli, Riccardo; Chiesa, Maria; Gerosa, Giacomo

2017-12-01

The upper vegetation belts like larch forests are supposed to be under great pressure because of climate change in the next decades. For this reason, the evaluation of the risks due to abiotic stressors like ozone is a key step. Two different approaches were used here: mapping AOT40 index by means of passive samplers and direct measurements of ozone deposition.Measurements of ozone fluxes using the eddy-correlation technique were carried out for the first time over a larch forest in Paspardo (I) at 1750 m a.s.l. Two field campaigns were run: the first one in 2010 from July to October and the second one in the following year from June to September. Vertical exchange of ozone, energy, and momentum were measured on a tower platform at 26 m above ground level to study fluxes dynamics over this ecosystem. Since the tower was located on a gentle slope, an "ad hoc" methodology was developed to minimize the effects of the terrain inclination. The larch forest uptake was estimated by means of a two-layer model to separate the understorey uptake from the larch one. Even if the total ozone fluxes were generally high, up to 30-40 nmol O 3  m -2  s -1 in both years, the stomatal uptake by the larch forest was relatively low (around 15% of the total deposition).Ozone risk was assessed considering the POD 1 received by the larch forest and the exposure index AOT40 estimated with both local data and data from the map obtained by the passive samplers monitoring.

Larch Forests of Middle Siberia: Long-Term Trends in Fire Return Intervals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kharuk, Viacheslav I.; Dvinskaya, Mariya L.; Petrov, Ilya A.; Im, Sergei T.; Ranson, Kenneth J.

2016-01-01

Fire history within the northern larch forests of Central Siberia was studied (65 + deg N). Fires within this area are predominantly caused by lightning strikes rather than human activity. Mean fire return intervals (FRIs) were found to be 112 ± 49 years (based on fire scars) and 106 ± 36 years (based on fire scars and tree natality dates). FRI were increased with latitude increase and observed to be about 80 years at 64 deg N, about 200 years near the Arctic Circle and about 300 years nearby the northern range limit of larch stands (approximately 71 deg + N). Northward FRI increase correlated with incoming solar radiation (r = -0.95). Post Little Ice Age (LIA) warming (after 1850) caused approximately a doubling of fire events (in comparison with a similar period during LIA). The data obtained support a hypothesis of climate-induced fire frequency increase.

Larch Forests of Middle Siberia: Long-Term Trends in Fire Return Intervals

PubMed Central

Kharuk, Viacheslav I.; Dvinskaya, Mariya L.; Petrov, Ilya A.; Im, Sergei T.; Ranson, Kenneth J.

2017-01-01

Fire history within the northern larch forests of Central Siberia was studied (65+°N). Fires within this area are predominantly caused by lightning strikes rather than human activity. Mean fire return intervals (FRI) were found to be 112 ± 49 years (based on fire scars) and 106 ± 36 years (based on fire scars and tree natality dates). FRI were increased with latitude increase, and observed to be about 80 years at 64°N, about 200 years near the Arctic Circle, and about 300 years nearby the northern range limit of larch stands (~71°+N). Northward FRI increase correlated with incoming solar radiation (r = − 0.95). Post Little Ice Age (LIA) warming (after 1850) caused approximately a doubling of fire events (in comparison with a similar period during LIA). The data obtained support a hypothesis of climate-induced fire frequency increase. PMID:28966554

Carbon and oxygen isotope signatures in conifers from the Swiss National Park

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Churakova (Sidorova), Olga; Saurer, Matthias; Siegwolf, Rolf; Bryukhanova, Marina; Bigler, Christof

2015-04-01

Our study investigates the physiological response and plasticity of trees under climatic changes for larch (Larix decidua) and mountain pine (Pinus mugo var. uncinata) in the Swiss National Park.This research was done in the context of investigation tree mortality and their potential to survive under the harsh mountainous conditions. For the stable isotope analysis we selected four mountain pine and four larch trees from each a south- and north-facing slope. Oxygen isotope ratios can give insight into water sources and evaporative processes. To understand the differential response of mountain pine and larch to short-term climatic changes we measured 18O/16O in water extracted from twigs and needles as well as soil samples for each species at both sites. The seasonal variabilities in 18O/16O needles and twigs of mountain pine and larch trees as well as soil samples were related to changes in climate conditions from end of May until middle of October. To reveal the main climatic factors driving tree growth of pine and larch trees in the long-term, tree-ring width chronologies were built and bulk 18O/16O, 13C/12C wood chronologies were analyzed and correlated with climatic parameters over the last 100 years. The results indicate a strong influence of spring and summer temperatures for larch trees, while variation of spring and summer precipitations is more relevant for mountain pine trees. This work is supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation, Marie-Heim Vögtlin Program PMPDP-2 145507

Significance of phytohormones in Siberian larch-bud gall midge interaction

Treesearch

Rida M. Matrenina

1991-01-01

Interrelations of the bud gall midge and the Siberian larch are of scientific and practical interest because of the bud gall midge's role as a plant endoparasite. We know that attack by the gall midge sets off a reaction in the entire plant. Invasion by the insect results in a certain interaction between physiological mechanisms of the insect and the plant which...

Larch sawfly, Pristiphora ericltsortii (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae) and its parasitoids from Alaska

Treesearch

James A. Richmond; Richard A. Werner; Arnold T. Drooz

1995-01-01

The larch sawfly and four parasitoids were reared in the laboratory from cocoons collected in Alaska for two consecutive years. Emergence of adult sawflies exceeded thirty percent each year. The number of parasitoids emerging was four times greater from the 1993 collection than from the subsequent year. Twelve Tritneptis klugii (Ratzeburg) emerged...

Evaluation of in-feed larch sawdust anti-inflammatory effect in sows.

PubMed

Tzika, E D; Tassis, P D; Papatsiros, V G; Pferschy-Wenzig, E M; Siochu, A; Bauer, R; Alexopoulos, C; Kyriakis, S C; Franz, C

2017-03-01

The study aimed to investigate the possible anti-inflammatory activity of larch sawdust as feed supplement in lactating sows' diet and its possible effect on the prevalence of Postpartum Dysgalactia Syndrome under field conditions. In a Greek farrow-to-finish pig farm, fifteen sows were randomly and equally allocated to a negative control group (NC group), a positive control group (PC group), and a treatment group (LT group). The animals of the first two groups received 99% basic diet and 1% corn starch, while LT group animals received 99% basic diet and 1% larch sawdust. The whole trial period lasted 35 days (7 days prior to farrow - day of weaning). At parturition day, animals of the PC group received 2 ml of an anti-inflammatory drug intramuscularly (meloxicam, Metacam®, Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica), while the animals of both other groups, received 2 ml of normal saline. Results showed insignificant differences among experimental groups for parameters such as post-partum rectal temperature and piglets performance. On the contrary, a significant increase of mean milk lactation index was observed in LT and PC groups on the 4th day of lactation period, when compared with NC group (p=0.014). Additionally, mean IL-6 concentrations in blood in the LT group showed a tendency for reduction when compared with those found in NC, and insignificant difference (p>0.05) when compared with those observed in PC group 24 hours postpartum. Moreover, the respective TNFα mean level in the LT group at 24 and 72 hours after parturition was similar to that found in PC group, respectively) and significantly lower than that determined in the NC group (p=0.003, p=0.024. The results suggest a possible anti-inflammatory effect of larch sawdust in sows.

Application of Ionic Liquids in the Microwave-Assisted Extraction of Proanthocyanidins from Larix gmelini Bark

PubMed Central

Yang, Lei; Sun, Xiaowei; Yang, Fengjian; Zhao, Chunjian; Zhang, Lin; Zu, Yuangang

2012-01-01

Ionic liquid based, microwave-assisted extraction (ILMAE) was successfully applied to the extraction of proanthocyanidins from Larix gmelini bark. In this work, in order to evaluate the performance of ionic liquids in the microwave-assisted extraction process, a series of 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium ionic liquids with different cations and anions were evaluated for extraction yield, and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide was selected as the optimal solvent. In addition, the ILMAE procedure for the proanthocyanidins was optimized and compared with other conventional extraction techniques. Under the optimized conditions, satisfactory extraction yield of the proanthocyanidins was obtained. Relative to other methods, the proposed approach provided higher extraction yield and lower energy consumption. The Larix gmelini bark samples before and after extraction were analyzed by Thermal gravimetric analysis, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and characterized by scanning electron microscopy. The results showed that the ILMAE method is a simple and efficient technique for sample preparation. PMID:22606036

Biochar as a biosecurity tool for the management of invasive and/or infected plants.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harries, Philip J. E.; Fielding, J. James; Alayne Street-Perrott, F.; Doerr, Stefan H.; Brackenbury, Sion

2014-05-01

Control of invasive alien/native plants and diseased trees is often achieved using labour-intensive mechanical methods, incurring high costs and significant carbon debt. Disposal of cleared biomass may be heavily regulated. The commonly used method, burning, wastes a potentially valuable resource. Biochar may offer a safe, cost-effective solution to the problem of disposal. Large areas of Wales are covered by bracken (Pteridium aquilinum) (37x103 ha) or invasive Rhododendron ponticum (area not yet quantified). Clearance of these plants is often necessary for agriculture or maintenance of biodiversity (bracken), or to curb the rapid dispersal of the fungus-like pathogen Phytophthora ramorum from rhododendron (the principal host) into commercial timber stands, notably Japanese larch (Larix kaempferi). In addition, ash dieback (the fungal disease Hymenoscyphus pseudoalbidus aka Chalara fraxinea) is now spreading aggressively in common ash trees (Fraxinus excelsior) in the UK. Pilot-scale experiments are being conducted using a BiGchar 1000 mobile, fast pyrolysis -gasification unit, focussing on chipped rhododendron, Japanese larch and common ash feedstocks. Preliminary results of these experiments will be presented. The biochars produced are being subjected to a range of physical and chemical analyses. Levels of micro- and macro-nutrients retained from the original feedstocks are being evaluated. Organic and inorganic contaminants are also being compared with those in the respective feedstocks. Biochar produced from R. ponticum comprised C 63.7-85.9%, H 0.4-0.8%, N 0.4-0.8%, S 0.27-1.79% and O 4.1-27.4%, with most of the mineral nutrients being retained from the original feedstock, especially Mn. Larch biochar comprised C 84.1-91.7%, H 1.8-3.1%, N 0.3-0.8%, S 0.42-0.69% and O 4.1-10.7%. Heavy-metal concentrations were below recommended limits (International Biochar Initiative, 2012), although R. ponticum growing on highly acidified soils showed some tendency to bio

The Seeley Lake larch: Living link to indian and frontier history

Treesearch

Stephen F. Arno

2010-01-01

Western Montana’s Big Blackfoot River was once the gateway to a magnificent forest and the conduit that fed an immense sawmill. Epic log drives once choked the waterway full of timber each spring. The Big Blackfoot drainage was known for its majestic, centuries-old ponderosa pine and western larch trees. Although stately old ponderosas were widely distributed across...

Real-time PCR assay to distinguish the four Phytophthora ramorum lineages using cellulose binding elicitor lectin (CBEL) locus

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Phytophthora ramorum is a pathogenic oomycete responsible for causing sudden oak death in the Western United States and sudden larch death in the United Kingdom. This pathogen has so far caused extensive mortality of oak and tanoak in California and of Japanese larch in the United Kingdom. Until rec...

Boreal Tree Light- and Water-Use: Asynchronous, Diverging, yet Complementary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pappas, C.; Baltzer, J. L.; Barr, A.; Black, T. A.; Bohrer, G.; Detto, M.; Maillet, J.; Matheny, A. M.; Roy, A.; Sonnentag, O.; Stephens, J.

2017-12-01

Water stress has been suggested as a key mechanism behind the contemporary increase in tree mortality rates in northwestern North America. However, a detailed analysis of boreal tree light- and water-use strategies as well as their interspecific differences are still lacking. Here, we examine the tree hydraulic behaviour of co-occurring larch (Larix laricina) and black spruce (Picea mariana), two characteristic boreal tree species, near the southern limit of the boreal ecozone in central Canada. Sap flux density (Js) and concurrently recorded stem radius fluctuations and meteorological conditions are used to quantify tree hydraulic functioning and to scrutinize tree light- and water-use strategies. Our analysis reveals an asynchrony in the diel hydrodynamics of the two species with the initial rise in Js occurring two hours earlier in larch than in black spruce. Structural differences in the crown architecture of larch and black spruce lead to interspecific differences in light harvesting that can explain the observed asynchrony in their hydraulic function. Furthermore, the two species exhibit diverging stomatal regulation strategies with larch employing relatively isohydric whereas black spruce anisohydric behaviour. Such asynchronous and diverging tree-level light- and water-use strategies provide new insights into the ecosystem-level complementarity of tree form and function, with implications for understanding boreal forests' water and carbon dynamics and resilience to environmental stress.

Linking patterns and processes of species diversification in the cone flies Strobilomyia (Diptera: Anthomyiidae).

PubMed

Sachet, Jean-Marie; Roques, Alain; Després, Laurence

2006-12-01

Phytophagous insects provide useful models for the study of ecological speciation. Much attention has been paid to host shifts, whereas situations where closely related lineages of insects use the same plant during different time periods have been relatively neglected in previous studies of insect diversification. Flies of the genus Strobilomyia are major pests of conifers in Eurasia and North America. They are specialized feeders in cones and seeds of Abies (fir), Larix (larch) ,and Picea (spruce). This close association is accompanied by a large number of sympatric Strobilomyia species coexisting within each tree genus. We constructed a molecular phylogeny with a 1320 base-pair fragment of mitochondrial DNA that demonstrated contrasting patterns of speciation in larch cone flies, as opposed to spruce and fir cone flies; this despite their comparable geographic distributions and similar resource quality of the host. Species diversity is the highest on larch, and speciation is primarily driven by within-host phenological shifts, followed by allopatric speciation during geographical expansion. By contrast, fewer species exploit spruce and fir, and within-host phenological shifts did not occur. This study illustrates within-host adaptive radiation through phenological shifts, a neglected mode of sympatric speciation.

Site treatments influence development of a young mixed-species western larch stand

Treesearch

Dennis M. Cole; Wyman C. Schmidt

1986-01-01

Four treatments, all combinations of leaving or removing residual trees and shrubs or scarifying or not scarifying seedbeds, were evaluated for species differences in growth, vigor, and expression of dominance. Western larch was the dominant species in regeneration and growth but had begun to lose some of its advantage by age 25, particularly on scarified areas where...

Preliminary guidelines for prescribed burning under standing timber in western larch/douglas-fir forests

Treesearch

Rodney A. Norum

1977-01-01

Guidelines are offered for safe, effective fire treatments in western larch/Douglas-fir forests. Describes procedures for estimating and limiting the scorching of tree crows. Provides a method for predicting percentage of the forest floor that will be burned down to mineral soil.

Dissimilar responses of larch stands in northern Siberia to increasing temperatures-a field and simulation based study.

PubMed

Wieczorek, Mareike; Kruse, Stefan; Epp, Laura S; Kolmogorov, Alexei; Nikolaev, Anatoly N; Heinrich, Ingo; Jeltsch, Florian; Pestryakova, Lyudmila A; Zibulski, Romy; Herzschuh, Ulrike

2017-09-01

Arctic and alpine treelines worldwide differ in their reactions to climate change. A northward advance of or densification within the treeline ecotone will likely influence climate-vegetation feedback mechanisms. In our study, which was conducted in the Taimyr Depression in the North Siberian Lowlands, w present a combined field- and model-based approach helping us to better understand the population processes involved in the responses of the whole treeline ecotone, spanning from closed forest to single-tree tundra, to climate warming. Using information on stand structure, tree age, and seed quality and quantity from seven sites, we investigate effects of intra-specific competition and seed availability on the specific impact of recent climate warming on larch stands. Field data show that tree density is highest in the forest-tundra, and average tree size decreases from closed forest to single-tree tundra. Age-structure analyses indicate that the trees in the closed forest and forest-tundra have been present for at least ~240 yr. At all sites except the most southerly ones, past establishment is positively correlated with regional temperature increase. In the single-tree tundra, however, a change in growth form from krummholz to erect trees, beginning ~130 yr ago, rather than establishment date has been recorded. Seed mass decreases from south to north, while seed quantity increases. Simulations with LAVESI (Larix Vegetation Simulator) further suggest that relative density changes strongly in response to a warming signal in the forest-tundra while intra-specific competition limits densification in the closed forest and seed limitation hinders densification in the single-tree tundra. We find striking differences in strength and timing of responses to recent climate warming. While forest-tundra stands recently densified, recruitment is almost non-existent at the southern and northern end of the ecotone due to autecological processes. Palaeo-treelines may therefore

Skyline logging productivity under alternative harvesting prescriptions and levels of utilization in larch-fir stands

Treesearch

Rulon B. Gardner

1980-01-01

Larch-fir stands in northwest Montana were experimentally logged to determine the influence of increasingly intensive levels of utilization upon rates of yarding production, under three different silvicultural prescriptions. Variables influencing rate of production were also identified.

Study on adsorption and remediation of heavy metals by poplar and larch in contaminated soil.

PubMed

Wang, Xin; Jia, Youngfeng

2010-08-01

Field experiments at the Shenyang Experimental Station of Ecology were conducted to study the adsorption, accumulation, and remediation of heavy metals by poplar and larch grown in artificially contaminated soil. The soil was spiked with a combination of Cd, Cu, and Zn at concentrations of 1.5, 100, and 200 mg.kg(-1), respectively. The results showed that the biomass of poplar (Populus canadensis Moench) was lower by 26.0% in the soil spiked with a mixture of Cd, Cu, and Zn, compared with the control. Concentrations of Cd in poplar leaf and Cu in poplar roots in the treated soil were 4.11 and 14.55 mg kg(-1), respectively, which are much greater than in corresponding controls. The migration of heavy metals in woody plant body was in the order Cd > Zn > Cu. Poplar had higher metal concentrations in aboveground tissues and a higher biomass compared with larch of the same age and therefore is potentially more suitable for remediation. In the heavy metal-polluted soil of this study, phytoremediation by poplar may take 56 and 245 years for Cd and Cu, respectively, for meeting the soil standards of heavy metals, and the corresponding phytoremediation times by larch would take 211 and 438 years. The research findings could be used as a basis to develop ecological engineering technologies for environmental control and remediation of pollution caused by heavy metals in soils.

[The intensity of phytodetrite decomposition in Larch Forest of the permafrost zone in central Siberia].

PubMed

Prokushkin, S G; Prokushkin, A S; Sorokin, N D

2014-01-01

Based on the results of long-term investigations, quantitative assessment ofphytodetrite mineralization rates is provided. Their role in the biological cycle of larch stands growing in the permafrost zone of Central Evenkia is discussed. It is demonstrated that their destruction in the subshrub-sphagnum and cowberry-green moss larch stands is extremely slow, the plant litter contains the most cecalcitrant organic matter demonstrating the lowest decomposition coefficient of 0.03-0.04 year(-1), whereas fresh components of the plant litter have 3- to 4-fold higher values. An insignificant input of N and C from the analyzed mortmass to the soil has been registered. It has been revealed that the changes in N and C in the decomposition components are closely related to the quantitative dynamics (biomass) of microorganisms, such as hydrolytics and, especially, micromicetes.

Biomass production of 4- to 9-year-old intensively cultured Larix eurolepis grown in

Treesearch

J. Zavitkovski; Allen L. Lundgren; Terry Strong

1983-01-01

Intensively cultured Larix eurolepis at age 9 averaged 7.6 m in height and, depending on the spacing, 2.3 to 6.4 cm in d.b.h. The total stem-branch biomass for all spacing tested (0.1 to 1.5 m2) averaged 67 mt/ha and the mean annual biomass increment 7.4 mt/ha. The "Scotch Plaid" design appears suitable for comparative studies dealing with spacing and...

Guide to understory burning in ponderosa pine-larch-fir forests in the Intermountain West

Treesearch

Bruce M. Kilgore; George A. Curtis

1987-01-01

Summarizes the objectives, prescriptions, and techniques used in prescribed burning beneath the canopy of ponderosa pine stands, and stands of ponderosa pine mixed with western larch, Douglas-fir, and grand fir. Information was derived from 12 districts in two USDA Forest Service Regions and seven National Forests in Montana and Oregon.

Wildfires Dynamics in Mid-Siberian Larch Dominated Communities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kharuk, V. I.; Ranson. K. J.; Dvinskaya, M. L.

2003-01-01

The longterm wildfire dynamics, including fire return interval (FRI), in Siberian larch communities were examined. A wildfire chronology encompassing the 15th through the 20th centuries was developed from analyzing tree stem fire scars. Two methods were used to calculate the time interval between fires: 1) direct counting of annual tree growth rings between stem fire scars and 2) the next earlier fire date was estimated from growth ring analysis and added to the first estimate. Average FRI determined from stem fire scar dating was 82 plus or minus 7 using Method I or 95 plus or minus 7 when age of the next earlier fire was inferred from observed larch regeneration structure (Method II). FRI was also found to be dependent on site topography. FRI on north-east facing slopes was 86 plus or minus 11 years (105 plus or minus 12). FRI on south-west facing slopes was significantly less at 61 plus or minus 8 (73 plus ot minus 8) years. Flat terrain showed little difference between methods 68 plus or minus 14 (70 plus or minus 13). This was also the case for bogs, but FRI was much longer; 139 plus or minus 17 (138 plus ot minus 18). The maximum number of annual fires occurred with periods of 36 and 82 years on average. The temporal trend in the FRI decreased from 101 years in the 19 th century to 65 years in the 20th century. The effect of post-fire forest recovery on depth to permafrost was also estimated. After initial melting from increased local temperatures permafrost depth decreased at a rate of 0.3 cm/yr on average as forest canopies developed.

Effects on eastern larch beetle of its natural attractant and synthetic pheromones in Alaska.

Treesearch

Richard A. Werner; Malcom M. Furniss; Thomas. Ward

1981-01-01

Traps baited with Seudenol + a-pinene caught 87 percent more eastern larch beetles, Dendroctonus simplex LeConte, than did tamarack logs infested with females. Male beetles responded to the synthetic attractant in greater numbers than females. Male beetles were not attracted to frontalin, a principal attractant of the closely related Douglas-fir...

Results after 20 years from a western larch levels-of-growing-stock study.

Treesearch

K.W. Seidel

1987-01-01

The 20-year growth response from a levels-of-growing-stock study in an even-aged western larch stand in eastern Oregon, first thinned at age 33, showed that trees growing at low stand densities grew more rapidly in diameter than trees in high-density plots. Height growth was relatively uniform among density levels. Both basal-area and total cubic-volume increment...

Geographic variation, genetic structure, and conservation unit designation in the Larch Mountain salamander (Plethodon larselli).

Treesearch

R. Steven Wagner; Mark P. Miller; Charles M. Crisafulli; Susan M. Haig

2005-01-01

The Larch Mountain salamander (Plethodon larselli Burns, 1954) is an endemic species in the Pacific northwestern United States facing threats related to habitat destruction. To facilitate development of conservation strategies, we used DNA sequences and RAPDs (random amplified polymorphic DNA) to examine differences among populations of this...

Surface forcing of non-stand-replacing fires in Siberian larch forests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Dong; Loboda, Tatiana V.

2018-04-01

Wildfires are the dominant disturbance agent in the Siberian larch forests. Extensive low- to mediate-intensity non-stand-replacing fires are a notable property of fire regime in these forests. Recent large scale studies of these fires have focused mostly on their impacts on carbon budget; however, their potential impacts on energy budget through post-fire albedo changes have not been considered. This study quantifies the post-fire surface forcing for Siberian larch forests that experienced non-stand-replacing fires between 2001 and 2012 using the full record of MODIS MCD43A3 albedo product and a burned area product developed specifically for the Russian forests. Despite a large variability, the mean effect of non-stand-replacing fires imposed through albedo is a negative forcing which lasts for at least 14 years. However, the magnitude of the forcing is much smaller than that imposed by stand-replacing fires, highlighting the importance of differentiating between the two fire types in the studies involving the fire impacts in the region. The results of this study also show that MODIS-based summer differenced normalized burn ratio (dNBR) provides a reliable metric for differentiating non-stand-replacing from stand-replacing fires with an overall accuracy of 88%, which is of considerable importance for future work on modeling post-fire energy budget and carbon budget in the region.

Opposing effects of fire severity on climate feedbacks in Siberian larch forests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loranty, M. M.; Alexander, H. D.; Natali, S.; Kropp, H.; Mack, M. C.; Bunn, A. G.; Davydov, S. P.; Erb, A.; Kholodov, A. L.; Schaaf, C.; Wang, Z.; Zimov, N.; Zimov, S. A.

2017-12-01

Boreal larch forests in northeastern Siberia comprise nearly 25% of the continuous permafrost zone. Structural and functional changes in these ecosystems will have important climate feedbacks at regional and global scales. Like boreal ecosystems in North America, fire is an important determinant of landscape scale forest distribution, and fire regimes are intensifying as climate warms. In Siberian larch forests are dominated by a single tree species, and there is evidence that fire severity influences post-fire forest density via impacts on seedling establishment. The extent to which these effects occur, or persist, and the associated climate feedbacks are not well quantified. In this study we use forest stand inventories, in situ observations, and satellite remote sensing to examine: 1) variation in forest density within and between fire scars, and 2) changes in land surface albedo and active layer dynamics associated with forest density variation. At the landscape scale we observed declines in Landsat derived albedo as forests recovered in the first several decades after fire, though canopy cover varied widely within and between individual fire scars. Within an individual mid-successional fire scar ( 75 years) we observed canopy cover ranging from 15-90% with correspondingly large ranges of albedo during periods of snow cover, and relatively small differences in albedo during the growing season. We found an inverse relationship between canopy density and soil temperature within this fire scar; high-density low-albedo stands had cooler soils and shallower active layers, while low-density stands had warmer soils and deeper active layers. Intensive energy balance measurements at a high- and low- density site show that canopy cover alters the magnitude and timing of ground heat fluxes that affect active layer properties. Our results show that fire impacts on stand structure in Siberian larch forests affect land surface albedo and active layer dynamics in ways that

[A site index model for Larix principis-rupprechtii plantation in Saihanba, north China].

PubMed

Wang, Dong-zhi; Zhang, Dong-yan; Jiang, Feng-ling; Bai, Ye; Zhang, Zhi-dong; Huang, Xuan-rui

2015-11-01

It is often difficult to estimate site indices for different types of plantation by using an ordinary site index model. The objective of this paper was to establish a site index model for plantations in varied site conditions, and assess the site qualities. In this study, a nonlinear mixed site index model was constructed based on data from the second class forest resources inventory and 173 temporary sample plots. The results showed that the main limiting factors for height growth of Larix principis-rupprechtii were elevation, slope, soil thickness and soil type. A linear regression model was constructed for the main constraining site factors and dominant tree height, with the coefficient of determination being 0.912, and the baseline age of Larix principis-rupprechtii determined as 20 years. The nonlinear mixed site index model parameters for the main site types were estimated (R2 > 0.85, the error between the predicted value and the actual value was in the range of -0.43 to 0.45, with an average root mean squared error (RMSE) in the range of 0.907 to 1.148). The estimation error between the predicted value and the actual value of dominant tree height for the main site types was in the confidence interval of [-0.95, 0.95]. The site quality of the high altitude-shady-sandy loam-medium soil layer was the highest and that of low altitude-sunny-sandy loam-medium soil layer was the lowest, while the other two sites were moderate.

Genetic variation, climate models and the ecological genetics of Larix occidentalis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rehfeldt, G.E.

1995-12-31

Provenance tests of 138 populations of Larix occidentalis revealed genetic differentiation for eight variables describing growth, phenology, tolerance to spring frosts, effects of Meria laricis needle cast, and survival. Geographic variables accounted for as much as 34% of the variance among Rocky Mountain populations. Patterns of genetic variation were dominated by the effects of latitude and elevation, with populations from the north and from high elevations having the lowest growth potential, the least tolerance to the needle cast, and the lowest survival. However, the slope of the geographic clines was relatively flat. Populations in the same geographic area, for instance,more » need to be separated by about 500 m in elevation before genetic differentiation can be expected.« less

LaAP2L1, a heterosis-associated AP2/EREBP transcription factor of Larix, increases organ size and final biomass by affecting cell proliferation in Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Li, Ai; Zhou, Yanan; Jin, Chuan; Song, Wenqin; Chen, Chengbin; Wang, Chunguo

2013-11-01

In Larix and in some crops, heterosis is prevalent and has been widely used in breeding to produce excellent varieties. However, the molecular basis of heterosis in Larix remains ambiguous. LaAP2L1, a member of the AP2/EREBP transcription factor family, has been suggested to be involved in heterosis in Larix hybrids. Here, the function and regulation of LaAP2L1 were further explored. Overexpression of LaAP2L1 led to markedly enlarged organs and heterosis-like traits in Arabidopsis. Fresh weight of leaves was almost twice as great as in vector controls. Likewise, seed yield of 35S::LaAP2L1 individual plants was >200% greater than that of control plants. The enlarged organs and heterosis-like traits displayed by 35S::LaAP2L1 plants were mainly due to enhanced cell proliferation and prolonged growth duration. At the molecular level, LaAP2L1 upregulated the expression of ANT, EBP1, and CycD3;1 and inhibited the expression of ARGOS in 35S::LaAP2L1 plants, suggesting an important molecular role of LaAP2L1 in regulating plant organ development. These findings provide new insights into the formation of heterosis in woody plants and suggest that LaAP2L1 has potential applications in breeding high-yielding crops and energy plants. In addition, 50 AP2/EREBP transcription factors, including LaAP2L1, in Larix were identified by transcriptome sequencing, and phylogenetic analysis was conducted. This provided information that will be important in further revealing the functions of these transcription factors.

Warming and CO2 enrichment modified the ecophysiological responses of Dahurian larch and Mongolia pine during the past century in the permafrost of northeastern China.

PubMed

Liu, Xiaohong; Zhao, Liangju; Voelker, Steven; Xu, Guobao; Zeng, Xiaomin; Zhang, Xuanwen; Zhang, Lingnan; Sun, Weizhen; Zhang, Qiuliang; Wu, Guoju; Li, Xiaoqin

2018-06-15

Tree-ring δ13C and δ18O of dominant Dahurian larch and Mongolia pine in the permafrost region of the northern Great Higgnan Mountains, China were used to elucidate species-specific ecophysiological responses to warming temperatures and increasing CO2 over the past century. Larch and pine stable carbon discrimination (Δ13C) 13C and δ18O in tree rings both showed synchronous changes during the investigated period (1901-2010), but with species-specific isotopic responses to atmospheric enriched CO2 and warming. Tree-ring Δ13C and δ18O were controlled by both maximum temperature and moisture conditions (precipitation, relative humidity and vapor pressure deficit), but with different growth periods (Δ13C in June-July and δ18O in July-August, respectively). In addition, stable isotopes of larch showed relatively greater sensitivity to moisture deficits than pine. Climatic conditions from 1920 to 1960 strongly and coherently regulated tree-ring Δ13C and δ18O through stomatal conductance. However, climatic-sensitivities of tree-ring Δ13C and δ18O recently diverged, implying substantial adjustments of stomatal conductance, photosynthetic rate and altered water sources over recent decades, which reveal the varied impacts of each factor on tree-ring Δ13C and δ18O over time. Based on expected changes in leaf gas-exchange, we isolated the impacts of atmospheric CO2 and climate change on intrinsic water-use efficiency (iWUE) over the past century. Higher intracellular CO2 in pine than larch from 1960 onwards suggests this species may be more resilient to severe droughts in the future. Our data also illustrated no weakening of the iWUE response to increasing CO2 in trees from this permafrost region. The overall pattern of CO2 enrichment and climate impacts on iWUE of pine and larch were similar, but warming increased iWUE of larch to a greater extent than that of pine over recent two decades. Taken together, our findings highlight the importance of considering how

Dwarf mistletoe affects whole-tree water relations of Douglas fir and western larch primarily through changes in leaf to sapwood ratios.

PubMed

Sala, Anna; Carey, Eileen V; Callaway, Ragan M

2001-01-01

Dwarf mistletoes induce abnormal growth patterns and extreme changes in the biomass allocation of their hosts as well as directly parasitizing them for resources. Because biomass allocation can affect the resource use and efficiency of conifers, we studied the influences of dwarf mistletoe infection on above-ground biomass allocation of Douglas fir and western larch, and the consequences of such changes on whole-tree water use and water relations. Sap flow, tree water potentials, leaf:sapwood area ratios (A L :A S ), leaf carbon isotope ratios, and nitrogen content were measured on Douglas fir and western larch trees with various degrees of mistletoe infection during the summer of 1996 in western Montana. Heavy dwarf mistletoe infection on Douglas fir and western larch was related to significant increases in A L :A S . Correspondingly, water transport dynamics were altered in infected trees, but responses were different for the two species. Higher A L :A S ratios in heavily infected Douglas firs were offset by increases in sapwood area-based sap flux densities (Q SW ) such that leaf area-based sap flux densities (Q L ) and predawn leaf water potentials at the end of the summer did not change significantly with mistletoe infection. Small (but statistically insignificant) decreases of Q L for heavily infected Douglas firs were enough to offset increases in leaf area such that whole-tree water use was similar for uninfected and heavily infected trees. Increased A L :A S ratios of heavily infected western larch were not offset by increases of Q SW . Consequently, Q L was reduced, which corresponded with significant decreases of water potential at the end of the summer. Furthermore, mistletoe-infection-related changes in A L :A S as a function of tree size resulted in greater whole-tree water use for large infected larches than for large uninfected trees. Such changes may result in further depletion of limited soil water resources in mature infected stands late in the

Pest Risk Assessment of the Importation of Larch from Siberia and the Soviet Far East

Treesearch

USDA Forest Service

1991-01-01

Several timber companies in the United States have expressed an interest in importing unprocessed larch logs from Siberia and the Soviet Far East. A variety of exotic forest pests, including insects, nematodes, and fungi, can be transported on or in logs. Many of these organisms can survive in transit and have a high potential to colonize suitable hosts near ports of...

Simulating carbon and water cycles of larch forests in East Asia by the BIOME-BGC model with AsiaFlux data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ueyama, M.; Ichii, K.; Hirata, R.; Takagi, K.; Asanuma, J.; Machimura, T.; Nakai, Y.; Ohta, T.; Saigusa, N.; Takahashi, Y.; Hirano, T.

2010-03-01

Larch forests are widely distributed across many cool-temperate and boreal regions, and they are expected to play an important role in global carbon and water cycles. Model parameterizations for larch forests still contain large uncertainties owing to a lack of validation. In this study, a process-based terrestrial biosphere model, BIOME-BGC, was tested for larch forests at six AsiaFlux sites and used to identify important environmental factors that affect the carbon and water cycles at both temporal and spatial scales. The model simulation performed with the default deciduous conifer parameters produced results that had large differences from the observed net ecosystem exchange (NEE), gross primary productivity (GPP), ecosystem respiration (RE), and evapotranspiration (ET). Therefore, we adjusted several model parameters in order to reproduce the observed rates of carbon and water cycle processes. This model calibration, performed using the AsiaFlux data, substantially improved the model performance. The simulated annual GPP, RE, NEE, and ET from the calibrated model were highly consistent with observed values. The observed and simulated GPP and RE across the six sites were positively correlated with the annual mean air temperature and annual total precipitation. On the other hand, the simulated carbon budget was partly explained by the stand disturbance history in addition to the climate. The sensitivity study indicated that spring warming enhanced the carbon sink, whereas summer warming decreased it across the larch forests. The summer radiation was the most important factor that controlled the carbon fluxes in the temperate site, but the VPD and water conditions were the limiting factors in the boreal sites. One model parameter, the allocation ratio of carbon between belowground and aboveground, was site-specific, and it was negatively correlated with the annual climate of annual mean air temperature and total precipitation. Although this study substantially

Simulating carbon and water cycles of larch forests in East Asia by the BIOME-BGC model with AsiaFlux data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ueyama, M.; Ichii, K.; Hirata, R.; Takagi, K.; Asanuma, J.; Machimura, T.; Nakai, Y.; Ohta, T.; Saigusa, N.; Takahashi, Y.; Hirano, T.

2009-08-01

Larch forests are widely distributed across many cool-temperate and boreal regions, and they are expected to play an important role in global carbon and water cycles. Model parameterizations for larch forests still contain large uncertainties owing to a lack of validation. In this study, a process-based terrestrial biosphere model, BIOME-BGC, was tested for larch forests at six AsiaFlux sites and used to identify important environmental factors that affect the carbon and water cycles at both temporal and spatial scales. The model simulation performed with the default deciduous conifer parameters produced results that had large differences from the observed net ecosystem exchange (NEE), gross primary productivity (GPP), ecosystem respiration (RE), and evapotranspiration (ET). Therefore, we adjusted several model parameters in order to reproduce the observed rates of carbon and water cycle processes. This model calibration, performed using the AsiaFlux data, significantly improved the model performance. The simulated annual GPP, RE, NEE, and ET from the calibrated model were highly consistent with observed values. The observed and simulated GPP and RE across the six sites are positively correlated with the annual mean air temperature and annual total precipitation. On the other hand, the simulated carbon budget is partly explained by the stand disturbance history in addition to the climate. The sensitivity study indicates that spring warming enhances the carbon sink, whereas summer warming decreases it across the larch forests. The summer radiation is the most important factor that controls the carbon fluxes in the temperate site, but the VPD and water conditions are the limiting factors in the boreal sites. One model parameter, the allocation ratio of carbon between aboveground and belowground, is site-specific, and it is negatively correlated with the annual climate of annual mean air temperature and total precipitation. Although this study significantly improves

Growth and yield of western larch under controlled levels of stocking in the Blue Mountains of Oregon.

Treesearch

P.H. Cochran; K.W. Seidel

1999-01-01

Repeated thinning to five growing-stock levels resulted in widely differing tree sizes and volumes per acre after 30 years. Largest trees but the least cubic-volume yield per acre were produced in the heaviest thinning level, whereas highest board-foot yields were found in intermediate thinning levels. Partial defoliation by larch casebearer (Coleophora...

Volume and weight characteristics of a typical Douglas-fir/ western larch stand, Coram Experimental Forest, Montana

Treesearch

Robert E. Benson; Joyce A. Schlieter

1980-01-01

An over-mature Douglas-fir/western larch stand on the Coram Experimental Forest in Montana averaged about 7,300 ft3/acre (511 rn3/ha) of wood over 3 inches (7.62 cm) in diameter, and an additional 57 tons/acre (128/ha) of fine material, before harvest. After logging, using three different cutting methods and four different levels of utilization, wood residues ranged...

Physiological responses of three deciduous conifers (Metasequoia glyptostroboides, Taxodium distichum and Larix laricina) to continuous light: adaptive implications for the early Tertiary polar summer.

PubMed

Equiza, M Alejandra; Day, Michael E; Jagels, Richard

2006-03-01

Polar regions were covered with extensive forests during the Cretaceous and early Tertiary, and supported trees comparable in size and productivity to those of present-day temperate forests. With a winter of total or near darkness and a summer of continuous, low-angle illumination, these temperate, high-latitude forests were characterized by a light regime without a contemporary counterpart. Although maximum irradiances were much lower than at mid-latitudes, the 24-h photoperiod provided similar integrated light flux. Taxodium, Larix and Metasequoia, three genera of deciduous conifers that occurred in paleoarctic wet forests, have extant, closely related descendents. However, the contemporary relative abundance of these genera differs greatly from that in the paleoarctic. To provide insight into attributes that favor competitive success in a continuous-light environment, we subjected saplings of these genera to a natural photoperiod or a 24-h photoperiod and measured gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence, non-structural carbohydrate concentrations, biomass production and carbon allocation. Exposure to continuous light significantly decreased photosynthetic capacity and quantum efficiency of photosystem II in Taxodium and Larix, but had minimal influence in Metasequoia. In midsummer, foliar starch concentration substantially increased in both Taxodium and Larix saplings grown in continuous light, which may have contributed to end-product down-regulation of photosynthetic capacity. In contrast, Metasequoia allocated photosynthate to continuous production of new foliar biomass. This difference in carbon allocation may have provided Metasequoia with a two fold advantage in the paleoarctic by minimizing depression of photosynthetic capacity and increasing photosynthetic surface.

Woody Species Diversity in Forest Plantations in a Mountainous Region of Beijing, China: Effects of Sampling Scale and Species Selection

PubMed Central

Zhang, Yuxin; Zhang, Shuang; Ma, Keming; Fu, Bojie; Anand, Madhur

2014-01-01

The role of forest plantations in biodiversity conservation has gained more attention in recent years. However, most work on evaluating the diversity of forest plantations focuses only on one spatial scale; thus, we examined the effects of sampling scale on diversity in forest plantations. We designed a hierarchical sampling strategy to collect data on woody species diversity in planted pine (Pinus tabuliformis Carr.), planted larch (Larix principis-rupprechtii Mayr.), and natural secondary deciduous broadleaf forests in a mountainous region of Beijing, China. Additive diversity partition analysis showed that, compared to natural forests, the planted pine forests had a different woody species diversity partitioning pattern at multi-scales (except the Simpson diversity in the regeneration layer), while the larch plantations did not show multi-scale diversity partitioning patterns that were obviously different from those in the natural secondary broadleaf forest. Compare to the natural secondary broadleaf forests, the effects of planted pine forests on woody species diversity are dependent on the sampling scale and layers selected for analysis. Diversity in the planted larch forest, however, was not significantly different from that in the natural forest for all diversity components at all sampling levels. Our work demonstrated that the species selected for afforestation and the sampling scales selected for data analysis alter the conclusions on the levels of diversity supported by plantations. We suggest that a wide range of scales should be considered in the evaluation of the role of forest plantations on biodiversity conservation. PMID:25545860

Seasonal Phenology and Life-History of Dendroctonus simplex (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in the Great Lakes Region of North America.

PubMed

McKee, Fraser R; Aukema, Brian H

2016-08-01

The eastern larch beetle, Dendroctonus simplex LeConte (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is distributed throughout the North American boreal forest sympatric with its primary host, the eastern larch or tamarack, Larix laricina (Du Roi) K. Koch. Outbreaks of eastern larch beetles are typically small and associated with stressed tamaracks. Since 2000, however, an outbreak has killed >90,000 ha of tamarack in Minnesota and surrounding Great Lakes region. Identifying the causes of this epidemic is challenging due to knowledge gaps regarding the insect's biology. We present field data from 2011 to 2014 on degree days associated with spring emergence, dispersal, host colonization, and re-emergence from colonized hosts by mature adult beetles, as well as degree days associated with larval development, and prewinter emergence by adult progeny at study sites in northern Minnesota. After initial host colonization in early spring we found that a second brood was established in early summer by re-emerging parents. In 2012, a third brood was established. Across study years, first broods developed to adults by late summer, with many beetles relocating to the base of the host tree to overwinter. Second broods often reached adulthood and initiated prewinter emergence. The third brood of 2012 overwintered as adults, pupae, and late-instars, resuming development the following spring. Each spring, emergence of adult beetles from all broods established the previous year was highly synchronous. Knowledge of the biology of eastern larch beetles along the southern margin of their range aids in understanding how population dynamics may change with a changing climate. © The Authors 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Drought response of five conifer species under contrasting water availability suggests high vulnerability of Norway spruce and European larch.

PubMed

Lévesque, Mathieu; Saurer, Matthias; Siegwolf, Rolf; Eilmann, Britta; Brang, Peter; Bugmann, Harald; Rigling, Andreas

2013-10-01

The ability of tree species to cope with anticipated decrease in water availability is still poorly understood. We evaluated the potential of Norway spruce, Scots pine, European larch, black pine, and Douglas-fir to withstand drought in a drier future climate by analyzing their past growth and physiological responses at a xeric and a mesic site in Central Europe using dendroecological methods. Earlywood, latewood, and total ring width, as well as the δ(13) C and δ(18) O in early- and latewood were measured and statistically related to a multiscalar soil water deficit index from 1961 to 2009. At the xeric site, δ(13) C values of all species were strongly linked to water deficits that lasted longer than 11 months, indicating a long-term cumulative effect on the carbon pool. Trees at the xeric site were particularly sensitive to soil water recharge in the preceding autumn and early spring. The native species European larch and Norway spruce, growing close to their dry distribution limit at the xeric site, were found to be the most vulnerable species to soil water deficits. At the mesic site, summer water availability was critical for all species, whereas water availability prior to the growing season was less important. Trees at the mesic were more vulnerable to water deficits of shorter duration than the xeric site. We conclude that if summers become drier, trees growing on mesic sites will undergo significant growth reductions, whereas at their dry distribution limit in the Alps, tree growth of the highly sensitive spruce and larch may collapse, likely inducing dieback and compromising the provision of ecosystem services. However, the magnitude of these changes will be mediated strongly by soil water recharge in winter and thus water availability at the beginning of the growing season. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Species presence frequency and diversity in different patch types along an altitudinal gradient: Larix chinensis Beissn in Qinling Mountains (China).

PubMed

Huang, Minyi; Duan, Renyan; Wang, Shixiong; Wang, Zhigao; Fan, Weiyi

2016-01-01

Forest communities are mosaic systems composed of patches classified into four different developmental patch types: gap patch (G), building patch (B), mature patch (M) and degenerate patch (D). To study the mechanisms maintaining diversity in subalpine coniferous forests, species presence frequency and diversity in the four distinct patch types (G, B, M and D) of Larix chinensis conifer forests at three altitudinal gradients in the Qinling Mountains were analyzed. Our results were as follows: (1) Different species (or functional groups) had distinct presence frequencies in the four different patch types along the altitudinal gradient; (2) Some species or functional groups (species groups sharing similar traits and responses to the environment) only occurred in some specific patches. For seed dispersal, species using wind mainly occurred in G and D, while species using small animals mainly occurred in B and M; (3) Species composition of adjacent patch types was more similar than non-adjacent patch types, based on the lower β diversity index of the former; (4) The maximum numbers of species and two diversity indices (D' and H') were found in the middle altitudes. Various gap-forming processes and dispersal limitation may be the two major mechanisms determining species diversity in Larix chinensis coniferous forests at the patch scale.

Isolation and identification of chitin in the black coral Parantipathes larix (Anthozoa: Cnidaria).

PubMed

Bo, Marzia; Bavestrello, Giorgio; Kurek, Denis; Paasch, Silvia; Brunner, Eike; Born, René; Galli, Roberta; Stelling, Allison L; Sivkov, Viktor N; Petrova, Olga V; Vyalikh, Denis; Kummer, Kurt; Molodtsov, Serguei L; Nowak, Dorota; Nowak, Jakub; Ehrlich, Hermann

2012-01-01

Until now, there is a lack of knowledge about the presence of chitin in numerous representatives of corals (Cnidaria). However, investigations concerning the chitin-based skeletal organization in different coral taxa are significant from biochemical, structural, developmental, ecological and evolutionary points of view. In this paper, we present a thorough screening for the presence of chitin within the skeletal formations of a poorly investigated Mediterranean black coral, Parantipathes larix (Esper, 1792), as a typical representative of the Schizopathidae family. Using a wide array variety of techniques ((13)C solid state NMR, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), Raman, NEXAFS, Morgan-Elson assay and Calcofluor White Staining), we unambiguously show for the first time that chitin is an important component within the skeletal stalks as well as pinnules of this coral. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A collaborative fire hazard reduction/ecosystem restoration stewardship project in a Montana mixed ponderosa pine/Douglas-fir/western larch wildland urban interface

Treesearch

Steve Slaughter; Laura Ward; Michael Hillis; Jim Chew; Rebecca McFarlan

2004-01-01

Forest Service managers and researchers designed and evaluated alternative disturbance-based fire hazard reduction/ecosystem restoration treatments in a greatly altered low-elevation ponderosa pine/Douglas-fir/western larch wildland urban interface. Collaboratively planned improvement cutting and prescribed fire treatment alternatives were evaluated in simulations of...

Stage-specific regulation of four HD-ZIP III transcription factors during polar pattern formation in Larix leptolepis somatic embryos.

PubMed

Li, Shui-gen; Li, Wan-feng; Han, Su-ying; Yang, Wen-hua; Qi, Li-wang

2013-06-15

Polar auxin transport provides a developmental signal for cell fate specification during somatic embryogenesis. Some members of the HD-ZIP III transcription factors participate in regulation of auxin transport, but little is known about this regulation in somatic embryogenesis. Here, four HD-ZIP III homologues from Larix leptolepis were identified and designated LaHDZ31, 32, 33 and 34. The occurrence of a miR165/166 target sequence in all four cDNA sequences indicated that they might be targets of miR165/166. Identification of the cleavage products of LaHDZ31 and LaHDZ32 in vivo confirmed that they were regulated by miRNA. Their mRNA accumulation patterns during somatic embryogenesis and the effects of 1-N-naphthylphthalamic acid (NPA) on their transcript levels and somatic embryo maturation were investigated. The results showed that the four genes had higher transcript levels at mature stages than at the proliferation stage, and that NPA treatment down-regulated the mRNA abundance of LaHDZ31, 32 and 33 at cotyledonary embryo stages, but had no effect on the mRNA abundance of LaHDZ34. We concluded that these four members of Larix HD-ZIP III family might participate in polar auxin transport and the development of somatic embryos, providing new insights into the regulatory mechanisms of somatic embryogenesis. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Spatial distribution pattern and fractal analysis of Larix chinensis populations in Qinling Mountain].

PubMed

Guo, Hua; Wang, Xiaoan; Xiao, Yaping

2005-02-01

In this paper, the fractal characters of Larix chinensis populations in Qinling Mountain were studied by contiguous grid quadrate sampling method and by boxing-counting dimension and information dimension. The results showed that the high boxing-counting dimension (1.8087) and information dimension (1.7931) reflected a higher spatial occupational degree of L. chinensis populations. Judged by the dispersal index and Morisita's pattern index, L. chinensis populations clumped at three different age stages (0-25, 25-50 and over 50 years). From Greig-Smiths' mean variance analysis, the figure of pattern scale showed that L. chinensis populations clumped in 128 m2 and 512 m2, and the different age groups clumped in different scales. The pattern intensities decreased with increasing age, and tended to reduce with increasing area when detected by Kershaw's PI index. The spatial pattern characters of L. chinensis populations may be their responses to environmental factors.

Effects of climate and fire on short-term vegetation recovery in the boreal larch forests of Northeastern China.

PubMed

Liu, Zhihua

2016-11-18

Understanding the influence of climate variability and fire characteristics in shaping postfire vegetation recovery will help to predict future ecosystem trajectories in boreal forests. In this study, I asked: (1) which remotely-sensed vegetation index (VI) is a good proxy for vegetation recovery? and (2) what are the relative influences of climate and fire in controlling postfire vegetation recovery in a Siberian larch forest, a globally important but poorly understood ecosystem type? Analysis showed that the shortwave infrared (SWIR) VI is a good indicator of postfire vegetation recovery in boreal larch forests. A boosted regression tree analysis showed that postfire recovery was collectively controlled by processes that controlled seed availability, as well as by site conditions and climate variability. Fire severity and its spatial variability played a dominant role in determining vegetation recovery, indicating seed availability as the primary mechanism affecting postfire forest resilience. Environmental and immediate postfire climatic conditions appear to be less important, but interact strongly with fire severity to influence postfire recovery. If future warming and fire regimes manifest as expected in this region, seed limitation and climate-induced regeneration failure will become more prevalent and severe, which may cause forests to shift to alternative stable states.

Effects of climate and fire on short-term vegetation recovery in the boreal larch forests of Northeastern China

PubMed Central

Liu, Zhihua

2016-01-01

Understanding the influence of climate variability and fire characteristics in shaping postfire vegetation recovery will help to predict future ecosystem trajectories in boreal forests. In this study, I asked: (1) which remotely-sensed vegetation index (VI) is a good proxy for vegetation recovery? and (2) what are the relative influences of climate and fire in controlling postfire vegetation recovery in a Siberian larch forest, a globally important but poorly understood ecosystem type? Analysis showed that the shortwave infrared (SWIR) VI is a good indicator of postfire vegetation recovery in boreal larch forests. A boosted regression tree analysis showed that postfire recovery was collectively controlled by processes that controlled seed availability, as well as by site conditions and climate variability. Fire severity and its spatial variability played a dominant role in determining vegetation recovery, indicating seed availability as the primary mechanism affecting postfire forest resilience. Environmental and immediate postfire climatic conditions appear to be less important, but interact strongly with fire severity to influence postfire recovery. If future warming and fire regimes manifest as expected in this region, seed limitation and climate-induced regeneration failure will become more prevalent and severe, which may cause forests to shift to alternative stable states. PMID:27857204

Conifers growing on anthracite mine soils respond to fertilization

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Davidson, W.H.; Sowa, E.A.

1982-12-01

Anthracite mine soils will support vegetation. To confirm this one needs only to look at the sizeable number of acres revegetated since passage of the 1963 Pennsylvania Anthracite Strip Mine and Conservation Act. In spite of the large number of acres revegetated, many planted trees, particularly conifers, grow poorly on anthracite mine soils. It is not uncommon for trees of a single species to differ widely in growth, not only from one mine soil to another but even on the same one. Studies were conducted on anthracite mine soils and breaker refuse to examine the growth response of some plantedmore » conifers to 1) slow-release fertilizer and 2) granular fertilizer. Annual height growth was used to measure response. Japanese larch (Larix leptolepis) growing on mine soil responded to slow-release fertilizer in the first year. Red (Pinus resinosa), white (P. strobus), and Austrian (P. nigra) pines did not respond until the second year after treatment. The response lasted for 3 years. This fertilizer did not affect growth of white spruce (Picea glauca) on mine soil, but it had a significant effect for the full, 4 year term of the study on Austrian pine growing on coal breaker refuse. Red and Scotch (P. sylvestris) pines on breaker refuse did not respond to granular fertilizer until the third year and the response was short-lived. Even though significant growth responses were obtained with these treatments, the height differences were relatively small.« less

[Postfire restoration of organic substance in the ground cover of the larch forests in the permafrost zone of central Evenkia].

PubMed

Prokushkin, S G; Bogdanov, V V; Prokushkin, A S; Tokareva, I V

2011-01-01

The role of ground fires in transformation of organic substances in the ground cover of larch stands in the permafrost zone of Central Siberia was studied, as was the postfire restoration dynamics of organic substances. Ground fires lead to a considerable decrease in concentrations and resources of organic carbon and its individual fractions in the ground cover, and restoration takes many decades.

The History of Tree and Shrub Taxa on Bol’shoy Lyakhovsky Island (New Siberian Archipelago) since the Last Interglacial Uncovered by Sedimentary Ancient DNA and Pollen Data

PubMed Central

Raschke, Elena; Epp, Laura S.; Stoof-Leichsenring, Kathleen R.; Schwamborn, Georg; Herzschuh, Ulrike

2017-01-01

Ecosystem boundaries, such as the Arctic-Boreal treeline, are strongly coupled with climate and were spatially highly dynamic during past glacial-interglacial cycles. Only a few studies cover vegetation changes since the last interglacial, as most of the former landscapes are inundated and difficult to access. Using pollen analysis and sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA) metabarcoding, we reveal vegetation changes on Bol’shoy Lyakhovsky Island since the last interglacial from permafrost sediments. Last interglacial samples depict high levels of floral diversity with the presence of trees (Larix, Picea, Populus) and shrubs (Alnus, Betula, Ribes, Cornus, Saliceae) on the currently treeless island. After the Last Glacial Maximum, Larix re-colonised the island but disappeared along with most shrub taxa. This was probably caused by Holocene sea-level rise, which led to increased oceanic conditions on the island. Additionally, we applied two newly developed larch-specific chloroplast markers to evaluate their potential for tracking past population dynamics from environmental samples. The novel markers were successfully re-sequenced and exhibited two variants of each marker in last interglacial samples. SedaDNA can track vegetation changes as well as genetic changes across geographic space through time and can improve our understanding of past processes that shape modern patterns. PMID:29027988

Key mechanisms of metabolic changes in mountain pine and larch under drought in the Swiss National Park

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Churakova, Olga; Bigler, Christof; Bryukhanova, Marina; Siegwolf, Rolf

2014-05-01

Forests are of great ecological, economic and social importance worldwide. In many regions they have been recently affected by water deficits during summer droughts due to increasing temperatures and shortage of precipitation (Allen et al. 2010). Climate models predict that drought frequency will continue to increase during the 21st century and beyond (CH 2011). Since the foundation of the Swiss National Park (SNP) in 1914 these forests have not been managed any more, which allows to study natural processes in these forest ecosystems. Since the 1990s, annual and spring temperatures increased in the SNP up to 0.5 ºC and 1.02 ºC, respectively, and average summer temperature increased up to 0.6 ºC. Annual precipitation decreased by 81 mm compared to the mean values (927 mm) from 1917 to 1989. Therefore, detailed studies of drought effects on the physiological functioning of trees over the last decades are needed. Recently, mortality processes of mountain pines were observed in the Swiss National Park (Bigler, Rigling 2013). It is of great interest to investigate and compare the physiological responses of mountain pine and larch to drought and to understand the mechanisms behind the mortality processes. The goal of our study is to investigate the key mechanisms of tree physiological responses to drought in the SNP using state-of-the-art methods of classical dendrochronology, tree physiology, stable isotope, and compound-specific isotope analyses. Long-term responses of mountain pine and larch trees from north- and south-facing sites to drought will be inferred from tree-ring width data. Based on climatic data a drought index will be calculated and reconstructed back in time. New chronologies for stable carbon and oxygen isotope ratios derived from both pine and larch tree-ring cellulose will provide retrospective insight into the long-term whole-plant physiological control of gas exchange derived from estimates of stomatal conductance, photosynthetic rate and

Fire Effects on Microbial Enzyme Activities in Larch Forests of the Siberian Arctic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ludwig, S.; Alexander, H. D.; Bulygina, E. B.; Mann, P. J.; Natali, S.

2012-12-01

Arctic forest ecosystems are warming at an accelerated rate relative to lower latitudes, with global implications for C cycling within these regions. As climate continues to warm and dry, wildfire frequency and severity are predicted to increase, creating a positive feedback to climate warming. Increased fire activity will also influence the microenvironment experienced by soil microbes in disturbed soils. Because soil microbes regulate carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling between terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere, it is important to understand microbial response to fires, particularly in the understudied larch forests in the Siberian Arctic. In this project, we created experimental burn plots in a mature larch forest in the Kolyma River watershed of Northeastern Siberia. Plots were burned at several treatments: control (no burn), low, moderate, and severe. After, 1 and 8 d post-fire, we measured soil organic layer depth, soil organic matter (SOM) content, soil moisture, and CO2 flux from the plots. Additionally, we leached soils and measured dissolved organic carbon (DOC), total dissolved nitrogen (TDN), NH4, NO3, soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP), and chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM). Furthermore, we measured extracellular activity of four enzymes involved in soil C and nutrient cycling (leucine aminopeptidase (LAP), β-glucosidase, phosphatase, and phenol oxidase). One day post-fire, LAP activity was similarly low in all treatments, but by 8 d post-fire, LAP activity was lower in burned plots compared to control plots, likely due to increased nitrogen content with increasing burn severity. Phosphatase activity decreased with burn severity 1 d post-fire, but after 8 d, moderate and severe burn plots exhibited increased phosphatase activity. Coupled with trends in LAP activity, this suggests a switch in nutrient limitation from N to phosphorus that is more pronounced with burn severity. β-glucosidase activity similarly decreased with burn

Japanese Competitiveness and Japanese Management.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Minabe, Shigeo

1986-01-01

Analyzes and compares Japanese and American industrial policy and labor practices. Proposes that certain aspects of the Japanese system be adapted by American businesses for purpose of increasing international competitiveness. Proposes specific actions and plans for both the Japanese and American systems. (ML)

Long-term precommercial thinning effects on Larix occidentalis (western larch) tree and stand characteristics

Treesearch

Michael S. Schaedel; Andrew J. Larson; David L. R. Affleck; R. Travis Belote; John M. Goodburn; David K. Wright; Elaine Kennedy Sutherland

2017-01-01

Precommercial thinning (PCT) is used to increase tree size and shorten harvest rotation time. Short-term results from PCT studies often show a trade-off between individual-tree growth and net stand yield, while longer-term effects of PCT on tree growth and stand yield are less well documented. We used a 54-year-old PCT study to test long-term effects of forest density...

Tree ring δ18O reveals no long-term change of atmospheric water demand since 1800 in the northern Great Hinggan Mountains, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Xiaohong; Zhang, Xuanwen; Zhao, Liangju; Xu, Guobao; Wang, Lixin; Sun, Weizhen; Zhang, Qiuliang; Wang, Wenzhi; Zeng, Xiaomin; Wu, Guoju

2017-07-01

Global warming will significantly increase transpirational water demand, which could dramatically affect plant physiology and carbon and water budgets. Tree ring δ18O is a potential index of the leaf-to-air vapor-pressure deficit (VPD) and therefore has great potential for long-term climatic reconstruction. Here we developed δ18O chronologies of two dominant native trees, Dahurian larch (Larix gmelinii Rupr.) and Mongolian pine (Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica), from a permafrost region in the Great Hinggan Mountains of northeastern China. We found that the July-August VPD and relative humidity were the dominant factors that controlled tree ring δ18O in the study region, indicating strong regulation of stomatal conductance. Based on the larch and pine tree ring δ18O chronologies, we developed a reliable summer (July-August) VPD reconstruction since 1800. Warming growing season temperatures increase transpiration and enrich cellulose 18O, but precipitation seemed to be the most important influence on VPD changes in this cold region. Periods with stronger transpirational demand occurred around the 1850s, from 1914 to 1925, and from 2005 to 2010. However, we found no overall long-term increasing or decreasing trends for VPD since 1800, suggesting that despite the increasing temperatures and thawing permafrost throughout the region, forest transpirational demand has not increased significantly during the past two centuries. Under current climatic conditions, VPD did not limit growth of larch and pine, even during extremely drought years. Our findings will support more realistic evaluations and reliable predictions of the potential influences of ongoing climatic change on carbon and water cycles and on forest dynamics in permafrost regions.

Growth decline linked to warming-induced water limitation in hemi-boreal forests.

PubMed

Wu, Xiuchen; Liu, Hongyan; Guo, Dali; Anenkhonov, Oleg A; Badmaeva, Natalya K; Sandanov, Denis V

2012-01-01

Hemi-boreal forests, which make up the transition from temperate deciduous forests to boreal forests in southern Siberia, have experienced significant warming without any accompanying increase in precipitation during the last 80 years. This climatic change could have a profound impact on tree growth and on the stability of forest ecosystems in this region, but at present evidence for these impacts is lacking. In this study, we report a recent dramatic decline in the growth of hemi-boreal forests, based on ring width measurements from three dominant tree-species (Pinus sylvestris, Larix sibirica and Larix gmelinii), sampled from eight sites in the region. We found that regional tree growth has become increasingly limited by low soil water content in the pre- and early-growing season (from October of the previous year to July of the current year) over the past 80 years. A warming-induced reduction in soil water content has also increased the climate sensitivity of these three tree species. Beginning in the mid-1980s, a clear decline in growth is evident for both the pine forests and the larch forests, although there are increasing trends in the proxy of soil water use efficiencies. Our findings are consistent with those from other parts of the world and provide valuable insights into the regional carbon cycle and vegetation dynamics, and should be useful for devising adaptive forest management strategies.

Linking belowground and aboveground phenology in two boreal forests in Northeast China.

PubMed

Du, Enzai; Fang, Jingyun

2014-11-01

The functional equilibrium between roots and shoots suggests an intrinsic linkage between belowground and aboveground phenology. However, much less understanding of belowground phenology hinders integrating belowground and aboveground phenology. We measured root respiration (Ra) as a surrogate for root phenology and integrated it with observed leaf phenology and radial growth in a birch (Betula platyphylla)-aspen (Populus davidiana) forest and an adjacent larch (Larix gmelinii) forest in Northeast China. A log-normal model successfully described the seasonal variations of Ra and indicated the initiation, termination and peak date of root phenology. Both root phenology and leaf phenology were highly specific, with a later onset, earlier termination, and shorter period of growing season for the pioneer tree species (birch and aspen) than the dominant tree species (larch). Root phenology showed later initiation, later peak and later termination dates than leaf phenology. An asynchronous correlation of Ra and radial growth was identified with a time lag of approximately 1 month, indicating aprioritization of shoot growth. Furthermore, we found that Ra was strongly correlated with soil temperature and air temperature, while radial growth was only significantly correlated with air temperature, implying a down-regulating effect of temperature. Our results indicate different phenologies between pioneer and dominant species and support a down-regulation hypothesis of plant phenology which can be helpful in understanding forest dynamics in the context of climate change.

Tree-growth analyses to estimate tree species' drought tolerance.

PubMed

Eilmann, Britta; Rigling, Andreas

2012-02-01

Climate change is challenging forestry management and practices. Among other things, tree species with the ability to cope with more extreme climate conditions have to be identified. However, while environmental factors may severely limit tree growth or even cause tree death, assessing a tree species' potential for surviving future aggravated environmental conditions is rather demanding. The aim of this study was to find a tree-ring-based method suitable for identifying very drought-tolerant species, particularly potential substitute species for Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) in Valais. In this inner-Alpine valley, Scots pine used to be the dominating species for dry forests, but today it suffers from high drought-induced mortality. We investigate the growth response of two native tree species, Scots pine and European larch (Larix decidua Mill.), and two non-native species, black pine (Pinus nigra Arnold) and Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii Mirb. var. menziesii), to drought. This involved analysing how the radial increment of these species responded to increasing water shortage (abandonment of irrigation) and to increasingly frequent drought years. Black pine and Douglas fir are able to cope with drought better than Scots pine and larch, as they show relatively high radial growth even after irrigation has been stopped and a plastic growth response to drought years. European larch does not seem to be able to cope with these dry conditions as it lacks the ability to recover from drought years. The analysis of trees' short-term response to extreme climate events seems to be the most promising and suitable method for detecting how tolerant a tree species is towards drought. However, combining all the methods used in this study provides a complete picture of how water shortage could limit species.

Comparative toxicity of Acephate, Diflubenzuron, and Malathion to larvae of the Larch Casebearer, Coleophora laricella (Lepidoptera: Coleophoridae) and adults of its parasites, Chrysocharis laricinellae1 and Dicladocerus nearcticus1,2

Treesearch

Marion Page; Roger B Ryan; Nancy Rappaport; Fred< sup> 3< /sup> Schmidt

1982-01-01

Fourth-instar larch casebearer, Coleophora laricella (Hübner), was significantly less susceptible to acephate and malathion than were adults of its parasites. Chrysocharis larcinellae(Ratz.) and Dicladocerus nearcticus Yoshimoto (P0.01) than the hosts to diflubenzuron. Malathion was equally...

Handling Japanese without a Japanese Operating System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hatasa, Kazumi; And Others

1992-01-01

The Macintosh HyperCard environment has become a popular platform for Japanese language courseware because of its flexibility and ease of programing. This project created Japanese bitmap font files for the JIS Levels 1 and 2, and writing XFCNs for font manipulation, Japanese kana input, and answer correction. (12 references) (Author/LB)

Understory vegetation mediates permafrost active layer dynamics and carbon dioxide fluxes in open-canopy larch forests of northeastern Siberia.

PubMed

Loranty, Michael M; Berner, Logan T; Taber, Eric D; Kropp, Heather; Natali, Susan M; Alexander, Heather D; Davydov, Sergey P; Zimov, Nikita S

2018-01-01

Arctic ecosystems are characterized by a broad range of plant functional types that are highly heterogeneous at small (~1-2 m) spatial scales. Climatic changes can impact vegetation distribution directly, and also indirectly via impacts on disturbance regimes. Consequent changes in vegetation structure and function have implications for surface energy dynamics that may alter permafrost thermal dynamics, and are therefore of interest in the context of permafrost related climate feedbacks. In this study we examine small-scale heterogeneity in soil thermal properties and ecosystem carbon and water fluxes associated with varying understory vegetation in open-canopy larch forests in northeastern Siberia. We found that lichen mats comprise 16% of understory vegetation cover on average in open canopy larch forests, and lichen abundance was inversely related to canopy cover. Relative to adjacent areas dominated by shrubs and moss, lichen mats had 2-3 times deeper permafrost thaw depths and surface soils warmer by 1-2°C in summer and less than 1°C in autumn. Despite deeper thaw depths, ecosystem respiration did not differ across vegetation types, indicating that autotrophic respiration likely dominates areas with shrubs and moss. Summertime net ecosystem exchange of CO2 was negative (i.e. net uptake) in areas with high shrub cover, while positive (i.e. net loss) in lichen mats and areas with less shrub cover. Our results highlight relationships between vegetation and soil thermal dynamics in permafrost ecosystems, and underscore the necessity of considering both vegetation and permafrost dynamics in shaping carbon cycling in permafrost ecosystems.

Complete mitochondrial genome of the larch hawk moth, Sphinx morio (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae).

PubMed

Kim, Min Jee; Choi, Sei-Woong; Kim, Iksoo

2013-12-01

The larch hawk moth, Sphinx morio, belongs to the lepidopteran family Sphingidae that has long been studied as a family of model insects in a diverse field. In this study, we describe the complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) sequences of the species in terms of general genomic features and characteristic short repetitive sequences found in the A + T-rich region. The 15,299-bp-long genome consisted of a typical set of genes (13 protein-coding genes, 2 rRNA genes, and 22 tRNA genes) and one major non-coding A + T-rich region, with the typical arrangement found in Lepidoptera. The 316-bp-long A + T-rich region located between srRNA and tRNA(Met) harbored the conserved sequence blocks that are typically found in lepidopteran insects. Additionally, the A + T-rich region of S. morio contained three characteristic repeat sequences that are rarely found in Lepidoptera: two identical 12-bp repeat, three identical 5-bp-long tandem repeat, and six nearly identical 5-6 bp long repeat sequences.

Seasonal variations in carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations and C:N:P stoichiometry in different organs of a Larix principis-rupprechtii Mayr. plantation in the Qinling Mountains, China

PubMed Central

Li, Hailiang; C. Crabbe, M. James; Wang, Weiling; Ma, Lihui; Niu, Ruilong; Gao, Xing; Li, Xingxing; Zhang, Pei; Ma, Xin; Chen, Haikui

2017-01-01

Understanding how concentrations of elements and their stoichiometry change with plant growth and age is critical for predicting plant community responses to environmental change. We used long-term field experiments to explore how the leaf, stem and root carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P) concentrations and their stoichiometry changed with growth and stand age in a L. principis-rupprechtii Mayr. plantation from 2012–2015 in the Qinling Mountains, China. Our results showed that the C, N and P concentrations and stoichiometric ratios in different tissues of larch stands were affected by stand age, organ type and sampling month and displayed multiple correlations with increased stand age in different growing seasons. Generally, leaf C and N concentrations were greatest in the fast-growing season, but leaf P concentrations were greatest in the early growing season. However, no clear seasonal tendencies in the stem and root C, N and P concentrations were observed with growth. In contrast to N and P, few differences were found in organ-specific C concentrations. Leaf N:P was greatest in the fast-growing season, while C:N and C:P were greatest in the late-growing season. No clear variations were observed in stem and root C:N, C:P and N:P throughout the entire growing season, but leaf N:P was less than 14, suggesting that the growth of larch stands was limited by N in our study region. Compared to global plant element concentrations and stoichiometry, the leaves of larch stands had higher C, P, C:N and C:P but lower N and N:P, and the roots had greater P and C:N but lower N, C:P and N:P. Our study provides baseline information for describing the changes in nutritional elements with plant growth, which will facilitates plantation forest management and restoration, and makes a valuable contribution to the global data pool on leaf nutrition and stoichiometry. PMID:28938020

Growth Decline Linked to Warming-Induced Water Limitation in Hemi-Boreal Forests

PubMed Central

Wu, Xiuchen; Liu, Hongyan; Guo, Dali; Anenkhonov, Oleg A.; Badmaeva, Natalya K.; Sandanov, Denis V.

2012-01-01

Hemi-boreal forests, which make up the transition from temperate deciduous forests to boreal forests in southern Siberia, have experienced significant warming without any accompanying increase in precipitation during the last 80 years. This climatic change could have a profound impact on tree growth and on the stability of forest ecosystems in this region, but at present evidence for these impacts is lacking. In this study, we report a recent dramatic decline in the growth of hemi-boreal forests, based on ring width measurements from three dominant tree-species (Pinus sylvestris, Larix sibirica and Larix gmelinii), sampled from eight sites in the region. We found that regional tree growth has become increasingly limited by low soil water content in the pre- and early-growing season (from October of the previous year to July of the current year) over the past 80 years. A warming-induced reduction in soil water content has also increased the climate sensitivity of these three tree species. Beginning in the mid-1980s, a clear decline in growth is evident for both the pine forests and the larch forests, although there are increasing trends in the proxy of soil water use efficiencies. Our findings are consistent with those from other parts of the world and provide valuable insights into the regional carbon cycle and vegetation dynamics, and should be useful for devising adaptive forest management strategies. PMID:22916142

Do American born Japanese children still grow faster than native Japanese?

PubMed

Kano, K; Chung, C S

1975-09-01

Growth patterns of Japanese schoolchildren in Hawaii, composed of 2,954 boys and 3,213 girls aged between 11 and 17, were compared with those comparable groups of Japanese schoolchildren in Japan based on the data published by the Japanese Ministry of Education. Growth characteristics studied were height, weight, and relative weight index, weight/(height). The Hawaii-Japanese boys were taller at early ages but the difference disappeared by age 16. Native Japanese girls were shorter than Hawaii-Japanese until age 13, but they overtook the latter by age 14, exceeding them in height after age 15. A similar pattern was found in weights of girls but the Hawaii-Japanese boys remained consistently heavier by 5.0 to 9.0 kg than native Japanese. The relative weight measure indicated that the Hawaii boys were more "obese" than native Japanese boys for the growth period studied; whereas the same tendency was maintained until age 15 in girls. These observations indicate a marked degree of convergence of the patterns of physical growth of the two populations, whose differences were unmistakably in favor of American born children in earlier studies. It is concluded that the convergence is due largely to the improved environmental conditions in Japan in recent years.

Japaneseplex: A forensic SNP assay for identification of Japanese people using Japanese-specific alleles.

PubMed

Yuasa, Isao; Akane, Atsushi; Yamamoto, Toshimichi; Matsusue, Aya; Endoh, Minoru; Nakagawa, Mayumi; Umetsu, Kazuo; Ishikawa, Takaki; Iino, Morio

2018-04-24

It is sometimes necessary to determine whether a forensic biological sample came from a Japanese person. In this study, we developed a 60-locus SNP assay designed for the differentiation of Japanese people from other East Asians using entirely and nearly Japanese-specific alleles. This multiplex assay consisted of 6 independent PCR reactions followed by single nucleotide extension. The average number and standard deviation of Japanese-specific alleles possessed by an individual were 0.81 ± 0.93 in 108 Koreans from Seoul, 8.87 ± 2.89 in 103 Japanese from Tottori, 17.20 ± 3.80 in 88 Japanese from Okinawa, and 0 in 220 Han Chinese from Wuxi and Changsha. The Koreans had 0-4 Japanese-specific alleles per individual, whereas the Japanese had 4-26 Japanese-specific alleles. Almost all Japanese were distinguished from the Koreans and other people by the factorial correspondence and principal component analyses. The Snipper program was also useful to estimate the degree of Japaneseness. The method described here was successfully applied to the differentiation of Japanese from non-Japanese people in forensic cases. This Japanese-specific SNP assay was named Japaneseplex. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Past crops yield dynamics reconstruction from tree-ring chronologies in the forest-steppe zone based on low- and high-frequency components

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Babushkina, Elena A.; Belokopytova, Liliana V.; Shah, Santosh K.; Zhirnova, Dina F.

2018-05-01

Interrelations of the yield variability of the main crops (wheat, barley, and oats) with hydrothermal regime and growth of conifer trees ( Pinus sylvestris and Larix sibirica) in forest-steppes were investigated in Khakassia, South Siberia. An attempt has been made to understand the role and mechanisms of climatic impact on plants productivity. It was found that amongst variables describing moisture supply, wetness index had maximum impact. Strength of climatic response and correlations with tree growth are different for rain-fed and irrigated crops yield. Separated high-frequency variability components of yield and tree-ring width have more pronounced relationships between each other and with climatic variables than their chronologies per se. Corresponding low-frequency variability components are strongly correlated with maxima observed after 1- to 5-year time shift of tree-ring width. Results of analysis allowed us to develop original approach of crops yield dynamics reconstruction on the base of high-frequency variability component of the growth of pine and low-frequency one of larch.

[Understanding the symbolic values of Japanese onomatopoeia: comparison of Japanese and Chinese speakers].

PubMed

Haryu, Etsuko; Zhao, Lihua

2007-10-01

Do non-native speakers of the Japanese language understand the symbolic values of Japanese onomatopoeia matching a voiced/unvoiced consonant with a big/small sound made by a big/small object? In three experiments, participants who were native speakers of Japanese, Japanese-learning Chinese, or Chinese without knowledge of the Japanese language were shown two pictures. One picture was of a small object making a small sound, such as a small vase being broken, and the other was of a big object making a big sound, such as a big vase being broken. Participants were presented with two novel onomatopoetic words with voicing contrasts, e.g.,/dachan/vs./tachan/, and were told that each word corresponded to one of the two pictures. They were then asked to match the words to the corresponding pictures. Chinese without knowledge of Japanese performed only at chance level, whereas Japanese and Japanese-learning Chinese successfully matched a voiced/unvoiced consonant with a big/small object respectively. The results suggest that the key to understanding the symbolic values of voicing contrasts in Japanese onomatopoeia is some basic knowledge that is intrinsic to the Japanese language.

The Japanese Mind: Understanding Contemporary Japanese Culture.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davies, Roger J., Ed.; Ikeno, Osamu, Ed.

This collection of essays offers an overview of contemporary Japanese culture, and can serve as a resource for classes studying Japan. The 28 essays offer an informative, accessible look at the values, attitudes, behavior patterns, and communication styles of modern Japan from the unique perspective of the Japanese people. Filled with examples…

What Is Business Japanese? Designing a Japanese Course for Business Communication.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koike, Shohei

Experiences in developing "Business Japanese" courses for the undergraduate major in Language and International Trade at Eastern Michigan University are described. In 1987, six new courses in Japanese were proposed so that Japanese could be offered as a language specialty in the program. Issues considered in defining business Japanese…

A Confirmatory Model for Substance Use Among Japanese American and Part-Japanese American Adolescents

PubMed Central

Williams, John Kino Yamaguchi; Else, 'Iwalani R. N.; Goebert, Deborah A.; Nishimura, Stephanie T.; Hishinuma, Earl S.; Andrade, Naleen N.

2013-01-01

Few studies have examined the effect of ethnicity and cultural identity on substance use among Asian and Pacific Islander adolescents. A cross-sequential study conducted in Hawai'i with 144 Japanese American and part-Japanese American adolescents assessed a model integrating Japanese ethnicity, cultural identity, substance use, major life events, and social support. Japanese American adolescents scored higher on the Japanese Culture Scale and on the Peers’ Social Support than the part-Japanese American adolescents. Significant associations for substance use and impairment included culturally intensified events and Japanese cultural identity- behavior subset. Models had good overall fits and suggested that conflict surrounding cultural identity may contribute to substance use. PMID:23480213

Facile Control of the Porous Structure of Larch-Derived Mesoporous Carbons via Self-Assembly for Supercapacitors

PubMed Central

Zhao, Xin; Li, Wei; Chen, Honglei; Wang, Shoujuan; Kong, Fangong; Liu, Shouxin

2017-01-01

Mesoporous carbons have been successfully synthesized via self-assembly using larch-based resins as precursors and triblock copolymers as soft templates. The porous structure of mesoporous carbons can be tailored by adjusting the ratio of hydrophilic/hydrophobic (EO/PO) units owing to interfacial curvature. Interestingly, the porous structures show a distinct change from vortex-like to worm-like pores, to stripe-like pores, and to ordered two-dimensional hexagonal pores as the ratio of hydrophilic/hydrophobic units increases, indicating the significant effect of EO/PO ratio on the porous structure. The mesoporous carbons as supercapacitor electrodes exhibit superior electrochemical capacitive performance and a high degree of reversibility after 2000 cycles for supercapacitors due to the well-defined mesoporosity of the carbon materials. Meanwhile, the superior carbon has a high specific capacitance of 107 F·g−1 in 6 M KOH at a current density of 10 A·g−1. PMID:29156641

Facile Control of the Porous Structure of Larch-Derived Mesoporous Carbons via Self-Assembly for Supercapacitors.

PubMed

Zhao, Xin; Li, Wei; Chen, Honglei; Wang, Shoujuan; Kong, Fangong; Liu, Shouxin

2017-11-20

Mesoporous carbons have been successfully synthesized via self-assembly using larch-based resins as precursors and triblock copolymers as soft templates. The porous structure of mesoporous carbons can be tailored by adjusting the ratio of hydrophilic/hydrophobic (EO/PO) units owing to interfacial curvature. Interestingly, the porous structures show a distinct change from vortex-like to worm-like pores, to stripe-like pores, and to ordered two-dimensional hexagonal pores as the ratio of hydrophilic/hydrophobic units increases, indicating the significant effect of EO/PO ratio on the porous structure. The mesoporous carbons as supercapacitor electrodes exhibit superior electrochemical capacitive performance and a high degree of reversibility after 2000 cycles for supercapacitors due to the well-defined mesoporosity of the carbon materials. Meanwhile, the superior carbon has a high specific capacitance of 107 F·g -1 in 6 M KOH at a current density of 10 A·g -1 .

Within-Range Translocations and Their Consequences in European Larch

PubMed Central

Wagner, Stefanie; Liepelt, Sascha; Gerber, Sophie; Petit, Rémy J.

2015-01-01

In contrast to biological invasions, translocations of individuals within a species range are understudied, due to difficulties in systematically detecting them. This results in limited knowledge about the corresponding processes and uncertainties regarding the status of extant populations. European larch, a forest tree whose fragmented native distribution is restricted to the Alps and to other Central European mountains, has been massively planted for at least 300 years. Here we focus on the genetic characterization of translocations having taken place within its native range. Microsatellite variation at 13 nuclear loci and sequence data of two mitochondrial DNA fragments were analyzed on the basis of a comprehensive range-wide population sample. Two complementary methods (Geneclass and Structure) were used to infer translocation events based on nuclear data whereas mitochondrial data were used for validation of these inferences. Using Geneclass, we found translocation events in a majority of populations. Additional cases of translocation and many instances of admixture were identified using Structure, thanks to the clear-cut ancestral genetic structure detected in this species. In particular, a strong divide between Alpine and Central European populations, also apparent at mitochondrial markers, helped uncover details on translocation events and related processes. Translocations and associated admixture events were found to be heterogeneously distributed across the species range, with a particularly high frequency in Central Europe. Furthermore, translocations frequently involved multiple geographic sources, some of which were over-represented. Our study illustrates the importance of range-wide investigations for tracing translocations back to their origins and for revealing some of their consequences. It provides some first clues for developing suitable conservation and management strategies. PMID:26000791

Modeling of larch forest dynamics under a changing climate in eastern Siberia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakai, T.; Kumagai, T.; Iijima, Y.; Ohta, T.; Kotani, A.; Maximov, T. C.; Hiyama, T.

2017-12-01

According to the projection by an earth system model under RCP8.5 scenario, boreal forest in eastern Siberia (near Yakutsk) is predicted to experience significant changes in climate, in which the mean annual air temperature is projected to be positive and the annual precipitation will be doubled by the end of 21st century. Since the forest in this region is underlain by continuous permafrost, both increasing temperature and precipitation can affect the dynamics of forest through the soil water processes. To investigate such effects, we adopted a newly developed terrestrial ecosystem dynamics model named S-TEDy (SEIB-DGVM-originated Terrestrial Ecosystem Dynamics model), which mechanistically simulates "the way of life" of each individual tree and resulting tree mortality under the future climate conditions. This model was first developed for the simulation of the dynamics of a tropical rainforest in the Borneo Island, and successfully reproduced higher mortality of large trees due to a prolonged drought induced by ENSO event of 1997-1998. To apply this model to a larch forest in eastern Siberia, we are developing a soil submodel to consider the effect of thawing-freezing processes. We will present a simulation results using the future climate projection.

Impact of climate warming-induced increase in drought stress on successional dynamic of a coniferous forest within a dry inner Alpine environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schuster, R.; Zeisler, B.; Oberhuber, W.

2012-04-01

Climate sensitivity of tree growth will effect the development of forest ecosystems under a warmer and drier climate by changing species composition and inducing shifts in forest distribution. We applied dendroclimatological techniques to determine impact of climate warming on radial stem growth of three native and widespread coniferous tree species of the central Austrian Alps (Norway spruce, Picea abies; European larch, Larix decidua; Scots pine, Pinus sylvestris), which grow intermixed at dry-mesic sites within a dry inner Alpine environment (750 m a.s.l., Tyrol, Austria). Time series of annual increments were developed from > 250 saplings and mature trees. Radial growth response to recent climate warming was explored by means of moving response functions (MRF) and evaluation of trends in basal area increment (BAI) for the period 1911 - 2009. Climate-growth relationships revealed significant differences among species in response to water availability. While precipitation in May - June favoured radial growth of spruce and larch, Scots pine growth mainly depended on April - May precipitation. Spruce growth was most sensitive to May - June temperature (inverse relationship). Although MRF coefficients indicated increasing drought sensitivity of all species, which is most likely related to intensified belowground competition for scarce water with increasing stand density and higher evapotranspiration rates due to climate warming, recent BAI trends strikingly differed among species. While BAI of larch was distinctly declining, spruce showed steadily increasing BAI and quite constant BAI was maintained in drought adapted Scots pine, although at lowest level of all species. Furthermore, more favourable growing conditions of spruce in recent decades are indicated by scattered natural regeneration and higher growth rates of younger trees during first decades of their lifespan. Because human interference and wildlife stock is negligible within the study area, results

Diversity and community structure of ectomycorrhizal fungi associated with Larix chinensis across the alpine treeline ecotone of Taibai Mountain.

PubMed

Han, Qisheng; Huang, Jian; Long, Dongfeng; Wang, Xiaobing; Liu, Jianjun

2017-07-01

Alpine treeline ecotones represent ecosystems that are vulnerable to climate change. We investigated the ectomycorrhizal (ECM) community, which has potential to stabilize alpine ecosystems. ECM communities associated with Larix chinensis were studied in four zones along a natural ecotone from a mixed forest stand over pure forest stands, the timberline, and eventually, the treeline (3050-3450 m) in Tabai Mountain, China. Sixty operational taxonomic units (OTUs) of ECM fungi were identified by sequencing the rDNA internal transcribed spacer of ECM tips. The richness of ECM species increased with elevation. The soil C/N ratio was the most important factor explaining ECM species richness. The treeline zone harbored some unique ECM fungi whereas no unique genera were observed in the timberline and pure forest zone. Elevation and topography were equally important factors influencing ECM communities in the alpine region. We suggest that a higher diversity of the ECM fungal community associated with L. chinensis in the treeline zone could result from niche differentiation.

Characterization of condensed tannins and carbohydrates in hot water bark extracts of European softwood species.

PubMed

Bianchi, Sauro; Kroslakova, Ivana; Janzon, Ron; Mayer, Ingo; Saake, Bodo; Pichelin, Frédéric

2015-12-01

Condensed tannins extracted from European softwood bark are recognized as alternatives to synthetic phenolics. The extraction is generally performed in hot water, leading to simultaneous extraction of other bark constituents such as carbohydrates, phenolic monomers and salts. Characterization of the extract's composition and identification of the extracted tannins' molecular structure are needed to better identify potential applications. Bark from Silver fir (Abies alba [Mill.]), European larch (Larix decidua [Mill.]), Norway spruce (Picea abies [Karst.]), Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii [Mirb.]) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris [L.]) were extracted in water at 60°C. The amounts of phenolic monomers, condensed tannins, carbohydrates, and inorganic compounds in the extract were determined. The molecular structures of condensed tannins and carbohydrates were also investigated (HPLC-UV combined with thiolysis, MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, anion exchange chromatography). Distinct extract compositions and tannin structures were found in each of the analysed species. Procyanidins were the most ubiquitous tannins. The presence of phenolic glucosides in the tannin oligomers was suggested. Polysaccharides such as arabinans, arabinogalactans and glucans represented an important fraction of all extracts. Compared to traditionally used species (Mimosa and Quebracho) higher viscosities as well as faster chemical reactivities are expected in the analysed species. The most promising species for a bark tannin extraction was found to be larch, while the least encouraging results were detected in pine. A better knowledge of the interaction between the various extracted compounds is deemed an important matter for investigation in the context of industrial applications of such extracts. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Growth of trees on permafrost: habitat driven response to climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bryukhanova, Marina; Fonti, Patrick; Kirdyanov, Alexander; Saurer, Matthias; Siegwolf, Rolf; Pochebit, Natalia; Sidorova, Olga; Prokushkin, Anatoly

2013-04-01

Global change is expected to alter boreal forest conditions with far reaching consequences for tree growth in these ecosystems. Within this study we aimed at determining which limiting factors control tree-growth on permafrost under different site conditions. A tree-ring multi-proxy characterisation of mature Larix gmelinii (Rupr.) Rupr. from a continuous permafrost zone of Siberia (Russia, 64°18' N, 100°11' E) was used to identify the physiological principle of responses related to the plant-soil system. Tree-ring width (1975-2009), carbon and oxygen stable isotopes, and xylem structural characteristics (2000-2009) indicated that an increased depth of the soil active layer favors a better exploitation of the available resources. Our study used a mechanistic description of expected soil thermo-hydrological changes associated with a detailed comparison of tree growth responses, and supplied possible scenarios of northern larch stands development under projected climate change and permafrost degradation. By using a "space for time" approach along a 100 m long transect characterized by distinct permafrost regimes combined with measurements of physiological and structural tree responses, it become possible to propose a mechanism responsible for the differing climatic-growth responses. The results obtained indicate global warming to promote large increases in tree productivity of permafrost larch stands with a shift from a cold to a water limited environment. This work was supported by the SNSF (VG IZ76Z0_141967/1, SCOPES IZ73Z0_128035) and grant form the President of the Russian Federation for young scientists 5498.2012.4.

Homogamy and Intermarriage of Japanese and Japanese Americans with Whites Surrounding World War II

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ono, Hiromi; Berg, Justin

2010-01-01

Although some sociologists have suggested that Japanese Americans quickly assimilated into mainstream America, scholars of Japanese America have highlighted the heightened exclusion that the group experienced. This study tracked historical shifts in the exclusion level of Japanese and Japanese Americans in the United States surrounding World War…

The Anglo-Japanese Alliance and Japanese Expansionism 1902-1923.

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-06-05

Alienation 1919-1952. London: Cambridge University Press. 1982. • The Oriains of the Russo-Japanese War. London: Longman Group Limited. 1985. Nitobe ... Inazo . Bushido - The Soul of Japan. Tokyo: Tuttle. 1981. Okamoto, Shumpei. The Japan Oliaarchv and the Russo-Japanese War. New York: Columbia

A Conceptual Model of Cultural Predictors of Anxiety among Japanese American and Part-Japanese American Adolescents.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, John Kino Yamaguchi; Goebert, Deborah; Hishinuma, Earl; Miyamoto, Robin; Anzai, Neal; Izutsu, Satoru; Yanagida, Evelyn; Nishimura, Stephanie; Andrade, Naleen; Baker, F. M.

2002-01-01

Develops and assesses a model integrating Japanese ethnicity, cultural identity, and anxiety in Japanese American and part-Japanese American high school seniors. Japanese American adolescents scored higher on the scale and reported fewer anxiety symptoms than part-Japanese American adolescents. The model had a good overall fit, suggesting that…

Impacts of global warming on boreal larch forest in East Siberia: simulations with a coupled carbon cycle and fire regime model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ito, A.

2005-12-01

Boreal forest is one of the focal areas in the study of global warming and carbon cycle. In this study, a coupled carbon cycle and fire regime model was developed and applied to a larch forest in East Siberia, near Yakutsk. Fire regime is simulated with a cellular automaton (20 km x 20 km), in which fire ignition, propagation, and extinction are parameterized in a stochastic manner, including the effects of fuel accumulation and weather condition. For each grid, carbon cycle is simulated with a 10-box scheme, in which net biome production by photosynthesis, respiration, decomposition, and biomass burning are calculated explicitly. Model parameters were calibrated with field data of biomass, litter stock, and fire statistics; the carbon cycle scheme was examined with flux measurement data. As a result, the model successfully captured average carbon stocks, productivity, fire frequency, and biomass burning. To assess the effects of global warming, a series of simulations were performed using climatic projections based on the IPCC-SRES emission scenarios from 1990 to 2100. The range of uncertainty among the different climate models and emission scenarios was assessed by using multi-model projection data by CCCma, CCSR/NIES, GFDL, and HCCPR corresponding to the SRES A2 and B2 scenarios. The model simulations showed that global warming in the 21st century would considerably enhance the fire regime (e.g., cumulative burnt area increased by 80 to 120 percent), leading to larger carbon emission by biomass burning. The effect was so strong that growth enhancement by elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration and elongated growing period was cancelled out at landscape scale. In many cases, the larch forest was estimated to act as net carbon sources of 2 to 5 kg C m_|2 by the end of the 21st century, underscoring the importance of forest fire monitoring and management in this region.

Statistical Machine Translation of Japanese

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-03-01

hiragana and katakana) syllabaries…………………….. 20 3.2 Sample Japanese sentence showing kanji and kana……………………... 21 3.5 Japanese formality example...syllabary. 19 Figure 3.1. Japanese kana syllabaries, hiragana for native Japanese words, word endings, and particles, and katakana for foreign...Figure 3.2. Simple Japanese sentence showing the use of kanji, hiragana , and katakana. Kanji is used for nouns and verb, adjective, and

A Laser Photoacoustic Analysis of Residual CO2 and H2O in Larch Stems

PubMed Central

Ageev, Boris; Ponomarev, Yurii; Sapozhnikova, Valeria; Savchuk, Dmitry

2014-01-01

Every so often, the results obtained from investigations into the effects of varying environmental conditions on the tree growth rate at the same sites and on the change in the carbon balance in plants, using traditional methods, are found to differ widely. We believe that the reason for the ambiguity of the data has to do with failure to account for the role of the residual CO2 (and H2O) in the tree wood exhibiting a climate response. In our earlier work, the results of a laser photoacoustic gas analysis of CO2 and H2O vacuum-desorbed from disc tree rings of evergreen conifer trees were presented. In this paper, laser photoacoustic measurements of tree ring gases in deciduous conifer trees and CO2 carbon isotope composition determined by means of a mass spectrometer are given. Conclusions are made regarding the response of annual larch CO2 disc tree ring distributions to climatic parameters (temperatures and precipitation). The data about the CO2 disc content for different sites are compared. PMID:25808838

Acculturation of Personality: A Three-Culture Study of Japanese, Japanese Americans, and European Americans.

PubMed

Güngör, Derya; Bornstein, Marc H; De Leersnyder, Jozefien; Cote, Linda; Ceulemans, Eva; Mesquita, Batja

2013-07-01

The present study tests the hypothesis that involvement with a new culture instigates changes in personality of immigrants that result in (a) better fit with the norms of the culture of destination and (b) reduced fit with the norms of the culture of origin. Participants were 40 Japanese first-generation immigrants to the United States, 57 Japanese monoculturals, and 60 U.S. monoculturals. All participants completed the Jackson Personality Inventory (JPI) as a measure of the Big Five; immigrants completed the Japanese American Acculturation Scale. Immigrants' fits with the cultures of destination and origin were calculated by correlating Japanese American mothers' patterns of ratings on the Big Five with the average patterns of ratings of European Americans and Japanese on the same personality dimensions. Japanese Americans became more "American" and less "Japanese" in their personality as they reported higher participation in the U.S. culture. The results support the view that personality can be subject to cultural influence.

SPRUCE Tree Growth Assessments of Picea and Larix in S1-Bog Plots and SPRUCE Experimental Plots beginning in 2011

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hanson, P.J.,; Phillips, J.R.; Wullschelger, S.D.

This data set reports tree growth measurements of mature Picea mariana and Larix laricina located in the S1-Bog permanent plots and the SPRUCE experimental study plots, Annual data collections were initiated in February of 2011and have been continued on an annual basis during mid-winter observation periods at the end of February or early March. Data collections are anticipated to continue through February of 2025 and this data set will be appended annually. Initial observations in 2011 included measurements of circumference at 1.3 m (diameter at breast height assessments; DBH) above the nominal bog hollow surface, tree heights and crown diameters.more » Subsequent annual measurements have focused on the measures of circumference at DBH. Circumference measurements to the nearest 0.1 cm are converted to DBH in cm and basal area at DBH in (cm2). Tree height and crown diameter are measured to the nearest 0.1 m.« less

The effects of doubling annual N and S deposition on foliage and soil chemistry and growth of Japanese larch (Larix leptolepis Sieb. and Zucc.) in north central West Virginia

Treesearch

Callie J. Pickens; William E. Sharpe; Pamela J. Edwards

1995-01-01

Atmospheric deposition has been recognized as a significant environmental problem for several decades, but its impact on forest ecosystems in North America remains controversial. In an effort to further elucidate the impacts of atmospheric deposition to forested watersheds in the Mid-Appalachian region, several related watershed studies have been initiated by the U.S....

Americans and Japanese Nonverbal Communication. Linguistic Communications 15 (Papers in Japanese Linguistics 3).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Harvey M.

Each culture has its own nonverbal as well as its verbal language. Movements, gestures and sounds have distinct and often conflicting interpretations in different countries. For Americans communicating with Japanese, misunderstandings are of two types: Japanese behavior which is completely new to the American, and Japanese behavior which is…

Detraditionalisation: Japanese Students in the USA.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ueno, Junko

2001-01-01

Focuses on the identity formation of Japanese students temporarily living in the United States. The students were enrolled in Japanese Saturday school and in American public schools. Student interviews reveal a mixture of Japanese and American characteristics. Suggests Japanese students do not reject either culture--Japanese or American--but that…

Japanese-English language equivalence of the Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument among Japanese-Americans.

PubMed

Gibbons, Laura E; McCurry, Susan; Rhoads, Kristoffer; Masaki, Kamal; White, Lon; Borenstein, Amy R; Larson, Eric B; Crane, Paul K

2009-02-01

The Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument (CASI) was designed for use in cross-cultural studies of Japanese and Japanese-American elderly in Japan and the U.S.A. The measurement equivalence in Japanese and English had not been confirmed in prior studies. We analyzed the 40 CASI items for differential item functioning (DIF) related to test language, as well as self-reported proficiency with written Japanese, age, and educational attainment in two large epidemiologic studies of Japanese-American elderly: the Kame Project (n=1708) and the Honolulu-Asia Aging Study (HAAS; n = 3148). DIF was present if the demographic groups differed in the probability of success on an item, after controlling for their underlying cognitive functioning ability. While seven CASI items had DIF related to language of testing in Kame (registration of one item; recall of one item; similes; judgment; repeating a phrase; reading and performing a command; and following a three-step instruction), the impact of DIF on participants' scores was minimal. Mean scores for Japanese and English speakers in Kame changed by <0.1 SD after accounting for DIF related to test language. In HAAS, insufficient numbers of participants were tested in Japanese to assess DIF related to test language. In both studies, DIF related to written Japanese proficiency, age, and educational attainment had minimal impact. To the extent that DIF could be assessed, the CASI appeared to meet the goal of measuring cognitive function equivalently in Japanese and English. Stratified data collection would be needed to confirm this conclusion. DIF assessment should be used in other studies with multiple language groups to confirm that measures function equivalently or, if not, form scores that account for DIF.

Soils of postpyrogenic larch stands in Central Siberia: Morphology, physicochemical properties, and specificity of soil organic matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Startsev, V. V.; Dymov, A. A.; Prokushkin, A. S.

2017-08-01

Morphological features, physicochemical properties, and specific characteristics of the organic matter of cryozems (Cryosols) under postpyrogenic larch forests affected by fires 2, 6, 22, 55, and 116 years ago are considered. The morphological changes in the soils affected by fires are manifested by the burning of the upper organic horizons with preservation of pyrogenic features in the soils for more than a century after the fire. In the first years (2 and 6 years) after the fire, the acidity of the organic horizons and their base saturation become lower. The postpyrogenic soils are characterized by the smaller contribution of the organic horizons to the total pools of soil organic carbon. In the studied cryozems, the organic carbon content is correlated with the contents of oxalate-extractable iron and aluminum. A decrease in the content of water-soluble organic compounds in the soils is observed after the fires; gradually, their content increases upon restoration of the ground cover.

Japanese Encephalitis: Frequently Asked Questions

MedlinePlus

... the vaccine, what should I do? What is Japanese encephalitis? Japanese encephalitis (JE) is a potentially severe ... cause inflammation of the brain (encephalitis). Where does Japanese encephalitis occur? JE occurs in Asia and parts ...

Acculturation of Personality: A Three-Culture Study of Japanese, Japanese Americans, and European Americans

PubMed Central

Güngör, Derya; Bornstein, Marc H.; De Leersnyder, Jozefien; Cote, Linda; Ceulemans, Eva; Mesquita, Batja

2013-01-01

The present study tests the hypothesis that involvement with a new culture instigates changes in personality of immigrants that result in (a) better fit with the norms of the culture of destination and (b) reduced fit with the norms of the culture of origin. Participants were 40 Japanese first-generation immigrants to the United States, 57 Japanese monoculturals, and 60 U.S. monoculturals. All participants completed the Jackson Personality Inventory (JPI) as a measure of the Big Five; immigrants completed the Japanese American Acculturation Scale. Immigrants’ fits with the cultures of destination and origin were calculated by correlating Japanese American mothers’ patterns of ratings on the Big Five with the average patterns of ratings of European Americans and Japanese on the same personality dimensions. Japanese Americans became more “American” and less “Japanese” in their personality as they reported higher participation in the U.S. culture. The results support the view that personality can be subject to cultural influence. PMID:23935211

Homogamy and Intermarriage of Japanese and Japanese Americans With Whites Surrounding World War II.

PubMed

Ono, Hiromi; Berg, Justin

2010-10-01

Although some sociologists have suggested that Japanese Americans quickly assimilated into mainstream America, scholars of Japanese America have highlighted the heightened exclusion that the group experienced. This study tracked historical shifts in the exclusion level of Japanese and Japanese Americans in the United States surrounding World War II with homogamy and intermarriage with Whites for the prewar (1930-1940) and resettlement (1946-1966) marriage cohorts. The authors applied log-linear models to census microsamples (N = 1,590,416) to estimate the odds ratios of homogamy versus intermarriage. The unadjusted odds ratios of Japanese Americans declined between cohorts and appeared to be consistent with the assimilation hypothesis. Once compositional influences and educational pairing patterns were adjusted, however, the odds ratios increased and supported the heightened exclusion hypothesis.

Trust in One’s Physician: The Role of Ethnic Match, Autonomy, Acculturation, and Religiosity Among Japanese and Japanese Americans

PubMed Central

Tarn, Derjung M.; Meredith, Lisa S.; Kagawa-Singer, Marjorie; Matsumura, Shinji; Bito, Seiji; Oye, Robert K.; Liu, Honghu; Kahn, Katherine L.; Fukuhara, Shunichi; Wenger, Neil S.

2005-01-01

PURPOSE Trust is a cornerstone of the physician-patient relationship. We investigated the relation of patient characteristics, religiosity, acculturation, physician ethnicity, and insurance-mandated physician change to levels of trust in Japanese American and Japanese patients. METHODS A self-administered, cross-sectional questionnaire in English and Japanese (completed in the language of their choice) was given to community-based samples of 539 English-speaking Japanese Americans, 340 Japanese-speaking Japanese Americans, and 304 Japanese living in Japan. RESULTS Eighty-seven percent of English-speaking Japanese Americans, 93% of Japanese-speaking Japanese Americans, and 58% of Japanese living in Japan responded to trust items and reported mean trust scores of 83, 80, and 68, respectively, on a scale ranging from 0 to 100. In multivariate analyses, English-speaking and Japanese-speaking Japanese American respondents reported more trust than Japanese respondents living in Japan (P values <.001). Greater religiosity (P <.001), less desire for autonomy (P <.001), and physician-patient relationships of longer duration (P <.001) were related to increased trust. Among Japanese Americans, more acculturated respondents reported more trust (P <.001), and Japanese physicians were trusted more than physicians of another ethnicity. Among respondents prompted to change physicians because of insurance coverage, the 48% who did not want to switch reported less trust in their current physician than in their former physician (mean score of 82 vs 89, P <.001). CONCLUSIONS Religiosity, autonomy preference, and acculturation were strongly related to trust in one’s physician among the Japanese American and Japanese samples studied and may provide avenues to enhance the physician-patient relationship. The strong relationship of trust with patient-physician ethnic match and the loss of trust when patients, in retrospect, report leaving a preferred physician suggest unintended

The modern Japanese color lexicon.

PubMed

Kuriki, Ichiro; Lange, Ryan; Muto, Yumiko; Brown, Angela M; Fukuda, Kazuho; Tokunaga, Rumi; Lindsey, Delwin T; Uchikawa, Keiji; Shioiri, Satoshi

2017-03-01

Despite numerous prior studies, important questions about the Japanese color lexicon persist, particularly about the number of Japanese basic color terms and their deployment across color space. Here, 57 native Japanese speakers provided monolexemic terms for 320 chromatic and 10 achromatic Munsell color samples. Through k-means cluster analysis we revealed 16 statistically distinct Japanese chromatic categories. These included eight chromatic basic color terms (aka/red, ki/yellow, midori/green, ao/blue, pink, orange, cha/brown, and murasaki/purple) plus eight additional terms: mizu ("water")/light blue, hada ("skin tone")/peach, kon ("indigo")/dark blue, matcha ("green tea")/yellow-green, enji/maroon, oudo ("sand or mud")/mustard, yamabuki ("globeflower")/gold, and cream. Of these additional terms, mizu was used by 98% of informants, and emerged as a strong candidate for a 12th Japanese basic color term. Japanese and American English color-naming systems were broadly similar, except for color categories in one language (mizu, kon, teal, lavender, magenta, lime) that had no equivalent in the other. Our analysis revealed two statistically distinct Japanese motifs (or color-naming systems), which differed mainly in the extension of mizu across our color palette. Comparison of the present data with an earlier study by Uchikawa & Boynton (1987) suggests that some changes in the Japanese color lexicon have occurred over the last 30 years.

Homogamy and Intermarriage of Japanese and Japanese Americans With Whites Surrounding World War II

PubMed Central

Ono, Hiromi; Berg, Justin

2010-01-01

Although some sociologists have suggested that Japanese Americans quickly assimilated into mainstream America, scholars of Japanese America have highlighted the heightened exclusion that the group experienced. This study tracked historical shifts in the exclusion level of Japanese and Japanese Americans in the United States surrounding World War II with homogamy and intermarriage with Whites for the prewar (1930–1940) and resettlement (1946–1966) marriage cohorts. The authors applied log-linear models to census microsamples (N = 1,590,416) to estimate the odds ratios of homogamy versus intermarriage. The unadjusted odds ratios of Japanese Americans declined between cohorts and appeared to be consistent with the assimilation hypothesis. Once compositional influences and educational pairing patterns were adjusted, however, the odds ratios increased and supported the heightened exclusion hypothesis. PMID:21116449

Temporal and Spatial Wildfire Dynamics of Northern Siberia: Larch Forests and Insect Outbreak Areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kharuk, Viacheslav; Antamoshkina, Olga; Ponomarev, Eugene

2017-04-01

Wildfire number and burned area temporal dynamics within all of Siberia and along a south-north transect in central Siberia (45 - 73°N) were studied based on NOAA/AVHRR and Terra/MODIS data and field measurements for the period since 1996. In addition, fire return interval along the south-north transect was analyzed. Third, pest outbreak (Siberian silkmoth) impact on the wildfires was studied. Both, number of forest fires and burned area in Siberia increased during recent decades. Significant correlations were found between forest fires, burned areas and air temperature (r = 0.5) and drought index (SPEI) (r = -0.43). Within larch stands along the transect wildfire frequency was strongly correlated with incoming solar radiation (r = 0.91). Fire danger period length decreased linearly from south to north along the transect. Fire return interval increased from 80 years at 62°N to 200 years at the Arctic Circle (66°33'N), and to about 300 years near the northern limit of closed forest stands ( 71+°N). That increase was negatively correlated with incoming solar radiation (r = -0.95). Siberian silkmoth outbreaks leads to an order of magnitude increase in burned area and fire frequency. Multiple fires turns former "dark needle conifer" taiga into grass and bush communities for decades.

Cultural Competence in Business Japanese.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koike, Shohei

Cultural competence in business Japanese requires more than superficial knowledge of business etiquette. One must truly understand why Japanese people think and act differently from their American counterparts. For example, instruction in the use of Japanese taxis must be accompanied by instruction in the concept and implications of seating order…

Statistics in Japanese universities.

PubMed Central

Ito, P K

1979-01-01

The teaching of statistics in the U.S. and Japanese universities is briefly reviewed. It is found that H. Hotelling's articles and subsequent relevant publications on the teaching of statistics have contributed to a considerable extent to the establishment of excellent departments of statistics in U.S. universities and colleges. Today the U.S. may be proud of many well-staffed and well-organized departments of theoretical and applied statistics with excellent undergraduate and graduate programs. On the contrary, no Japanese universities have an independent department of statistics at present, and the teaching of statistics has been spread among a heterogeneous group of departments of application. This was mainly due to the Japanese government regulation concerning the establishment of a university. However, it has recently been revised so that an independent department of statistics may be started in a Japanese university with undergraduate and graduate programs. It is hoped that discussions will be started among those concerned on the question of organization of the teaching of statistics in Japanese universities as soon as possible. PMID:396154

Climatic changes during the early Medieval and recent periods inferred from δ13C and δ18O of Siberian larch trees

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sidorova, O. V.; Matthias Saurer, Rolf Siegwolf

2010-12-01

We report unique isotope datasets for δ13C and δ18O of wood and cellulose of larch trees (Larix cajanderi Mayr.) from Northeastern Yakutia [70°N-148°E] for the early Medieval (AD 900-1000) and recent (AD 1880-2004) periods. During the recent period June, July, and August air temperatures were positively correlated with δ13C and δ18O of wood and cellulose, while July precipitation was negatively correlated. The positive correlation with one of the warmest months (July) in Northeastern Yakutia could indicate high photosynthetic capacity, because warm and dry conditions cause stomatal closure and lower the isotopic fractionation, leading to less negative δ13C values. Because during July, the soil water is still frozen at a soil depth of 20-30 cm, the water accessibility for trees is limited, which can lead to drought situations. An increase in water availability allows for a higher stomatal conductance, resulting in lower δ13C values, leading to a negative relationship with summer precipitation. Furthermore, the vapor pressure deficit of July and August was significantly correlated with δ13C of wood and cellulose, indicating decreased stomatal conductance, an expression of moderate drought. This leads to reduced 13CO2 discrimination and less negative δ13C values. The simultaneous increase of δ18O also indicates a reduction in stomatal conductance under rather dry conditions or drought. Comparative analyses between mean isotope values for the AD 900-1000 and AD 1880-2004 periods indicate similar ranges of climatic conditions, with the exception of the period AD 1950-2004, which is characterized by increased summer drought. Whilst isotopic ratios in cellulose are reliably related to climatic variables, those in whole wood showed even stronger relationships during some periods. Strong positive correlations between δ18O of cellulose and Greenland ice-core data were detected for the beginning of the Medieval period (r=0.86; p<0.05), indicating the reliability

Basic English Writers' Japanese-English Wordbook.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daniels, F. J.

The author of this Japanese-English wordbook suggests that it may be used by Japanese writers of English, by those translating from Japanese into English, and by learners of Japanese, in addition to its main intended uses as an aid to the preparation of teaching material and as a work of reference for teachers. A translator will need to supplement…

Japanese Nationalism

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-06-01

United States. The chief function of this principle is to cut--it separates all things. It classifies everything into black and white, good and bad . The...content included articles on masturbation , petting, and 99 intercourse. One of Japan’s all time best selling books in recent years, Totto-chan, is a...to the th: every Japanese will be judged by whether he celebrates this or not. That is how people will be determined to be good Japanese or bad 112

[The alteration of Japanese anatomical terminology in the early Showa period and the Japanese language reform campaign].

PubMed

Sawai, Tadashi; Sakai, Tatsuo

2010-03-01

In the second decade of the Showa period, great changes were made in the Japanese anatomical terms. It has been proposed that the presentation of JNA (Jenaer nomina anatomica) was one of the factors leading to the change. The Japanese language reform campaign, however, played an important role. The party kokugoaigo doumei and its successor kokugo kyokai required concise and unified technical terms. The anatomical nomenclature committee of the Japanese Association of Anatomists worked to satisfy this requirement. The committee consulted with nomenclature committees of other medical associations and took account of their opinions. The anatomical nomenclature committee abandoned the literal translation from Latin to Japanese and shaped a succinct Japanese terminology. Modern Japanese anatomical terms are based on this terminology.

Compliment Responses: Comparing American Learners of Japanese, Native Japanese Speakers, and American Native English Speakers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tatsumi, Naofumi

2012-01-01

Previous research shows that American learners of Japanese (AJs) tend to differ from native Japanese speakers in their compliment responses (CRs). Yokota (1986) and Shimizu (2009) have reported that AJs tend to respond more negatively than native Japanese speakers. It has also been reported that AJs' CRs tend to lack the use of avoidance or…

Fire Effects on Microbial Dynamics and C, N, and P Cycling in Larch Forests of the Siberian Arctic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ludwig, S.; Alexander, H. D.; Mann, P. J.; Natali, S.; Schade, J. D.

2013-12-01

Arctic forest ecosystems are warming at an accelerated rate relative to lower latitudes, with global implications for C cycling within these regions. As climate continues to warm and dry, wildfire frequency and severity are predicted to increase, creating a positive feedback to climate warming. Because soil microbes regulate carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling between terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere, it is important to understand microbial response to fires, particularly in the understudied larch forests in the Siberian Arctic. In this project, we created experimental burn plots in a mature larch forest in the Kolyma River watershed of Northeastern Siberia. Plots were burned at several treatments: control (no burn), low, moderate, and severe. After 1 day, 8 days and 1 year post-fire, we measured CO2 flux from the plots, and measured dissolved organic carbon (DOC), total dissolved nitrogen (TDN), NH4, NO3, PO4, and chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) from soil leachates. Furthermore, we measured extracellular activity of four enzymes involved in soil C and nutrient cycling (leucine aminopeptidase (LAP), β-glucosidase, phosphatase, and phenol oxidase). Both 1 day and 8 days post-fire DOC, TDN, NH4, and PO4 all increased with burn severity, but by 1 year they were similar to control plots. The aromaticity and molecular weight of DOM decreased with fire severity. One day post-fire we observed a spike in phenol oxidase activity in the severe burns only, and a decline in β-glucosidase and phosphatase activity. By 8 days post-fire all enzyme activities were at the level of the control plots. 1 year post-fire LAP, β-glucosidase, and phosphatase all decreased with fire severity, parallel to a decrease in CO2 flux by fire severity. Ratios of enzymatic activity 1 year post-fire reflect a switch of resource allocation from P acquiring to N acquiring activities in more severe fires. Our results show an immediate microbial response to the short-term effects

Climate-Induced Landslides within the Larch Dominant Permafrost Zone of Central Siberia.

PubMed

Kharuk, Viacheslav I; Shushpanov, Alexandr S; Im, Sergei T; Ranson, Kenneth J

2016-04-01

Climate impact on landslide occurrence and spatial patterns were analyzed within the larch-dominant communities associated with continuous permafrost areas of Central Siberia. We used high resolution satellite imagery (i.e. QuickBird, WorldView) to identify landslide scars over an area of 62000 km 2 . Landslide occurrence was analyzed with respect to climate variables (air temperature, precipitation, drought index SPEI), and GRACE satellite derived equivalent of water thickness anomalies (EWTA). Landslides were found only on southward facing slopes, and the occurrence of landslides increased exponentially with increasing slope steepness. Lengths of landslides correlated positively with slope steepness. The observed upper elevation limit of landslides tended to coincide with the tree line. Observations revealed landslides occurrence was also found to be strongly correlated with August precipitation (r = 0.81) and drought index (r = 0.7), with June-July-August soil water anomalies (i.e., EWTA, r = 0.68-0.7), and number of thawing days (i.e., a number of days with t max > 0°C; r = 0.67). A significant increase in the variance of soil water anomalies was observed, indicating that occurrence of landslides may increase even with a stable mean precipitation level. The key-findings of this study are (1) landslides occurrence increased within the permafrost zone of Central Siberia in the beginning of the 21st century; (2) the main cause of increased landslides occurrence are extremes in precipitation and soil water anomalies; and (3) landslides occurrence are strongly dependent on relief features such as southward facing steep slopes.

Climate-Induced Landsliding within the Larch Dominant Permafrost Zone of Central Siberia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kharuk, Viacheslav I.; Shushpanov, Alexandr S.; Im, Sergei T.; Ranson, Kenneth J.

2016-01-01

Climate impact on landslide occurrence and spatial patterns were analyzed within the larch-dominant communities associated with continuous permafrost areas of central Siberia. We used high resolution satellite imagery (i.e. QuickBird, WorldView) to identify landslide scars over an area of 62 000 km2. Landslide occurrence was analyzed with respect to climate variables (air temperature, precipitation, drought index SPEI), and Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment satellite derived equivalent of water thickness anomalies (EWTA). Landslides were found only on southward facing slopes, and the occurrence of landslides increased exponentially with increasing slope steepness. Lengths of landslides correlated positively with slope steepness. The observed upper elevation limit of landslides tended to coincide with the tree line. Observations revealed landslides occurrence was also found to be strongly correlated with August precipitation (r = 0.81) and drought index (r = 0.7), with June-July-August soil water anomalies (i.e., EWTA, r = 0.68-0.7), and number of thawing days (i.e., a number of days with t (max) > 0 deg C; r = 0.67). A significant increase in the variance of soil water anomalies was observed, indicating that occurrence of landslides may increase even with a stable mean precipitation level. The key-findings of this study are (1) landslides occurrence increased within the permafrost zone of central Siberia in the beginning of the 21st century; (2) the main cause of increased landslides occurrence are extremes in precipitation and soil water anomalies; and (3) landslides occurrence are strongly dependent on relief features such as southward facing steep slopes.

Climate-Induced Landslides within the Larch Dominant Permafrost Zone of Central Siberia

PubMed Central

Shushpanov, Alexandr S; Im, Sergei T; Ranson, Kenneth J

2017-01-01

Climate impact on landslide occurrence and spatial patterns were analyzed within the larch-dominant communities associated with continuous permafrost areas of Central Siberia. We used high resolution satellite imagery (i.e. QuickBird, WorldView) to identify landslide scars over an area of 62000 km2. Landslide occurrence was analyzed with respect to climate variables (air temperature, precipitation, drought index SPEI), and GRACE satellite derived equivalent of water thickness anomalies (EWTA). Landslides were found only on southward facing slopes, and the occurrence of landslides increased exponentially with increasing slope steepness. Lengths of landslides correlated positively with slope steepness. The observed upper elevation limit of landslides tended to coincide with the tree line. Observations revealed landslides occurrence was also found to be strongly correlated with August precipitation (r = 0.81) and drought index (r = 0.7), with June-July-August soil water anomalies (i.e., EWTA, r = 0.68–0.7), and number of thawing days (i.e., a number of days with tmax > 0°C; r = 0.67). A significant increase in the variance of soil water anomalies was observed, indicating that occurrence of landslides may increase even with a stable mean precipitation level. The key-findings of this study are (1) landslides occurrence increased within the permafrost zone of Central Siberia in the beginning of the 21st century; (2) the main cause of increased landslides occurrence are extremes in precipitation and soil water anomalies; and (3) landslides occurrence are strongly dependent on relief features such as southward facing steep slopes. PMID:29326754

A multi-taxon approach reveals the effect of management intensity on biodiversity in Alpine larch grasslands.

PubMed

Nascimbene, Juri; Fontana, Veronika; Spitale, Daniel

2014-07-15

In the Alps, larch grasslands form one of the most pleasing aspects of the landscape. However, their effectiveness in contributing to biodiversity conservation may depend on the intensity of their management. We used a multi-taxon approach to evaluate the effects of the intensification of management practices and those of abandonment on the biodiversity of the main autotrophic organisms hosted in this habitat, including vascular plants, bryophytes, and lichens. The study was carried out in the eastern part of South Tyrol, in the Italian Alps, where the diversity patterns of these three organismal groups were compared among intensively managed, extensively managed, and abandoned stands. The management intensity was found to strongly influence the biodiversity of the organisms, with a general pattern indicating the best conditions in extensively managed stands. Both abandonment and management intensification were detrimental to biodiversity through different mechanisms that led to species loss or to major shifts in species composition. However, the most negative effects were related to management intensification, mainly due to the high nitrogen supply, providing evidence for the increasing impact of eutrophication on Alpine environments. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Japanese American Identity Dilemma.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maykovich, Minako K.

The major theme of this book is the label "Quiet American" for the Japanese American. In order to locate Japanese Americans sociologically and psychologically in the structure of American society, various concepts such as "marginal man,""alienation," and "inauthenticity" are examined, specifying these…

Geographic variation, genetic structure and conservation unit designation in the larch mountain salamander( Plethodon larselli)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wagner, R.S.; Miller, Mark P.; Crisafulli, Charles; Haig, Susan M.

2005-01-01

The Larch Mountain salamander (Plethodon larselli Burns, 1954) is an endemic species in the Pacific northwestern United States facing threats related to habitat destruction. To facilitate development of conservation strategies, we used DNA sequences and RAPDs (random amplified polymorphic DNA) to examine differences among populations of this species. Phylogenetic analyses of cytochrome b revealed a clade of haplotypes from populations north of the Columbia River derived from a clade containing haplotypes from the river's southwestern region. Haplotypes from southeastern populations formed a separate clade. Nucleotide diversity was reduced in northern populations relative to southern populations. These results were corroborated by analyses of RAPD loci, which revealed similar patterns of clustering and diversity. Network analyses suggested that northern populations were colonized following a range expansion mediated by individuals from populations located southwest of the river. Changes in the Columbia River's location during the Pliocene and Pleistocene likely released distributional constraints on this species, permitting their northern range expansion. Based on the barrier presented by the Columbia River's present location and differences in haplotype diversity and population structure observed between northern and southern populations, we suggest that designation of separate management units encompassing each region may assist with mitigating different threats to this species.

Long-term measurement of terpenoid flux above a Larix kaempferi forest using a relaxed eddy accumulation method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mochizuki, Tomoki; Tani, Akira; Takahashi, Yoshiyuki; Saigusa, Nobuko; Ueyama, Masahito

2014-02-01

Terpenoids emitted from forests contribute to the formation of secondary organic aerosols and affect the carbon budgets of forest ecosystems. To investigate seasonal variation in terpenoid flux involved in the aerosol formation and carbon budget, we measured the terpenoid flux of a Larix kaempferi forest between May 2011 and May 2012 by using a relaxed eddy accumulation method. Isoprene was emitted from a fern plant species Dryopteris crassirhizoma on the forest floor and monoterpenes from the L. kaempferi. α-Pinene was the dominant compound, but seasonal variation of the monoterpene composition was observed. High isoprene and monoterpene fluxes were observed in July and August. The total monoterpene flux was dependent on temperature, but several unusual high positive fluxes were observed after rain fall events. We found a good correlation between total monoterpene flux and volumetric soil water content (r = 0.88), and used this correlation to estimate monoterpene flux after rain events and calculate annual terpenoid emissions. Annual carbon emission in the form of total monoterpenes plus isoprene was determined to be 0.93% of the net ecosystem exchange. If we do not consider the effect of rain fall, carbon emissions may be underestimated by about 50%. Our results suggest that moisture conditions in the forest soil is a key factor controlling the monoterpene emissions from the forest ecosystem.

Population structure in Japanese rice population

PubMed Central

Yamasaki, Masanori; Ideta, Osamu

2013-01-01

It is essential to elucidate genetic diversity and relationships among even related individuals and populations for plant breeding and genetic analysis. Since Japanese rice breeding has improved agronomic traits such as yield and eating quality, modern Japanese rice cultivars originated from narrow genetic resource and closely related. To resolve the population structure and genetic diversity in Japanese rice population, we used a total of 706 alleles detected by 134 simple sequence repeat markers in a total of 114 cultivars composed of 94 improved varieties and 20 landraces, which are representative and important for Japanese rice breeding. The landraces exhibit greater gene diversity than improved lines, suggesting that landraces can provide additional genetic diversity for future breeding. Model-based Bayesian clustering analysis revealed six subgroups and admixture situation in the cultivars, showing good agreement with pedigree information. This method could be superior to phylogenetic method in classifying a related population. The leading Japanese rice cultivar, Koshihikari is unique due to the specific genome constitution. We defined Japanese rice diverse sets that capture the maximum number of alleles for given sample sizes. These sets are useful for a variety of genetic application in Japanese rice cultivars. PMID:23641181

Non-Native Japanese Listeners' Perception of Vowel Length Contrasts in Japanese and Modern Standard Arabic (MSA)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tsukada, Kimiko

2012-01-01

This study aimed to compare the perception of short vs. long vowel contrasts in Japanese and Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) by four groups of listeners differing in their linguistic backgrounds: native Arabic (NA), native Japanese (NJ), non-native Japanese (NNJ) and Australian English (OZ) speakers. The NNJ and OZ groups shared the first language…

Body composition and anthropometry in Japanese and Australian Caucasian males and Japanese females.

PubMed

Kagawa, Masaharu; Binns, Colin B; Hills, Andrew P

2007-01-01

The total amount and location of fat deposition are important factors in the development of obesity and the metabolic syndrome. To date there have been no reported studies of ethnic and gender differences in body composition and fat distribution patterns in Japanese and Australian young adults. The aim of this study was to assess body composition of young Japanese and Australian Caucasian adults using whole-body dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and anthropometry to examine body fat deposition patterns. Body composition of 45 Japanese males and 42 Australian Caucasian males living in Australia (aged 18-40 years) and 139 Japanese females living in Japan (aged 18-27 years) were measured using whole-body DXA scanning and anthropometry. Differences in relationships between BMI and waist circumference (WC), sum of skinfolds (SigmaSF) and %BF obtained from DXA were assessed using multivariate analyses. Distinct gender and ethnic differences (p<0.05) in bone density and waist circumference were observed but no gender differences in BMI and bone mineral content and no ethnic differences in sum of skinfolds and %BF. Both Japanese males and females showed a greater %BF at given BMI, WC and SigmaSF values (p<0.05). The results indicate differences in relationships between %BF and anthropometric measures in young Japanese compared to Caucasians and the importance of population-specific cut-off points for these indices. These findings also have implications for the development of chronic disease and further research, including studies in other Asian countries, is recommended.

The Japanese containerless experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Azuma, Hisao

1990-01-01

There are three sets of Japanese containerless experiments. The first is Drop dynamics research. It consists of acoustic levitation and large amplitude drop oscillation. The second is Optical materials processing in an acoustic levitation furnace. And the third is Electrostatic levitator development by two different Japanese companies.

Intercultural Communication Problems in Japanese Multinationals.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nishiyama, Kazuo

Many large Japanese-owned multinational corporations have established successful subsidiaries in the United States, but distinct ethnic and cultural differences have caused communication problems between Japanese managers and American laborers and business people. Many top executives of the Japanese subsidiaries are sent to the United States on a…

Shattering Myths: Japanese American Educational Issues.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yoshiwara, Florence M.

An historical review of the immigration and resettlement patterns, and a demographic profile of Japanese Americans reveals a myth of the "successful minority." Since the founding of the Japanese American Citizens League in 1928, Japanese Americans have defeated alien land laws, discriminatory immigration quotas, anti-miscengenation laws,…

[History of Japanese Committee for Anatomical Nomenclature].

PubMed

Kimura, Kunihiko

2008-12-01

This paper records a history of the Japanese Committee of Anatomical Nomenclature since 1990, as a supplement to the previous report (1991), explains a progressing of the edition of Japanese medical terms by the Japanese Association of Medical Sciences and the Ministry of Education, Sciences and Culture, and points out of some problems on terms in Japanese.

Japanese Media in English.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tanaka, Sachiko Oda

1995-01-01

Describes the use of English in the media in Japan, focusing on the role and history of English-language newspapers, radio, and television programs, as well as the proliferation of English-language films shown in Japanese cinemas. Discusses the implications of English in the Japanese media. (20 references) (MDM)

Ordinal Expressions in Japanese. Papers in Japanese Linguistics, Vol. 2, No. 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Backus, Robert L.

The varied forms and semantic factors of Japanese ordinal expressions are related to one another in a coherent system. In Japanese, the cardinal number form is a numeral compound in construction with a referent. The numeral compound consists of a number and a numeral adjunct. Numeral adjuncts are derived from bound forms, or numeral suffixes, and…

Japanese Interest in “Hotaru” (Fireflies) and “Kabuto-Mushi” (Japanese Rhinoceros Beetles) Corresponds with Seasonality in Visible Abundance

PubMed Central

Takada, Kenta

2012-01-01

Seasonal changes in the popularity of fireflies [usually Genji-fireflies (Luciola cruciata Motschulsky) in Japan] and Japanese rhinoceros beetles [Allomyrina dichotoma (Linne)] were investigated to examine whether contemporary Japanese are interested in visible emergence of these insects as seasonal events. The popularity of fireflies and Japanese rhinoceros beetles was assessed by the Google search volume of their Japanese names, “Hotaru” and “Kabuto-mushi” in Japanese Katakana script using Google Trends. The search volume index for fireflies and Japanese rhinoceros beetles was distributed across seasons with a clear peak in only particular times of each year from 2004 to 2011. In addition, the seasonal peak of popularity for fireflies occurred at the beginning of June, whereas that for Japanese rhinoceros beetles occurred from the middle of July to the beginning of August. Thus seasonal peak of each species coincided with the peak period of the emergence of each adult stage. These findings indicated that the Japanese are interested in these insects primarily during the time when the two species are most visibly abundant. Although untested, this could suggest that fireflies and Japanese rhinoceros beetles are perceived by the general public as indicators or symbols of summer in Japan. PMID:26466535

First Course in Japanese: Character Workbook.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Niwa, Tamako

This character workbook is an introduction to Japanese writing designed to be used in conjunction with Parts One and Two of this introductory course in Japanese. All the "hiragana", several "katakana", and 88 Japanese characters are introduced in this text. The workbook, consisting of 30 lessons, is divided into three parts.…

Developing Instructional Materials for Business Japanese.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koike, Shohei

Business Japanese should be the study of Japanese language and culture for business communication and should include values and beliefs and institutional constraints on which the Japanese act as well as business etiquette and terminology. Topics to be covered in instruction will vary depending on the role (seller, buyer, or colleague) played by…

Japanese Quality Control Circles.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nishiyama, Kazuo

In recent years, United States scholars with an interest in international business and organizational communication have begun to notice the success of Japanese "quality control circles." These are small groups, usually composed of seven to ten workers, who are organized at the production levels within most large Japanese factories. A…

[Effect of soil phenolic acids on soil microbe of coal-mining depressed land after afforestation restoration by different tree species].

PubMed

Ji, Li; Yang, Li Xue

2017-12-01

Phenolic acids are one of the most important factors that influence microbial community structure. Investigating the dynamic changes of phenolic acids and their relationship with the microbial community structure in plantation soils with different tree species could contribute to better understanding and revealing the mechanisms of microbial community changes under afforestation restoration in coal-mining subsidence areas. In this study, plantations of three conifer and one deciduous species (Pinus koraiensis, Larix gmelinii, Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica, and Populus ussuriensis) were established on abandoned coal-mining subsidence areas in Baoshan District, Shuangyashan City. The contents of soil phenols, 11 types of phenolic acids, and microbial communities in all plots were determined. The results showed that the contents of soil complex phenol in plantations were significantly higher than that of abandoned land overall. Specifically, soils in larch and poplar plantations had higher contents of complex phenol, while soils in larch and Korean pine plantations had greater contents of total phenol. Moreover, soil in the P. koraiensis plantation had a higher content of water-soluble phenol compared with abandoned lands. The determination of 11 phenolic acids indicated that the contents of ferulic acid, abietic acid, β-sitosterol, oleanolic acid, shikimic acid, linoleic acid, and stearic acid were higher in plantation soils. Although soil phenol contents were not related with soil microbial biomass, the individual phenolic acids showed a significant relationship with soil microbes. Ferulic acid, abietic acid, and β-sitosterol showed significant promoting effects on soil microbial biomass, and they showed positive correlations with fungi and fungi/bacteria ratio. These three phenolic acids had higher contents in the poplar plantation, suggesting that poplar affo-restation had a beneficial effect on soil quality in coal-mining subsidence areas.

Plant hydraulic strategies and their variability at high latitudes: insights from a southern Canadian boreal forest site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pappas, C.; Matheny, A. M.; Maillet, J.; Baltzer, J. L.; Stephens, J.; Barr, A.; Black, T. A.; Sonnentag, O.

2016-12-01

Boreal forests cover about one third of the world's forested area with a large part of the boreal zone located in Canada. These high-latitude ecosystems respond rapidly to environmental changes. Plant water stress and the resulting drought-induced mortality has been recently hypothesised as a major driver of forest changes in western Canada. Although boreal forests often exhibit low floristic complexity, local scale abiotic heterogeneities may lead to highly variable plant functional traits and thus to diverging plant responses to environmental changes. However, detailed measurements of plant hydraulic strategies and their inter- and intra-specific variability are still lacking for these ecosystems. Here, we quantify plant water use and hydraulic strategies of black spruce (Picea mariana) and larch (Larix laricina), that are widespread in the boreal zone, at a long-term monitoring site located in central Saskatchewan (53.99° N, 105.12° W; elevation 628.94 m a.s.l.). The site is characterized by a mature black spruce overstorey that dominates the landscape with few larch individuals. The ground cover consists mainly of mosses with some peat moss and lichens over a rich soil organic layer. Tree-level sap flux density, measured with Granier-style thermal dissipation probes (N=39), and concurrently recorded radial stem dynamics, measured with high frequency dendrometers (N=13), are used to quantify plant hydraulic functioning during the 2016 growing season. Hydrometeorological measurements, including soil moisture and micrometeorological data, are used to describe environmental constraints in plant water use. Tree-level dynamics are then integrated to the landscape and compared with ecosystem-level evapotranspiration measurements from an adjacent eddy-covariance flux tower. This experimental design allows us to quantify the main environmental drivers that shape plant hydraulic strategies in this southern boreal zone and to provide new insights into the inter- and

[Comparison of three stand-level biomass estimation methods].

PubMed

Dong, Li Hu; Li, Feng Ri

2016-12-01

At present, the forest biomass methods of regional scale attract most of attention of the researchers, and developing the stand-level biomass model is popular. Based on the forestry inventory data of larch plantation (Larix olgensis) in Jilin Province, we used non-linear seemly unrelated regression (NSUR) to estimate the parameters in two additive system of stand-level biomass equations, i.e., stand-level biomass equations including the stand variables and stand biomass equations including the biomass expansion factor (i.e., Model system 1 and Model system 2), listed the constant biomass expansion factor for larch plantation and compared the prediction accuracy of three stand-level biomass estimation methods. The results indicated that for two additive system of biomass equations, the adjusted coefficient of determination (R a 2 ) of the total and stem equations was more than 0.95, the root mean squared error (RMSE), the mean prediction error (MPE) and the mean absolute error (MAE) were smaller. The branch and foliage biomass equations were worse than total and stem biomass equations, and the adjusted coefficient of determination (R a 2 ) was less than 0.95. The prediction accuracy of a constant biomass expansion factor was relatively lower than the prediction accuracy of Model system 1 and Model system 2. Overall, although stand-level biomass equation including the biomass expansion factor belonged to the volume-derived biomass estimation method, and was different from the stand biomass equations including stand variables in essence, but the obtained prediction accuracy of the two methods was similar. The constant biomass expansion factor had the lower prediction accuracy, and was inappropriate. In addition, in order to make the model parameter estimation more effective, the established stand-level biomass equations should consider the additivity in a system of all tree component biomass and total biomass equations.

Using Field Data and GIS-Derived Variables to Model Occurrence of Williamson's Sapsucker Nesting Habitat at Multiple Spatial Scales.

PubMed

Drever, Mark C; Gyug, Les W; Nielsen, Jennifer; Stuart-Smith, A Kari; Ohanjanian, I Penny; Martin, Kathy

2015-01-01

Williamson's sapsucker (Sphyrapicus thyroideus) is a migratory woodpecker that breeds in mixed coniferous forests in western North America. In Canada, the range of this woodpecker is restricted to three small populations in southern British Columbia, precipitating a national listing as 'Endangered' in 2005, and the need to characterize critical habitat for its survival and recovery. We compared habitat attributes between Williamson's sapsucker nest territories and random points without nests or detections of this sapsucker as part of a resource selection analysis to identify the habitat features that best explain the probability of nest occurrence in two separate geographic regions in British Columbia. We compared the relative explanatory power of generalized linear models based on field-derived and Geographic Information System (GIS) data within both a 225 m and 800 m radius of a nest or random point. The model based on field-derived variables explained the most variation in nest occurrence in the Okanagan-East Kootenay Region, whereas nest occurrence was best explained by GIS information at the 800 m scale in the Western Region. Probability of nest occurrence was strongly tied to densities of potential nest trees, which included open forests with very large (diameter at breast height, DBH, ≥57.5 cm) western larch (Larix occidentalis) trees in the Okanagan-East Kootenay Region, and very large ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) and large (DBH 17.5-57.5 cm) trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides) trees in the Western Region. Our results have the potential to guide identification and protection of critical habitat as required by the Species at Risk Act in Canada, and to better manage Williamson's sapsucker habitat overall in North America. In particular, management should focus on the maintenance and recruitment of very large western larch and ponderosa pine trees.

Hydraulic properties and fine root mass of Larix sibirica along forest edge-interior gradients

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chenlemuge, Tselmeg; Dulamsuren, Choimaa; Hertel, Dietrich; Schuldt, Bernhard; Leuschner, Christoph; Hauck, Markus

2015-02-01

At its southernmost distribution limit in Inner Asia, the boreal forest disintegrates into forest fragments on moist sites (e.g. north-facing slopes), which are embedded in grasslands. This landscape mosaic is characterized by a much higher forest edge-to-interior ratio than in closed boreal forests. Earlier work in the forest-steppe ecotone of Mongolia has shown that Larix sibirica trees at forest edges grow faster than in the forest interior, as the more xeric environment at the edge promotes self-thinning and edges are preferentially targeted by selective logging and livestock grazing. Lowered stand density reduces competition for water in these semi-arid forests, where productivity is usually limited by summer drought. We studied how branch and coarse root hydraulic architecture and xylem conductivity, fine root biomass and necromass, and fine root morphology of L. sibirica respond to sites differing in water availability. Studying forest edge-interior gradients in two regions of western Mongolia, we found a significant reduction of branch theoretical (Kp) and empirical conductivity (Ks) in the putatively more drought-affected forest interior in the Mongolian Altai (mean precipitation: 120 mm yr-1), while no branch xylem modification occurred in the moister Khangai Mountains (215 mm yr-1). Kp and Ks were several times larger in roots than in branches, but root hydraulics were not influenced by stand density or mean annual precipitation. Very low fine root biomass: necromass ratios at all sites, and in the forest interior in particular, suggest that L. sibirica seeks to maintain a relatively high root conductivity by producing large conduits, which results in high root mortality due to embolism during drought. Our results suggest that L. sibirica is adapted to the semi-arid climate at its southernmost distribution limit by considerable plasticity of the branch hydraulic system and a small but apparently dynamic fine root system.

Generations and Identity: The Japanese American.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kitano, Harry H. L.

The story of people of Japanese descent in the United States is told in its historic context. The Japanese came to America with cultural values that differed greatly from the mainstream U.S. society. They were also set apart by appearance. Conflict between Japan and the United States exacerbated the problems between the Japanese Americans and the…

The Work Values of Japanese Women.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Engel, John W.

Empirical studies of Japanese work ethics have tended to focus on male workers while neglecting women. In addition, work values in both Japan and the United States appear to be changing. More information is needed on the work values of American and Japanese female workers. A study was conducted to explore the work ethics of Japanese women and to…

Technological Diversification of Japanese Industry.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kodama, Fumio

1986-01-01

Describes an approach for measuring industrial technological diversification behavior. Identifies sectoral patterns of Japanese industry as related to diversification behaviors. Delineates the mechanisms and effectiveness of Japanese corporate and government policies relevant to diversification. (ML)

Modalities of Infant-Mother Interaction in Japanese, Japanese American Immigrant, and European American Dyads

PubMed Central

Bornstein, Marc H.; Cote, Linda R.; Haynes, O. Maurice; Suwalsky, Joan T. D.; Bakeman, Roger

2011-01-01

Cultural variation in relations and moment-to-moment contingencies of infant-mother person-oriented and object-oriented interactions were examined and compared in 118 Japanese, Japanese American immigrant, and European American dyads with 5.5-month-olds. Infant and mother person-oriented behaviors were positively related in all cultural groups, but infant and mother object-oriented behaviors were positively related only among European Americans. In all groups, infant and mother behaviors within each modality were mutually contingent. Culture moderated lead-lag relations: Japanese infants were more likely than their mothers to respond in object-oriented interactions, European American mothers were more likely than their infants to respond in person-oriented interactions. Japanese American dyads behaved more like European American dyads. Interaction, infant effects, and parent socialization findings are set in cultural and accultural models of transactions between young infants and their mothers. PMID:22860874

Pretending to Be Japanese: Artistic Play in a Japanese-American Church and Family

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goto, Courtney T.

2008-01-01

With high rates of out-marriage and dwindling need for bilingual worship, Japanese-American churches face a critical question: "Why retain the Japanese part of our identity?" This article explores how one layperson (Naomi Takahashi Goto) draws from her experience as an artist, teacher, and mother to help her congregation answer this question.…

New Frontiers for Japanese Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tucker, Frank H.

1974-01-01

Japanese literature, television, movies, and school texts from 1935 to 1955 are analyzed for their influence and contribution to Japanese youths' pioneering spirit and frontiermindedness. "Asian Affairs" is published by the American-Asian Educational Exchange, New York. (DE)

8 CFR 349.1 - Japanese renunciation of nationality.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 8 Aliens and Nationality 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Japanese renunciation of nationality. 349.1... NATIONALITY § 349.1 Japanese renunciation of nationality. A Japanese who renounced United States nationality... void, shall complete Form N-576, Supplemental Affidavit to be Submitted with Applications of Japanese...

Environmental control of CO2-assimilation and leaf conductance in Larix decidua Mill. : I. A comparison of contrasting natural environments.

PubMed

Benecke, U; Schulze, E -D; Matyssek, R; Havranek, W M

1981-08-01

CO 2 -assimilation and leaf conductance of Larix decidua Mill. were measured in the field at high (Patscherkofel, Austria) and low (Bayreuth, Germany) elevation in Europe, and outside its natural range along an altitudinal gradient in New Zealand.Phenology of leaf and stem growth showed New Zealand sites to have much longer growing seasons than in Europe, so that the timberline (1,330 m) season was almost twice as long as at the Austrian timberline (1,950 m).The maximum rates of photosynthesis, A max , were similar at all sites after completion of leaf growth, namely 3 to 3.5 μmol m -2 s -1 . Only the sun needles of the Bayreuth tree reached 3.5 to 5 μmol m -2 s -1 . Light response curves for CO 2 -assimilation changed during leaf ontogeny, the slope being less in young than in adult leaves. The temperature optimum for 90% of maximum photosynthesis was at all sites similar between ca. 12-28°C for much of the summer. Only at the cooler high altitude timberline sites were optima lower at ca. 10-16°C in developing needles during early summer.A linear correlation existed between A max and leaf conductance at A max , and this showed no difference between the sites except for sun needles at Bayreuth.Leaf conductance responded strongly to light intensity and this was concurrent with the light response of CO 2 -uptake. A short-term and a long-term effect were differentiated. With increasing age maximum rates of CO 2 -uptake and leaf conductance at A max increased, whereas short-term response during changes in light declined. The stomata became less responsive with increasing age and tended to remain open. The stomatal responses to light have a significant effect on the water use efficiency during diurnal courses. A higher water use efficiency was found for similar atmospheric conditions in spring than in autumn.Stomata responded with progressive closure to declining air humidity in a similar manner under dissimilar climates. Humidity response thus showed insensitivity

Lifestyle characteristics assessment of Japanese in Pittsburgh, USA.

PubMed

Hirooka, Nobutaka; Takedai, Teiichi; D'Amico, Frank

2012-04-01

Lifestyle-related chronic diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease are the greatest public health concerns. Evidence shows Japanese immigrants to a westernized environment have higher incidence of lifestyle-related diseases. However, little is known about lifestyle characteristics related to chronic diseases for Japanese in a westernized environment. This study is examining the gap in lifestyle by comparing the lifestyle prevalence for Japanese in the US with the Japanese National Data (the National Health and Nutrition Survey in Japan, J-NHANS) as well as the Japan National Health Promotion in the twenty-first Century (HJ21) goals. Japanese adults were surveyed in Pittsburgh, USA, regarding their lifestyle (e.g., diet, exercise, smoking, stress, alcohol, and oral hygiene). The prevalence was compared with J-NHANS and HJ21 goals. Ninety-three responded (response rate; 97.9%). Japanese men (n = 38) and women (n = 55) in Pittsburgh smoke less than Japanese in Japan (P < 0.001 for both genders). Japanese in Pittsburgh perform less physical activity in daily life and have lower prevalence of walking more than 1 h per day (P < 0.001 for both genders). Japanese women in Pittsburgh have significantly higher prevalence of stress than in Japan (P = 0.004). Japanese men in Pittsburgh do not reach HJ21 goal in weight management, BMI, use of medicine or alcohol to sleep, and sleep quality. Japanese women in Pittsburgh do not reach HJ21 goal in weight management and sleep quality. In conclusion, healthy lifestyle promotion including exercise and physical activity intervention for Japanese living in a westernized environment is warranted.

A Powerful Protector of the Japanese People: The History of the Japanese Hospital in Steveston, British Columbia, Canada,18961942.

PubMed

Vandenberg, Helen

2017-01-01

From 1896 to 1942, a Japanese hospital operated in the village of Steveston, British Columbia, Canada. For the first 4 years, Japanese Methodist missionaries utilized a small mission building as a makeshift hospital, until a larger institution was constructed by the local Japanese Fishermen's Association in 1900. The hospital operated until the Japanese internment, after the attack on Pearl Harbor during World War II. This study offers important commentary about the relationships between health, hospitals, and race in British Columbia during a period of increased immigration and economic upheaval. From the unique perspective of Japanese leaders, this study provides new insight about how Japanese populations negotiated hospital care, despite a context of severe racial discrimination. Japanese populations utilized Christianization, fishing expertise, and hospital work to garner more equitable access to opportunities and resources. This study demonstrates that in addition to providing medical treatment, training grounds for health-care workers, and safe refuge for the sick, hospitals played a significant role in confronting broader racialized inequities in Canada's past.

Some Design Issues for an Online Japanese Textbook

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nagata, Noriko

2010-01-01

This paper discusses several design issues in the development of a new online Japanese textbook, called "Robo-Sensei: Japanese Curriculum with Automated Feedback". When it is completed, the new online textbook will present a full Japanese curriculum. It extends a previously published online software program, "Robo-Sensei: Personal Japanese Tutor"…

The Semantics and Pragmatics of Japanese Focus Particles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hasegawa, Akio

2011-01-01

Japanese has a rich set of focus particles, several exclusive and additive particles, and, in addition, contrastive particles. This thesis provides a formal description of the meanings of Japanese focus particles and addresses two general questions: "What kinds concepts do Japanese focus particles express?" and "Why does Japanese have a larger…

Re-Examining Patriotism in Japanese Education: Analysis of Japanese Elementary School Moral Readers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anzai, Shinobu

2015-01-01

In 1947 the Fundamental Law of Education (FLE) defined the pacifist principles for post-war Japanese education and was revised in 2006 for the first time in nearly 60 years. The revised FLE stipulates the importance of teaching love for country and region and Japanese culture and traditions with special emphasis on moral education. Today, this…

[Parameter sensitivity of simulating net primary productivity of Larix olgensis forest based on BIOME-BGC model].

PubMed

He, Li-hong; Wang, Hai-yan; Lei, Xiang-dong

2016-02-01

Model based on vegetation ecophysiological process contains many parameters, and reasonable parameter values will greatly improve simulation ability. Sensitivity analysis, as an important method to screen out the sensitive parameters, can comprehensively analyze how model parameters affect the simulation results. In this paper, we conducted parameter sensitivity analysis of BIOME-BGC model with a case study of simulating net primary productivity (NPP) of Larix olgensis forest in Wangqing, Jilin Province. First, with the contrastive analysis between field measurement data and the simulation results, we tested the BIOME-BGC model' s capability of simulating the NPP of L. olgensis forest. Then, Morris and EFAST sensitivity methods were used to screen the sensitive parameters that had strong influence on NPP. On this basis, we also quantitatively estimated the sensitivity of the screened parameters, and calculated the global, the first-order and the second-order sensitivity indices. The results showed that the BIOME-BGC model could well simulate the NPP of L. olgensis forest in the sample plot. The Morris sensitivity method provided a reliable parameter sensitivity analysis result under the condition of a relatively small sample size. The EFAST sensitivity method could quantitatively measure the impact of simulation result of a single parameter as well as the interaction between the parameters in BIOME-BGC model. The influential sensitive parameters for L. olgensis forest NPP were new stem carbon to new leaf carbon allocation and leaf carbon to nitrogen ratio, the effect of their interaction was significantly greater than the other parameter' teraction effect.

[Effects of mushroom residue compost on growth and nutrient accumulation of Larix principis-rupprechtii containerized transplants].

PubMed

Teng, Fei; Liu, Yong; Lou, Jun Shan; Sun, Qiao Yu; Wan, Fang Fang; Yang, Chen; Zhang, Jin

2016-12-01

Excessive use of peat may cause some environmental problems. To alleviate the negative effect, an experiment was conducted with the mushroom residue compost to replace peat in Larix principis-rupprechtii containerized transplant production, and the proportion of mushroom residue compost was 0% (T 0 , control), 15% (T 1 ), 18.75% (T 2 ), 25% (T 3 ), 37.50% (T 4 ), 50% (T 5 ), 56.25% (T 6 ) and 60% (T 7 ), respectively. The physical and chemical features of the substrates and its effect on the vegetative growth and nutrient accumulation of L. principis-rupprechtii containerized transplants were studied. The results showed when the proportion of mushroom residue compost in the substrate accounted for 50% or less, there was no significant difference in the transplant height, diameter, and biomass compared with the control, and the nutrient concentration in T 2 , T 4 , T 5 treatments was significantly higher than in T 0 . The pH value was sub-acidic to neutral which was suitable to the transplant growth. When the compost proportion accounted for more than 50%, the pH value was altered to alkali and was not suitable to the transplant growth. When the proportion of mushroom residue compost accounted for 15%, the plant grew best, and the height, diameter, and total biomass got the highest. Therefore, using mushroom residue compost to replace peat in L. principis-rupprechtii containerized transplants cultivation was feasible and the maximum replacement ratio could reach 50%. The high quality transplants could be obtained when the compost replacement ratio was 15%.

[Health assessment of individual trees in natural Larix gmelinii forest in Great Xing' an Mountains of China].

PubMed

Zhu, Yu; Liu, Zhao-Gang; Jin, Guang-Ze

2013-05-01

To integrate the health assessment results of individual trees into the health assessment of subcompartment (or stand) scale could improve the accuracy of subcompartment (or stand) scale health assessment, and realize the coupling process between the individual tree scale and the subcompartment (or stand) scale, providing a theoretical basis for the realization of forest health management. Taking the natural Larix gmelinii forest in Great Xing' an Mountains as the object, a health assessment indicators system of individual trees was established, which included root state, canopy defoliation degree, crown transparency, crown overlap, crown dieback ratio, live crown ratio, crown skewness, and vertical competition index. The principal component analysis (PCA) was employed to eliminate the correlations, the entropy value method was adopted to confirm the weight of each indicator, and the health status of individual L. gmelinii was assessed by fuzzy synthetic evaluation (FSE) method. Based on the health assessment results, a prediction model of the individual tree health was established by discriminant analysis (DA) method. The results showed that the trees in sub-healthy gradation were up to 36.7%, and those in healthy gradation only reached 12.9%. The proportion of the trees in unhealthy gradation exceeded that of the trees in healthy gradation, occupying 21.1% of the total. The prediction accuracy of the established model was 86.3%. More rational and effective management measures should be taken to improve the tree health grade.

Scores on morningness-eveningness and sleep habits of Korean students, Japanese students, and Japanese workers.

PubMed

Park, Y M; Matsumoto, K; Seo, Y J; Shinkoda, H; Park, K P

1997-08-01

The Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire and Life Habits Inventory were given to three groups of the same mean age: 533 Korean students, 468 Japanese students, and 311 Japanese workers. The distributions of scores on the questionnaire for these three groups are normal; however the Japanese students' distribution was slightly skewed towards the Evening type. The self-reported waking times and bedtimes for the three groups were late in the order of Morning, Intermediate, and Evening types. It is noteworthy, however, that the Korean students woke earlier than the Japanese students, and the workers always went to bed and woke earlier than the students. For the groups the variations in bedtime, waking time, and length of sleep were large, the sleep latency was long, and mood of the participants upon waking was bad in the order of the Morning. Intermediate, and Evening types. The scores of the Korean students were distributed more highly in the Morning type than were the Japanese students', but the students' sleep habits in both countries were quite similar. The subjects categorized as Evening types had more irregular sleep habits than those of the Morning type. In comparison with the student groups, Japanese workers of the same mean age had higher scores and slightly different sleep habits. The change in sleep habits could be seen as a result of the demands of employment, and the probable basis for difference in scores.

Diurnal and seasonal change in stem respiration of Larix principis-rupprechtii trees, northern China.

PubMed

Yang, Yan; Zhao, Miao; Xu, Xiangtao; Sun, Zhenzhong; Yin, Guodong; Piao, Shilong

2014-01-01

Stem respiration is a critical and uncertain component of ecosystem carbon cycle. Few studies reported diurnal change in stem respiration as well as its linkage with climate. In this study, we investigated the diurnal and seasonal change in stem respiration and its linkage with environmental factors, in larch plantations of northern China from 2010 to 2012. The stem respiration per unit surface area (RS) showed clear diurnal cycles, ranging from 1.65±0.10 to 2.69±0.15 µmol m(-2) s(-1), increased after 6∶00, peaked at 15∶00 and then decreased. Both stem temperature and air temperature show similar diurnal pattern, while the diurnal pattern of air relative humidity is just the opposite to Rs. Similar to the diurnal cycles, seasonal change in RS followed the pattern of stem temperature. RS increased from May (1.28±0.07 µmol m(-2) s(-1)) when the stem temperature was relatively low and peaked in July (3.02±0.10 µmol m(-2) s(-1)) when the stem temperature was also the highest. Further regression analyses show that RS exponentially increases with increasing temperature, and the Q10 of Rs at mid daytime (1.97±0.17 at 12∶00 and 1.96±0.10 at 15∶00) is significantly lower than that of mid nighttime (2.60±0.14 at 00∶00 and 2.71±0.25 at 03∶00) Q10. This result not only implies that Rs is more sensitive to night than day warming, but also highlights that temperature responses of Rs estimated by only daytime measurement can lead to underestimated stem respiration increase under global warming, especially considering that temperature increase is faster during nighttime.

Japanese Characters in Written Japanese.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buck, James H.

From the sixth to the eighth century A.D., Japan was the recipient of massive cultural infusions from China. This acceptance of the Chinese pattern included, and to a great extent was based on, the acceptance of the Chinese language. The Chinese writing system was applied to Japanese because there was no other model to follow and in spite of the…

Pollen-based biomes for Beringia 18,000, 6000 and 0 14C yr BP

USGS Publications Warehouse

Edwards, M.E.; Anderson, P.M.; Brubaker, L.B.; Ager, T.A.; Andreev, A.A.; Bigelow, N.H.; Cwynar, L.C.; Eisner, Wendy R.; Harrison, S.P.; Hu, F.-S.; Jolly, D.; Lozhkin, A.V.; MacDonald, G.M.; Mock, Cary J.; Ritchie, J.C.; Sher, A.V.; Spear, R.W.; Williams, J.W.; Yu, G.

2000-01-01

The objective biomization method developed by Prentice et al. (1996) for Europe was extended using modern pollen samples from Beringia and then applied to fossil pollen data to reconstruct palaeovegetation patterns at 6000 and 18,000 14C yr BP. The predicted modern distribution of tundra, taiga and cool conifer forests in Alaska and north-western Canada generally corresponds well to actual vegetation patterns, although sites in regions characterized today by a mosaic of forest and tundra vegetation tend to be preferentially assigned to tundra. Siberian larch forests are delimited less well, probably due to the extreme under-representation of Larix in pollen spectra. The biome distribution across Beringia at 6000 14C yr BP was broadly similar to today, with little change in the northern forest limit, except for a possible northward-advance in the Mackenzie delta region. The western forest limit in Alaska was probably east of its modern position. At 18,000 14C yr BP the whole of Beringia was covered by tundra. However, the importance of the various plant functional types varied from site to site, supporting the idea that the vegetation cover was a mosaic of different tundra types.

Preliminary evaluation of the potential of tree-ring cellulose content as a novel supplementary proxy in dendroclimatology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ziehmer, Malin M.; Nicolussi, Kurt; Schlüchter, Christian; Leuenberger, Markus

2018-02-01

Cellulose content (CC (%)) in tree rings is usually utilised as a tool to control the quality of the α-cellulose extraction from tree rings in the preparation of stable-isotope analysis in wooden tissues. Reported amounts of CC (%) are often limited to mean values per tree. For the first time, CC (%) series from two high-Alpine species, Larix decidua Mill. (European Larch, LADE) and Pinus cembra L. (Swiss stone pine, PICE) are investigated in modern wood samples and Holocene wood remains from the Early and mid-Holocene. Modern CC (%) series reveal a species-specific low-frequency trend independent of their sampling site over the past 150 years. Climate-cellulose relationships illustrate the ability of CC (%) to record temperature in both species but for slightly different periods within the growing season. The Holocene CC (%) series illustrate diverging low-frequency trends in both species, independent of sampling site characteristics (latitude, longitude and elevation). Moreover, potential age trends are not apparent in the two coniferous species. The arithmetic mean of CC (%) series in the Early and mid-Holocene indicate low CC (%) succeeding cold events. In conclusion, CC (%) in tree rings show high potential to be established as novel supplementary proxy in dendroclimatology.

Japanese/Korean Linguistics, Volume 8.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Silva, David J., Ed.

A collection of research in Japanese and Korean linguistics includes: "Repetition, Reformulation, and Definitions: Prosodic Indexes of Elaboration in Japanese" (Mieko Banno); "Projection of Talk Using Language, Intonation, Deictic and Iconic Gestures and Other Body Movements" (Keiko Emmett); "Turn-taking in Japanese…

Geochemical aspects of some Japanese lavas.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Philpotts, J. A.; Martin, W.; Schnetzler, C. C.

1971-01-01

K, Rb, Sr, Ba and rare-earth concentrations in some Japanese lavas have been determined by mass-spectrometric stable-isotope dilution. The samples fall into three rare-earth groups corresponding to tholeiitic, high alumina and alkali basalts. Japanese tholeiites have trace element characteristics similar to those of oceanic ridge tholeiites except for distinctly higher relative concentrations of Ba. Japanese lavas may result from various degrees of partial fusion of amphibole eclogite.

Phylogeography of Japanese horse chestnut (Aesculus turbinata) in the Japanese Archipelago based on chloroplast DNA haplotypes.

PubMed

Sugahara, Kanako; Kaneko, Yuko; Ito, Satoshi; Yamanaka, Keisuke; Sakio, Hitoshi; Hoshizaki, Kazuhiko; Suzuki, Wajiro; Yamanaka, Norikazu; Setoguchi, Hiroaki

2011-01-01

Japanese horse chestnut (Aesculus turbinata: Hippocastanaceae) is one of the typical woody plants that grow in temperate riparian forests in the Japanese Archipelago. To analyze the phylogeography of this plant in the Japanese Archipelago, we determined cpDNA haplotypes for 337 samples from 55 populations covering the entire distribution range. Based on 1,313 bp of two spacers, we determined ten haplotypes that are distinguished from adjacent haplotypes by one or two steps. Most of the populations had a single haplotype, suggesting low diversity. Spatial analysis of molecular variance suggested three obvious phylogeographic structures in western Japan, where Japanese horse chestnut is scattered and isolated in mountainous areas. Conversely, no clear phylogeographic structure was observed from the northern to the southern limit of this species, including eastern Japan, where this plant is more common. Rare and private haplotypes were also found in southwestern Japan, where Japanese horse chestnuts are distributed sparsely. These findings imply that western Japan might have maintained a relatively large habitat for A. turbinata during the Quaternary climatic oscillations, while northerly regions could not.

How the Japanese work.

PubMed

Chambers, D W

1998-01-01

The Japanese do not work harder or even use different approaches so much as they aim for a different result--one that balances process and results and extends the definition of quality beyond the product itself to include cost and convenience to the customer as well. Ten methods of the Japanese kaizen culture of work are presented with applications and contrasts to American dentistry.

Japanese Language School: Aid or Hindrance to the Americanization of Japanese Americans in Hawaii?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shoho, Alan R.

A study examined the experiences of 60 Japanese immigrants to Hawaii (Niseis), aged 61-80, who attended Japanese-language schools as children. Using a case study oral history approach, the study gathered oral testimonies through semi-structured interviews. Historical documents were also used as primary sources of information about the schools.…

Japanese encephalitis - the prospects for new treatments.

PubMed

Turtle, Lance; Solomon, Tom

2018-04-26

Japanese encephalitis is a mosquito-borne disease that occurs in Asia and is caused by Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), a member of the genus Flavivirus. Although many flaviviruses can cause encephalitis, JEV causes particularly severe neurological manifestations. The virus causes loss of more disability-adjusted life years than any other arthropod-borne virus owing to the frequent neurological sequelae of the condition. Despite substantial advances in our understanding of Japanese encephalitis from in vitro studies and animal models, studies of pathogenesis and treatment in humans are lagging behind. Few mechanistic studies have been conducted in humans, and only four clinical trials of therapies for Japanese encephalitis have taken place in the past 10 years despite an estimated incidence of 69,000 cases per year. Previous trials for Japanese encephalitis might have been too small to detect important benefits of potential treatments. Many potential treatment targets exist for Japanese encephalitis, and pathogenesis and virological studies have uncovered mechanisms by which these drugs could work. In this Review, we summarize the epidemiology, clinical features, prevention and treatment of Japanese encephalitis and focus on potential new therapeutic strategies, based on repurposing existing compounds that are already suitable for human use and could be trialled without delay. We use our newly improved understanding of Japanese encephalitis pathogenesis to posit potential treatments and outline some of the many challenges that remain in tackling the disease in humans.

Validating the Japanese translation of the Force and Motion Conceptual Evaluation and comparing performance levels of American and Japanese students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishimoto, Michi; Thornton, Ronald K.; Sokoloff, David R.

2014-12-01

This study assesses the Japanese translation of the Force and Motion Conceptual Evaluation (FMCE). Researchers are often interested in comparing the conceptual ideas of students with different cultural backgrounds. The FMCE has been useful in identifying the concepts of English-speaking students from different backgrounds. To identify effectively the conceptual ideas of Japanese students and to compare them to those of their English-speaking counterparts, more work is required. Because of differences between the Japanese and English languages, and between the Japanese and American educational systems, it is important to assess the Japanese translation of the FMCE, a conceptual evaluation originally developed in English for American students. To assess its appropriateness, we examined the performance of a large sample of students on the translated version of the FMCE and then compared the results to those of English-speaking students. The data comprise the pretest results of 1095 students, most of whom were first-year students at a midlevel engineering school between 2003 and 2012. Basic statistics and the classical test theory indices of the translated FMCE indicate that its reliability and discrimination are appropriate to assess Japanese students' concepts about force and motion. In general, the preconcepts of Japanese students assessed with the Japanese translation of the FMCE are quite similar to those of American students assessed with the FMCE, thereby supporting the validity of the translated version. However, our findings do show (1) that only a small percentage of Japanese students grasped Newtonian concepts and (2) that the percentage of Japanese students who used two different concept models together to answer some questions seems to be higher than that of American students.

"A Powerful Protector of the Japanese People": The History of the Japanese Hospital in Steveston, British Columbia, Canada,1896-1942.

PubMed

Vandenberg, Helen

2017-01-01

From 1896 to 1942, a Japanese hospital operated in the village of Steveston, British Columbia, Canada. For the first 4 years, Japanese Methodist missionaries utilized a small mission building as a makeshift hospital, until a larger institution was constructed by the local Japanese Fishermen's Association in 1900. The hospital operated until the Japanese internment, after the attack on Pearl Harbor during World War II. This study offers important commentary about the relationships between health, hospitals, and race in British Columbia during a period of increased immigration and economic upheaval. From the unique perspective of Japanese leaders, this study provides new insight about how Japanese populations negotiated hospital care, despite a context of severe racial discrimination. Japanese populations utilized Christianization, fishing expertise, and hospital work to garner more equitable access to opportunities and resources. This study demonstrates that in addition to providing medical treatment, training grounds for health-care workers, and safe refuge for the sick, hospitals played a significant role in confronting broader racialized inequities in Canada's past.

The Evolution of a Japanese Theory of Conflict Management and Implications for Japanese Foreign Policy

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-12-01

This thesis explores whether there is a uniquely Japanese method of conflict management Given the delicate balance of stability in Northeast Asia...Japanese leadership needs to use conflict management tools to resolve territorial claims with the governments of China, Russia, and South Korea, Given

Cheilitis Glandularis: Two Case Reports of Asian-Japanese Men and Literature Review of Japanese Cases

PubMed Central

Yanagawa, Toru; Yamaguchi, Akira; Harada, Hiroyuki; Yamagata, Kenji; Ishibashi, Naomi; Noguchi, Masayuki; Onizawa, Kojiro; Bukawa, Hiroki

2011-01-01

Cheilitis glandularis (CG) is a rare disorder characterized by swelling of the lip with hyperplasia of the labial salivary glands. CG is most frequently encountered in the lower lip, in middle-aged to older Caucasian men; however Asian cases were rarely reported. In this paper we present two cases of CG in Asian-Japanese men. One was a 23-year-old male with CG of the superficial suppurative type. The other was a 54-year-old male with deep suppurative type. We also reviewed the Japanese cases of CG in the literature and discussed about clinical feature of Japanese CG. PMID:21991474

Persistence of Ethnicity: The Japanese of Colorado.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Endo, Russell

This paper presents an overview of the history of Japanese in Colorado. Japanese immigrants first came to Colorado between 1900 and 1910 as railroad laborers. Some became coal miners in southern Colorado; most others became farm laborers. Although the Japanese population during this period was small, communities developed in several locales. The…

Inequities in Japanese Urban Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gordon, June A.

2005-01-01

Interviews with Japanese public school educators allow a distinctive view of how the continuing economic decline in Japan has affected educational motivation and decision-making among students and parents. The nature of socioeconomic stratification within Japanese educational opportunity is seen as a continuing situation exacerbated by the costs…

Sexual partner preference in female Japanese macaques.

PubMed

Vasey, Paul L

2002-02-01

Whether animals ever exhibit a preference for same-sex sexual partners is a subject of debate. Japanese macaques represent excellent models for examining issues related to sexual preference in animals because females, in certain populations, routinely engage in both heterosexual and homosexual behavior over the course of their life spans. Multiple lines of evidence indicate that female homosexual behavior in Japanese macaques is a sexual behavior, not a sociosexual one. Additional evidence indicates that female Japanese macaques do not engage in homosexual behavior simply because acceptable male mates are unavailable or unmotivated to copulate. Patterns of sexual partner choice by female Japanese macaques that are the focus of intersexual competition indicate that females of this species choose same-sex sexual partners even when they are simultaneously presented with a motivated, opposite-sex alternative. Thus, in some populations of Japanese macaques, females prefer certain same-sex sexual partners relative to certain male mates, and vice versa. Taken together, this evidence suggests that female Japanese macaques are best characterized as bisexual in orientation, not preferentially homosexual or preferentially heterosexual.

A Japanese Agenda for Management Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lim, Howard

1982-01-01

Discusses myths about the Japanese management styles; what the West can learn from the Japanese; the concept of nonlinear management; and training modules which teach self-discipline, tolerance, and nonlinear management. (CT)

Role of adventitious roots in water relations of tamarack (Larix laricina) seedlings exposed to flooding

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Flooding reduces supply of oxygen to the roots affecting plant water uptake. Some flooding-tolerant tree species including tamarack (Larix laricina (Du Roi) K. Koch) produce adventitious roots in response to flooding. These roots were reported to have higher hydraulic conductivity under flooding conditions compared with non-adventitious roots. In the present study, we examined structural and functional modifications in adventitious roots of tamarack seedlings to explain their flooding tolerance. Results Seedlings were subjected to the flooding treatment for six months, which resulted in an almost complete disintegration of the existing root system and its replacement with adventitious roots. We compared gas exchange parameters and water relations of flooded plants with the plants growing in well-drained soil and examined the root structures and root water transport properties. Although flooded seedlings had lower needle chlorophyll concentrations, their stomatal conductance, net photosynthesis rates and shoot water potentials were similar to non-flooded plants, indicative of flooding tolerance. Flooded adventitious roots had higher activation energy and a higher ratio of apoplastic to cell-to-cell water flow compared with non-flooded control roots as determined with the 1-hydroxypirene 3,6,8-trisulfonic acid apoplastic tracer dye. The adventitious roots in flooded plants also exhibited retarded xylem and endodermal development and accumulated numerous starch grains in the cortex. Microscopic examination of root sections treated with the PIP1 and PIP2 antibodies revealed high immunoreactivity in the cortex of non-flooded roots, as compared with flooded roots. Conclusions Structural modifications of adventitious roots suggest increased contribution of apoplastic bypass to water flow. The reduced dependence of roots on the hypoxia-sensitive aquaporin-mediated water transport is likely among the main mechanisms allowing tamarack seedlings to maintain water

Role of adventitious roots in water relations of tamarack (Larix laricina) seedlings exposed to flooding.

PubMed

Calvo-Polanco, Mónica; Señorans, Jorge; Zwiazek, Janusz J

2012-06-27

Flooding reduces supply of oxygen to the roots affecting plant water uptake. Some flooding-tolerant tree species including tamarack (Larix laricina (Du Roi) K. Koch) produce adventitious roots in response to flooding. These roots were reported to have higher hydraulic conductivity under flooding conditions compared with non-adventitious roots. In the present study, we examined structural and functional modifications in adventitious roots of tamarack seedlings to explain their flooding tolerance. Seedlings were subjected to the flooding treatment for six months, which resulted in an almost complete disintegration of the existing root system and its replacement with adventitious roots. We compared gas exchange parameters and water relations of flooded plants with the plants growing in well-drained soil and examined the root structures and root water transport properties. Although flooded seedlings had lower needle chlorophyll concentrations, their stomatal conductance, net photosynthesis rates and shoot water potentials were similar to non-flooded plants, indicative of flooding tolerance. Flooded adventitious roots had higher activation energy and a higher ratio of apoplastic to cell-to-cell water flow compared with non-flooded control roots as determined with the 1-hydroxypirene 3,6,8-trisulfonic acid apoplastic tracer dye. The adventitious roots in flooded plants also exhibited retarded xylem and endodermal development and accumulated numerous starch grains in the cortex. Microscopic examination of root sections treated with the PIP1 and PIP2 antibodies revealed high immunoreactivity in the cortex of non-flooded roots, as compared with flooded roots. Structural modifications of adventitious roots suggest increased contribution of apoplastic bypass to water flow. The reduced dependence of roots on the hypoxia-sensitive aquaporin-mediated water transport is likely among the main mechanisms allowing tamarack seedlings to maintain water balance and gas exchange under

Asian Pacific Perspectives: Japanese Americans.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Los Angeles Unified School District, CA.

These instructional materials on Japanese Americans for elementary students were developed through the K.E.Y.S. project (Knowledge of English Yields Success). Information is included on early immigrants, their historical and cultural background, and current problems of Japanese Americans. Resource guides describe the purpose of the unit, how to…

Academic report on burnout among Japanese nurses.

PubMed

Kitaoka, Kazuyo; Masuda, Shinya

2013-12-01

Japanese nurses have increasingly experienced "burnout" in the past several years. Studies on Japanese nurses are required in order to explore how to prevent nursing burnout. The objectives of this report were to: (i) introduce the concept, definition, and measurement of burnout; (ii) look at an overview of the prevalence, possible causes, and consequences of burnout among Japanese nurses; and (iii) explore how to prevent burnout among nurses. The authors and co-researchers have been studying burnout among Japanese workers for more than 15 years. Therefore, previously performed studies were reviewed and summarized. In Japan, approximately 36% of human services professionals, such as nurses, were burned out compared to 18% of civil servants, and 12% of company employees. It was quite obvious that nurses are prone to burnout. The possible causes and consequences of burnout among Japanese nurses were reviewed. Excessive workloads and interpersonal conflict in the workplace were possible causes of burnout among Japanese nurses. The consequences of nurse burnout are potentially very serious, including medical accidents/errors. Issues to prevent nursing burnout were then reviewed. Enhancement of cognitive coping skills for female nurses and problem-solving skills for male nurses could contribute to prevention of burnout in nurses. The authors' previous study revealed that the new model of the organizational context of burnout developed by Leiter and Maslach could be applied to Japanese. Further examination is needed. This report supports the call to scale up burnout prevention strategy for Japanese nurses. © 2012 The Authors. Japan Journal of Nursing Science © 2012 Japan Academy of Nursing Science.

Japanese Neurosurgeons and Microsurgical Anatomy: A Historical Review

PubMed Central

MATSUSHIMA, Toshio; KAWASHIMA, Masatou; MATSUSHIMA, Ken; WANIBUCHI, Masahiko

2015-01-01

Research in microneurosurgical anatomy has contributed to great advances in neurosurgery in the last 40 years. Many Japanese neurosurgeons have traveled abroad to study microsurgical anatomy and played major roles in advancing and spreading the knowledge of anatomy, overcoming their disadvantage that the cadaver study has been strictly limited inside Japan. In Japan, they initiated an educational system for surgical anatomy that has contributed to the development and standardization of Japanese neurosurgery. For example, the Japanese Society for Microsurgical Anatomy started an annual educational meeting in the middle of 1980s and published its proceedings in Japanese every year for approximately 20 years. These are some of the achievements that bring worldwide credit to Japanese neurosurgeons. Not only should Japanese neurosurgeons improve their educational system but they should also contribute to the international education in this field, particularly in Asia. PMID:25797782

Issei: Japanese Immigrants in Hawaii.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kimura, Yukiko

Coming to Hawaii before July 1, 1924, when the Japanese Exclusion Act became effective, the experiences of the Issei or first generation are described. Divided into four parts, this book examines the experiences of Japanese immigrants in Hawaii from 1885 through 1970. Part 1, "The Formation and Stabilization of the Issei Community,"…

Pair-List Readings in Korean-Japanese, Chinese-Japanese and English-Japanese Interlanguage

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marsden, Heather

2008-01-01

In English and Chinese, questions with a "wh"-object and a universally quantified subject (e.g. "What did everyone buy?") allow an individual answer ("Everyone bought apples.") and a pair-list answer ("Sam bought apples, Jo bought bananas, Sally bought..."). By contrast, the pair-list answer is reportedly unavailable in Japanese and Korean. This…

Identification of Cha o 3 homolog Cry j 4 from Cryptomeria japonica (Japanese cedar) pollen: Limitation of the present Japanese cedar-specific ASIT.

PubMed

Osada, Toshihiro; Tanaka, Yuki; Yamada, Akira; Sasaki, Eiji; Utsugi, Teruhiro

2018-03-07

About one-third of the Japanese population suffers from Japanese cedar pollinosis, which is frequently accompanied by Japanese cypress pollinosis. Recently, a novel major Japanese cypress pollen allergen, Cha o 3, was discovered. However, whether a Cha o 3 homolog is present in Japanese cedar pollen remains to be determined. Western blot analysis was performed using Cha o 3-specific antiserum. In addition, cloning of the gene encoding Cry j 4 was conducted using total cDNA from the male flower of Japanese cedar trees. Allergen potency and cross-reactivity were investigated using a T-cell proliferation assay, basophil activation test, and ImmunoCAP inhibition assay. A low amount of Cha o 3 homolog protein was detected in Japanese cedar pollen extract. The deduced amino acid sequence of Cry j 4 showed 84% identity to that of Cha o 3. Cross-reactivity between Cry j 4 and Cha o 3 was observed at the T cell and IgE levels. Cry j 4 was discovered as a counterpart allergen of Cha o 3 in Japanese cedar pollen, with a relationship similar to that between Cry j 1-Cha o 1 and Cry j 2-Cha o 2. Our findings also suggest that allergen-specific immunotherapy (ASIT) using Japanese cedar pollen extract does not induce adequate immune tolerance to Cha o 3 due to the low amount of Cry j 4 in Japanese cedar pollen. Therefore, ASIT using Cha o 3 or cypress pollen extract coupled with Japanese cedar pollen extract is required in order to optimally control allergy symptoms during Japanese cypress pollen season. Copyright © 2018 Japanese Society of Allergology. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Marine Biodiversity in Japanese Waters

PubMed Central

Fujikura, Katsunori; Lindsay, Dhugal; Kitazato, Hiroshi; Nishida, Shuhei; Shirayama, Yoshihisa

2010-01-01

To understand marine biodiversity in Japanese waters, we have compiled information on the marine biota in Japanese waters, including the number of described species (species richness), the history of marine biology research in Japan, the state of knowledge, the number of endemic species, the number of identified but undescribed species, the number of known introduced species, and the number of taxonomic experts and identification guides, with consideration of the general ocean environmental background, such as the physical and geological settings. A total of 33,629 species have been reported to occur in Japanese waters. The state of knowledge was extremely variable, with taxa containing many inconspicuous, smaller species tending to be less well known. The total number of identified but undescribed species was at least 121,913. The total number of described species combined with the number of identified but undescribed species reached 155,542. This is the best estimate of the total number of species in Japanese waters and indicates that more than 70% of Japan's marine biodiversity remains un-described. The number of species reported as introduced into Japanese waters was 39. This is the first attempt to estimate species richness for all marine species in Japanese waters. Although its marine biota can be considered relatively well known, at least within the Asian-Pacific region, considering the vast number of different marine environments such as coral reefs, ocean trenches, ice-bound waters, methane seeps, and hydrothermal vents, much work remains to be done. We expect global change to have a tremendous impact on marine biodiversity and ecosystems. Japan is in a particularly suitable geographic situation and has a lot of facilities for conducting marine science research. Japan has an important responsibility to contribute to our understanding of life in the oceans. PMID:20689840

Developmental Sentence Scoring for Japanese

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miyata, Susanne; MacWhinney, Brian; Otomo, Kiyoshi; Sirai, Hidetosi; Oshima-Takane, Yuriko; Hirakawa, Makiko; Shirai, Yasuhiro; Sugiura, Masatoshi; Itoh, Keiko

2013-01-01

This article reports on the development and use of the Developmental Sentence Scoring for Japanese (DSSJ), a new morpho-syntactical measure for Japanese constructed after the model of Lee's English Developmental Sentence Scoring model. Using this measure, the authors calculated DSSJ scores for 84 children divided into six age groups between 2;8…

Larch Arabinogalactan Attenuates Myocardial Injury by Inhibiting Apoptotic Cascades in a Rat Model of Ischemia-Reperfusion.

PubMed

Lim, Sun-Ha

2017-07-01

We reported previously that supplementation with apple pectin, a dietary fiber, reduced myocardial injury in a rat model of ischemia-reperfusion. In this study, we further investigated an arabinogalactan, one of the constituent polysaccharides of pectin, to determine which domains comprising pectin were responsible for the protection. In a rat model of 30-min ischemia followed by 3-h reperfusion, supplementation with larch arabinogalactan (LAG) over 50 mg/kg/day significantly reduced infarct size. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), immunohistochemistry, and immunoblot analyses showed that intake of LAG blocked the steps involved in apoptotic cascades through downregulation of gelsolin gene expression at the protein (Gelsolin) level, inhibition of p38 phosphorylation in mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways, decreased bax/bcl-2 ratio at the protein (Bax/Bcl-2) level, which was correlated with the ratio at the mRNA level, inhibition of the conversion of Procaspase protein to Caspase-3 protein, and consequently a decrease in apoptotic cells. In addition, the intake of LAG reduced the hif1-α gene expression at the protein (HIF1-α) level. These findings suggest that arabinogalactan is an active component of pectin for reducing myocardial injury by inhibiting apoptosis in postocclusion steps, possibly indicating that arabinogalactan can be developed as a cardioprotectant to prevent myocardial injury.

Seasonal allergic conjunctivitis induced by Japanese pear pollen.

PubMed

Yanagisawa, S; Nagaki, Y; Hiraki, S; Kadoi, C; Hayasaka, S; Teranishi, H

1999-01-01

To evaluate the ocular findings in patients with Japanese pear (Pyrus pyrifolia Nakai) pollinosis. Twenty-two farmers working on artificial pollination in Japanese pear orchards were examined for ocular itching, conjunctival conditions, presence of eosinophils in the conjunctival specimen, and nasal symptoms. Serum IgE antibody to Japanese pear pollen was determined in 16 farmers. Of the 22 subjects, 3 (Nos. 3, 4, and 13) exhibited ocular itching, conjunctival hyperemia, eosinophils in the conjunctival specimen, and positive serum IgE antibodies to Japanese pear pollen. In these patients, the conjunctivitis disappeared after treatment with topical cromoglycate. The present study demonstrated that seasonal allergic conjunctivitis may be induced by Japanese pear pollen (entomophilous flower pollen).

Acquisition of Japanese contracted sounds in L1 phonology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsurutani, Chiharu

2002-05-01

Japanese possesses a group of palatalized consonants, known to Japanese scholars as the contracted sounds, [CjV]. English learners of Japanese appear to treat them initially as consonant + glide clusters, where there is an equivalent [Cj] cluster in English, or otherwise tend to insert an epenthetic vowel [CVjV]. The acquisition of the Japanese contracted sounds by first language (L1) learners has not been widely studied compared with the consonant clusters in English with which they bear a close phonetic resemblance but have quite a different phonological status. This is a study to investigate the L1 acquisition process of the Japanese contracted sounds (a) in order to observe how the palatalization gesture is acquired in Japanese and (b) to investigate differences in the sound acquisition processes of first and second language (L2) learners: Japanese children compared with English learners. To do this, the productions of Japanese children ranging in age from 2.5 to 3.5 years were transcribed and the pattern of misproduction was observed.

Adherence to the food-based Japanese dietary guidelines in relation to metabolic risk factors in young Japanese women.

PubMed

Nishimura, Terumi; Murakami, Kentaro; Livingstone, M Barbara E; Sasaki, Satoshi; Uenishi, Kazuhiro

2015-08-28

While Japanese diets have attracted considerable attention because of, for example, the long-life expectancy in Japan, their health benefits have not been examined. In the present study, we cross-sectionally examined whether adherence to the food-based Japanese dietary guidelines is associated with metabolic risk factors in 1083 Japanese women aged 18-22 years. Based on the Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top, adherence to the food-based Japanese dietary guidelines was assessed using dietary information on consumed servings of grain dishes, vegetable dishes, fish and meat dishes, milk and fruits and energy from snacks and alcoholic beverages during the preceding month, which was derived from a comprehensive diet history questionnaire. Higher dietary adherence was associated with higher intakes of protein, carbohydrate, dietary fibre, Na, K and vitamin C, and lower intakes of total and saturated fat. There was also an inverse association between dietary adherence and dietary energy density. After adjustment for potential confounding factors, dietary adherence was inversely associated with waist circumference (P for trend = 0·002). It also showed an inverse association with LDL-cholesterol concentrations (P for trend = 0·04). There was no association with the other metabolic risk factors examined, including BMI, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, total and HDL-cholesterol, TAG, glucose, glycated Hb and insulin concentrations. In conclusion, higher adherence to the food-based Japanese dietary guidelines, which was characterised by favourable dietary intakes of foods and nutrients as well as lower energy density, was associated with lower waist circumference and LDL-cholesterol concentrations in this group of young Japanese women.

A Comparison of Maternal Care and Infant Behavior in Japanese-American, American, and Japanese Families.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Caudill, William; Frost, Lois

Previous studies have shown that American mothers, in contrast to Japanese, do more lively chatting to their babies, and that as a result, the American babies have a generally higher level of vocalization and, particularly, they respond with greater amounts of happy vocalization and gross motor activity than do Japanese babies. Thus, it appears…

Generational Differences in Japanese Attitudes toward Women's Employment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Engel, John W.

Traditional ideals discourage Japanese women from working outside the home. This study was conducted to explore generational differences in Japanese attitudes toward women's employment and to interpret those differences in terms of social change. Questionnaires were distributed to approximately 900 Japanese men and women. Subjects were classified…

Japanese International Business Communication: The Place of English.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hilton, Chadwick B.

1992-01-01

Examines the use of English in Japanese business communication. Finds that English is an important element of Japanese international business policy and that an awareness of both Japanese corporate commitment to employee English proficiency and of the complexities of the use of English for special purposes benefits business communicators involved…

Japanese Flagship Universities at a Crossroads

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yonezawa, Akiyoshi

2007-01-01

The increasing pace and scope of global structural change has left Japanese flagship universities at a crossroads. Reflecting upon historical trends, current policy changes and respective institutional strategies for global marketing among Japanese top research universities, the author discusses possible future directions for these institutions…

Hotel Employees' Japanese Language Experiences: Implications and Suggestions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Makita-Discekici, Yasuko

1998-01-01

Analyzes the Japanese language learning experiences of 13 hotel employees in Guam. Results of the study present implications and suggestions for a Japanese language program for the hotel industry. The project began as a result of hotel employees frustrations when they were unable to communicate effectively with their Japanese guests. (Auth/JL)

Differences in nutrient intakes and physical activity levels of Japanese and Australian Caucasian males living in Australia and Japanese males living in Japan.

PubMed

Kagawa, Masaharu; Saito, Yoko; Kerr, Deborah; Uchida, Hayato; Binns, Colin W

2006-01-01

The aim of the study was to determine the nutritional status and nutrient intakes of young Japanese males living in Australia and compared with Japanese males living in Japan and Australian Caucasian males. Four-day dietary records were obtained from 65 Japanese living in Australia (JA), 81 Japanese living in Japan (JJ), and 70 Australian Caucasian males (AA) aged 18-30 years old, together with body composition and physical activity level assessments using anthropometry and the questionnaire. Australian males were significantly taller and heavier than the Japanese counterparts and also showed a greater percent body fat (%BF) and height-corrected sum of skinfolds compared with Japanese males living in Japan (%BF: JJ = 16.6 +/- 5.2, AA = 18.7 +/- 5.6; height corrected sum of skinfolds: JJ = 78.8 +/- 37.3, AA = 96.0 +/- 39.5) (P<0.05). A greater proportion of Australian Caucasian males (98.6%) were involved in vigorous physical exercise than Japanese males (JA = 72.3%; JJ = 85.2%). The JA group consumed a greater amount of energy from protein and fat sources as well as greater calcium, iron, dietary fibre and niacin equivalents intakes than the JJ group (P<0.05). The results suggest that Japanese males living in Australia consumed more energy-dense westernised diet than Japanese males living in Japan. Because of lower physical activity level than Australian males, consumption of energy-dense diet may increase the risk of weight gain among Japanese males who stay in Australia for a long-term.

The Sound Pattern of Japanese Surnames

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tanaka, Yu

2017-01-01

Compound surnames in Japanese show complex phonological patterns, which pose challenges to current theories of phonology. This dissertation proposes an account of the segmental and prosodic issues in Japanese surnames and discusses their theoretical implications. Like regular compound words, compound surnames may undergo a sound alternation known…

Japanese Children's Understanding of Notational Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Takahashi, Noboru

2012-01-01

This study examined Japanese children's understanding of two Japanese notational systems: "hiragana" and "kanji". In three experiments, 126 3- to 6-year-olds were asked to name words written in hiragana or kanji as they appeared with different pictures. Consistent with Bialystok ("Journal of Experimental Child…

Japanese Experiment Module arrival

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-03-29

Several components for delivery to the International Space Station sit in test stands inside the Space Station Processing Facility highbay. To the right, from back to front, are the Japanese Experiment Module, the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module, and the European Space Agency's Columbus scientific research module. To the left in front is the starboard truss segment S5. Behind it is the test stand that will hold the Experiment Logistics Module Pressurized Section for the Japanese Experiment Module. The logistics module is one of the components of the Japanese Experiment Module or JEM, also known as Kibo, which means "hope" in Japanese. Kibo comprises six components: two research facilities -- the Pressurized Module and Exposed Facility; a Logistics Module attached to each of them; a Remote Manipulator System; and an Inter-Orbit Communication System unit. Kibo also has a scientific airlock through which experiments are transferred and exposed to the external environment of space. Kibo is Japan's first human space facility and its primary contribution to the station. Kibo will enhance the unique research capabilities of the orbiting complex by providing an additional environment in which astronauts can conduct science experiments. The various components of JEM will be assembled in space over the course of three Space Shuttle missions. The first of those three missions, STS-123, will carry the Experiment Logistics Module Pressurized Section aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour, targeted for launch in 2007.

Ethnic difference in liver fat content: a cross-sectional observation among Japanese American in Hawaii, Japanese in Japan, and non-Hispanic whites in United States.

PubMed

Azuma, Koichiro; Curb, J David; Kadowaki, Takashi; Edmundowicz, Daniel; Kadowaki, Sayaka; Masaki, Kamal H; El-Saed, Aiman; Nishio, Yoshihiko; Seto, Todd B; Okamura, Tomonori; Cetinel, Cemal; Kadota, Aya; Sutton-Tyrrell, Kim; Miura, Katsuyuki; Evans, Rhobert W; Takamiya, Tomoko; Maegawa, Hiroshi; Miljkovic, Iva; Kuller, Lewis H; Ueshima, Hirotsugu; Kelley, David E; Sekikawa, Akira

2013-01-01

We recently reported that Japanese had higher liver fat at a lower level of BMI compared with non-Hispanic whites (NHW). We hypothesize that ethnic difference in fat storage capacity contributes to this ethnic difference in liver fat. To examine this, we assessed liver fat among 244 Japanese-American aged 40-49, using regional computed-tomography images, along with metabolic variables. Despite the similar BMI between Japanese-Americans and NHW men, Japanese-Americans had more liver fat (liver to spleen attenuation ratio: 1.03 ± 0.22 for Japanese-Americans, and 1.07 ± 0.15 for NHW men; p < 0.05) and tended to have a greater disposition for fatty liver with an increase in BMI than NHW, indicating a clear difference between the two groups. In addition, liver fat is less in Japanese-Americans compared with Japanese men (1.03 ± 0.22 vs. 1.01 ± 0.16; p < 0.05), despite of a much higher BMI. These ethnic differences support the hypothesis that higher fat storage capacity indeed seems to be associated with less liver fat. In all the groups, liver fat content strongly correlated with triglycerides, homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance, and C-reactive protein (CRP). Nevertheless, these metabolic variables were worse in Japanese-Americans, despite of less liver fat, compared with Japanese. Moreover, CRP levels were least among Japanese with highest liver fat, and highest among NHW men with least liver fat, despite of a strong positive association between CRP and fatty liver within each population. Fat content in the liver is intermediate for Japanese-Americans compared with Japanese and NHW men, which supports the hypothesis of less fat storage capacity among Japanese, closely linked to ethnic difference in predisposition to fatty liver. © 2011 Asian Oceanian Association for the Study of Obesity. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Japanese experiment module (JEM)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kato, T.

1986-01-01

Japanese hardware elements studied during the definition phase of phase B are described. The hardware is called JEM (Japanese Experiment Module) and will be attached to the Space Station core. JEM consists of a pressurized module, an exposed facility, a scientific/equipment airlock, a local remote manipulator, and experimental logistic module. With all those hardware elements JEM will accommodate general scientific and technology development research (some of the elements are to utilize the advantage of the microgravity environment), and also accommodate control panels for the Space Station Mobile Remote Manipulator System and attached payloads.

Anthropometric differences in preschool children of Japanese ancestry in Lima, Peru.

PubMed

Shimabuku, Roberto; Teruya, Alberto; Nakachi, Graciela

2009-08-01

Ethnic differences in the pattern and trend of growth and weight have been described in studies of migrant populations. Our objective was to compare anthropometric parameters and overweight prevalence in third and fourth generation Japanese descendant preschoolers within the Peruvian preschool population. A total of 337 measurements of height and weight from 284 children, three to five years of age, were taken over three years in one Japanese-Peruvian preschool center in Lima, Peru. The data of each parameter were classified into three ethnic groups according to their parents' surnames: Japanese descendant children (n = 104), with both parents with Japanese surnames; Japanese-Peruvian descendant (n = 93), one parent with a Japanese surname and one with a non-Japanese surname; and Peruvian descendant (n = 140), both parents with non-Japanese surnames. We used the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) 2000 growth charts as reference values to obtain centiles, Z scores, and body mass index (BMI). In boys, the three groups differed significantly in height, weight, BMI, Z scores, and overweight prevalence. Peruvian descendant boys were taller and heavier than Japanese-Peruvian and Japanese descendants. Moreover, Japanese-Peruvian descendant boys were taller and heavier than Japanese descendant boys. In girls, there were no significant differences in height and weight and in overweight prevalence among the three ethnic groups. Japanese descendants in Peru have height, weight and BMI values similar to those of Japanese children in Japan but lesser than Peruvian children. These findings may be related to differences in ethnic background.

Study on Japanese Cornmint in Mississippi

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Japanese cornmint (Mentha canadensis L.) is a subtropical essential oil crop grown in Asia and South America. The essential oil of Japanese cornmint is the source for production of crystal (-)-menthol, which is a major aromatic agent used as a flavor, fragrance, and cooling sensation vector in the ...

Risk factors for coronary artery calcification in Japanese patients.

PubMed

Shikada, Tomoki; Washio, Masakazu; Nishizaki, Akiko; Kakino, Takamori; Ooe, Kensuke; Ishibashi, Yuuji; Sagara, Shuuichirou; Morishige, Kunio; Tashiro, Hideki

2015-07-01

Because the prevalence of coronary artery calcification is lower among Japanese than among Western individuals, aspects of the Japanese lifestyle might be related to the development of calcification. We aimed to clarify the relationship between coronary artery calcium scores in Japanese patients and various lifestyle factors among the Japanese population. Study subjects were patients aged ≥20 years who underwent multidetector-row computed tomography. A total of 201 patients agreed to take part in this study and answered a questionnaire regarding lifestyle, medical history, and other factors. Old age, current and former smoking, sedentary work, short sleep time, coronary artery stenosis, treatment with statins, medical history of cerebrovascular disease, medical history of angina pectoris, medical history of ischemic heart disease, and medical history of dyslipidemia were associated with higher odds ratios than the other factors examined, while the Japanese-style breakfast (e.g. boiled rice, miso soup, grilled fish) was associated with lower odds ratios. In this study, smoking, sedentary work, short sleep time, and the Japanese-style breakfast were lifestyle factors related to coronary artery calcification. The lifestyle of Japanese people may be related to coronary calcification. Copyright © 2014 Japanese College of Cardiology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Are Australian Fans of Anime and Manga Motivated to Learn Japanese Language?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Armour, William S.; Iida, Sumiko

2016-01-01

Recent research into Japanese as a foreign language education has strongly emphasized the link between Japanese popular culture and learning Japanese. However, these studies have only targeted Japanese language learners in formal education contexts and have largely ignored those who are not studying Japanese or studying Japanese informally. This…

Japanese encephalitis in a French traveler to Nepal.

PubMed

Lagarde, S; Lagier, J-C; Charrel, R; Quérat, G; Vanhomwegen, J; Desprès, P; Pelletier, J; Kaphan, E

2014-02-01

Japanese encephalitis is frequent in Asia, with a severe prognosis, but rare in travelers. Culex mosquitoes transmit Japanese encephalitis virus. Risk factors are destination, duration of stay, summer and fall seasons, outdoor activities, and type of accommodation. We report the case of a French traveler to Nepal with neutralization-based serological confirmed Japanese encephalitis. He presented classical clinical (viral syndrome before an encephalitis status with behavioral disorder, global hypotonia, mutism, movement disorders, seizure, and coma), radiological (lesions of thalami, cortico-spinal tracts, and brainstem) and biological features (lymphocytic meningitis). Nowadays, the presence of Japanese encephalitis virus in Nepal, including mountain areas, is established but Japanese encephalitis remains rare in travelers returning from this area and neurologist physicians need to become familiar with this. We recommend vaccination for travelers spending a long period of time in Nepal and having at-risk outdoor activities.

Japanese Moral Education Past and Present.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khan, Yoshimitsu

For generations, moral development has been both a conscious aim and a formal process in Japanese education. This book investigates the history and development of Japanese moral education and analyzes and compares current moral education with the concepts of the Imperial Rescript on Education (1890) and the "shushin" moral education of…

The Strategies Used in Japanese Advertisement.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kurose, Yuki

This paper investigates the possibility of using Japanese advertising language as a teaching tool in the second language classroom. First, it reviews the aims of advertising and the advantages of learning advertising language in the classroom based on previous research. Next, it discusses language strategies used in Japanese advertising,…

Numeral Incorporation in Japanese Sign Language

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ktejik, Mish

2013-01-01

This article explores the morphological process of numeral incorporation in Japanese Sign Language. Numeral incorporation is defined and the available research on numeral incorporation in signed language is discussed. The numeral signs in Japanese Sign Language are then introduced and followed by an explanation of the numeral morphemes which are…

Intercultural Orientations as Japanese Language Learners' Motivation in Mainland China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lv, Leining; Gao, Xuesong; Teo, Timothy

2017-01-01

This article reports on a study that investigated how 665 Japanese language learners, who had started learning Japanese at different times in the last 3 decades, had been motivated to learn Japanese in China. Analysis of the survey data revealed that the participants displayed similar intercultural orientations when learning Japanese despite the…

Japanese Experiment Module arrival

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-03-29

The Experiment Logistics Module Pressurized Section for the Japanese Experiment Module arrives at the Space Station Processing Facility. The logistics module is one of the components of the Japanese Experiment Module or JEM, also known as Kibo, which means "hope" in Japanese. Kibo comprises six components: two research facilities -- the Pressurized Module and Exposed Facility; a Logistics Module attached to each of them; a Remote Manipulator System; and an Inter-Orbit Communication System unit. Kibo also has a scientific airlock through which experiments are transferred and exposed to the external environment of space. Kibo is Japan's first human space facility and its primary contribution to the station. Kibo will enhance the unique research capabilities of the orbiting complex by providing an additional environment in which astronauts can conduct science experiments. The various components of JEM will be assembled in space over the course of three Space Shuttle missions. The first of those three missions, STS-123, will carry the Experiment Logistics Module Pressurized Section aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour, targeted for launch in 2007.

Japanese Experiment Module arrival

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-03-29

Inside the Space Station Processing Facility, the Experiment Logistics Module Pressurized Section for the Japanese Experiment Module is revealed after the top of the crate is removed. The logistics module is one of the components of the Japanese Experiment Module or JEM, also known as Kibo, which means "hope" in Japanese. Kibo comprises six components: two research facilities -- the Pressurized Module and Exposed Facility; a Logistics Module attached to each of them; a Remote Manipulator System; and an Inter-Orbit Communication System unit. Kibo also has a scientific airlock through which experiments are transferred and exposed to the external environment of space. Kibo is Japan's first human space facility and its primary contribution to the station. Kibo will enhance the unique research capabilities of the orbiting complex by providing an additional environment in which astronauts can conduct science experiments. The various components of JEM will be assembled in space over the course of three Space Shuttle missions. The first of those three missions, STS-123, will carry the Experiment Logistics Module Pressurized Section aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour, targeted for launch in 2007.

Japanese Experiment Module arrival

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-03-29

The Experiment Logistics Module Pressurized Section for the Japanese Experiment Module arrives at the Space Station Processing Facility for uncrating. The logistics module is one of the components of the Japanese Experiment Module or JEM, also known as Kibo, which means "hope" in Japanese. Kibo comprises six components: two research facilities -- the Pressurized Module and Exposed Facility; a Logistics Module attached to each of them; a Remote Manipulator System; and an Inter-Orbit Communication System unit. Kibo also has a scientific airlock through which experiments are transferred and exposed to the external environment of space. Kibo is Japan's first human space facility and its primary contribution to the station. Kibo will enhance the unique research capabilities of the orbiting complex by providing an additional environment in which astronauts can conduct science experiments. The various components of JEM will be assembled in space over the course of three Space Shuttle missions. The first of those three missions, STS-123, will carry the Experiment Logistics Module Pressurized Section aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour, targeted for launch in 2007.

Japanese Suffixal Accentuation and Lexical Phonology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tsujimura, Natsuko

A study examined the applicability of the Ordering Hypothesis to Japanese suffixes. The hypothesis, which claims that affixes that trigger phonological rules (cyclical affixes) do not appear external to affixes that do not, is found to be an inappropriate assumption in Japanese. Examples in English and Chamorro support this finding. It is…

Japanese-Style Management: A Bibliometric Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Noguchi, Sachie

1988-01-01

Reports results of a bibliometric study of the literature on Japanese-style management published in western languages from 1971-84 in order to: (1) determine Japanese contributions to the literature; (2) determine whether there are nuclear journals for the subject; and (3) investigate how the flow of information from Japan to overseas countries…

Metabolic syndrome in overweight and obese Japanese children.

PubMed

Yoshinaga, Masao; Tanaka, Satoru; Shimago, Atsushi; Sameshima, Koji; Nishi, Junichiro; Nomura, Yuichi; Kawano, Yoshifumi; Hashiguchi, Jun; Ichiki, Takeo; Shimizu, Shinichiro

2005-07-01

To determine the prevalence of and sex differences related to the metabolic syndrome among obese and overweight elementary school children. Subjects were 471 overweight or obese Japanese children. Children meeting at least three of the following five criteria qualified as having the metabolic syndrome: abdominal obesity, elevated blood pressure, low high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels, high triglyceride levels, and high fasting glucose levels. Fasting insulin levels were also examined. Japanese obese children were found to have a significantly lower prevalence (17.7%) of the metabolic syndrome than U.S. obese adolescents (28.7%, p = 0.0014). However, Japanese overweight children had a similar incidence (8.7%) of the metabolic syndrome compared with U.S. overweight adolescents (6.8%). Hyperinsulinemia in girls and abdominal obesity in boys are characteristic features of individual metabolic syndrome factors in Japanese children. The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome is not lower in preteen Japanese overweight children than in U.S. overweight adolescents, although it is significantly lower in Japanese obese preteen children than in U.S. obese adolescents. Primary and secondary interventions are needed for overweight preteen children in Japan.

Cytokine profile and proviral load among Japanese immigrants and non-Japanese infected with HTLV-1 in a non-endemic area of Brazil.

PubMed

Domingos, João Américo; Soares, Luana Silva; Bandeira, Larissa M; Bonin, Camila Mareti; Vicente, Ana C P; Zanella, Louise; Puga, Marco Antonio Moreira; Tozetti, Inês Aparecida; Motta-Castro, Ana Rita Coimbra; da Cunha, Rivaldo Venâncio

2017-01-01

The lifetime risk of HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) development differs among ethnic groups. To better understand these differences, this prospective cohort study was conducted to investigate the cytokine profile and the HTLV-1 proviral load (PVL) in Japanese and non-Japanese populations with HAM/TSP and asymptomatic carriers (ACs). The serum IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17, TNF-α, and IFN-γ levels were quantified using the Cytometric Bead Array in 40 HTLV-1-infected patients (11 HAM/TSP and 29 ACs) and 18 healthy controls (HCs) in Brazil. Among ACs, 15 were Japanese descendants and 14 were non-Japanese. Of 11 patients with HAM/TSP, only one was a Japanese descendant. The HTLV-1 PVL was quantified by real-time PCR. The HTLV-1 PVL was 2.7-fold higher in HAM/TSP patients than ACs. Regardless of the clinical outcome, the PVL was significantly higher in patients younger than 60 years than older patients. The HAM/TSP and ACs had higher IL-10 serum concentrations than that of HCs. The ACs also showed higher IL-6 serum levels than those of HCs. According to age, the IL-10 and IL-6 levels were higher in ACs non-Japanese patients older than 60 years. HAM/TSP patients showed a positive correlation between IL-6 and IL-17 and a negative correlation between the PVL and IL-17 and IFN-γ. In the all ACs, a significant positive correlation was observed between IL-2 and IL-17 and a negative correlation was detected between IL-10 and TNF-α. Only 6.25% of the Japanese patients were symptomatic carriers, compared with 41.67% of the non-Japanese patients. In conclusion, this study showed that high levels of HTLV-1 PVL was intrinsicaly associated with the development of HAM/TSP. A higher HTLV-1 PVL and IL10 levels found in non-Japanese ACs over 60 years old, which compared with the Japanese group depicts that the ethnic background may interfere in the host immune status. More researches also need to be undertaken regarding the host genetic

Cytokine profile and proviral load among Japanese immigrants and non-Japanese infected with HTLV-1 in a non-endemic area of Brazil

PubMed Central

Domingos, João Américo; Soares, Luana Silva; Bandeira, Larissa M.; Bonin, Camila Mareti; Vicente, Ana C. P.; Zanella, Louise; Puga, Marco Antonio Moreira; Tozetti, Inês Aparecida; Motta-Castro, Ana Rita Coimbra; da Cunha, Rivaldo Venâncio

2017-01-01

The lifetime risk of HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) development differs among ethnic groups. To better understand these differences, this prospective cohort study was conducted to investigate the cytokine profile and the HTLV-1 proviral load (PVL) in Japanese and non-Japanese populations with HAM/TSP and asymptomatic carriers (ACs). The serum IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17, TNF-α, and IFN-γ levels were quantified using the Cytometric Bead Array in 40 HTLV-1-infected patients (11 HAM/TSP and 29 ACs) and 18 healthy controls (HCs) in Brazil. Among ACs, 15 were Japanese descendants and 14 were non-Japanese. Of 11 patients with HAM/TSP, only one was a Japanese descendant. The HTLV-1 PVL was quantified by real-time PCR. The HTLV-1 PVL was 2.7-fold higher in HAM/TSP patients than ACs. Regardless of the clinical outcome, the PVL was significantly higher in patients younger than 60 years than older patients. The HAM/TSP and ACs had higher IL-10 serum concentrations than that of HCs. The ACs also showed higher IL-6 serum levels than those of HCs. According to age, the IL-10 and IL-6 levels were higher in ACs non-Japanese patients older than 60 years. HAM/TSP patients showed a positive correlation between IL-6 and IL-17 and a negative correlation between the PVL and IL-17 and IFN-γ. In the all ACs, a significant positive correlation was observed between IL-2 and IL-17 and a negative correlation was detected between IL-10 and TNF-α. Only 6.25% of the Japanese patients were symptomatic carriers, compared with 41.67% of the non-Japanese patients. In conclusion, this study showed that high levels of HTLV-1 PVL was intrinsicaly associated with the development of HAM/TSP. A higher HTLV-1 PVL and IL10 levels found in non-Japanese ACs over 60 years old, which compared with the Japanese group depicts that the ethnic background may interfere in the host immune status. More researches also need to be undertaken regarding the host genetic

Japanese encephalitis

PubMed Central

Yun, Sang-Im; Lee, Young-Min

2014-01-01

Japanese encephalitis (JE) is an infectious disease of the central nervous system caused by Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), a zoonotic mosquito-borne flavivirus. JEV is prevalent in much of Asia and the Western Pacific, with over 4 billion people living at risk of infection. In the absence of antiviral intervention, vaccination is the only strategy to develop long-term sustainable protection against JEV infection. Over the past half-century, a mouse brain-derived inactivated vaccine has been used internationally for active immunization. To date, however, JEV is still a clinically important, emerging, and re-emerging human pathogen of global significance. In recent years, production of the mouse brain-derived vaccine has been discontinued, but 3 new cell culture-derived vaccines are available in various parts of the world. Here we review current aspects of JEV biology, summarize the 4 types of JEV vaccine, and discuss the potential of an infectious JEV cDNA technology for future vaccine development. PMID:24161909

Acoustic Sources of Accent in Second Language Japanese Speech.

PubMed

Idemaru, Kaori; Wei, Peipei; Gubbins, Lucy

2018-05-01

This study reports an exploratory analysis of the acoustic characteristics of second language (L2) speech which give rise to the perception of a foreign accent. Japanese speech samples were collected from American English and Mandarin Chinese speakers ( n = 16 in each group) studying Japanese. The L2 participants and native speakers ( n = 10) provided speech samples modeling after six short sentences. Segmental (vowels and stops) and prosodic features (rhythm, tone, and fluency) were examined. Native Japanese listeners ( n = 10) rated the samples with regard to degrees of foreign accent. The analyses predicting accent ratings based on the acoustic measurements indicated that one of the prosodic features in particular, tone (defined as high and low patterns of pitch accent and intonation in this study), plays an important role in robustly predicting accent rating in L2 Japanese across the two first language (L1) backgrounds. These results were consistent with the prediction based on phonological and phonetic comparisons between Japanese and English, as well as Japanese and Mandarin Chinese. The results also revealed L1-specific predictors of perceived accent in Japanese. The findings of this study contribute to the growing literature that examines sources of perceived foreign accent.

Business Japanese, a HyperCard Simulation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saito-Abbott, Yoshiko; Abbott, Thomas

This paper describes Business Japanese (BJ), a HyperCard based tutorial designed as courseware for use in a third-year Japanese course at the University of Texas, Austin (UTA). A major objective was to develop good courseware based on proven language learning theory that would integrate theory, practice, and technology. BJ stresses a realistic and…

Adult perceptions of phonotactic violations in Japanese

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fais, Laurel; Kajikawa, Sachiyo; Werker, Janet; Amano, Shigeaki

2004-05-01

Adult Japanese speakers ``hear'' epenthetic vowels in productions of Japanese-like words that violate the canonical CVCVCV form by containing internal consonant clusters (CVCCV) [Dupoux et al., J. Exp. Psychol. 25, 1568-1578 (1999)]. Given this finding, this research examined how Japanese adults rated the goodness of Japanese-like words produced without a vowel in the final syllable (CVC), and words produced without vowels in the penultimate and final syllables (CVCC). Furthermore, in some of these contexts, voiceless vowels may appear in fluent, casual Japanese productions, especially in the Kanto dialect, and in some, such voiceless vowels may not appear. Results indicate that both Kanto and Kinki speakers rated CVC productions for contexts in which voiceless vowels are not allowed as the worst; they rated CVC and CVCC contexts in which voiceless vowel productions are allowed as better. In these latter contexts, the CVC words, which result from the loss of one, final, vowel, are judged to be better than the CVCC words, which result from the loss of two (final and penultimate) vowels. These results mirror the relative seriousness of the phonotactic violations and indicate listeners have tacit knowledge of these regularities in their language.

[Emotional display rules of Japanese and Koreans].

PubMed

Lee, Ye-jin; Matsumoto, Yoshiyuki

2011-12-01

Hypothetical stories designed to arouse feelings of happiness, sadness, or anger were presented to Japanese (n = 310) and Koreans (n = 286) university students. They were asked to rate the intensity of the emotion experienced, and to select the corresponding facial expression to display in an individual situation and in a social situation. Analyses of covariance were conducted on the rating scores of facial expression using the intensities of emotion as the covariance, except for happiness where the within-class regression coefficients were not homogeneous. The results showed that Japanese and Koreans shared the emotional display rules about the expressions of emotions in individual situations more than in social situations. Japanese thought that they should suppress emotions more than Koreans did. Moreover, the differences in facial expressions between Japanese and Koreans were greater in the individual situations than in the social situations.

Effect of competition on height growth and survival of planted Japanese larch

Treesearch

E. F. McNamara; Irvin C. Reigner

1960-01-01

On the Dilldown Unit of the Delaware-Lehigh Experimental Forest in Pennsylvania, several planting studies have been made with the aim of finding the most economical and practical methods of converting scrub oak areas to productive high-forest types. These studies have already shown the need for site preparation prior to planting. Seedlings planted on prepared areas...

The Influence of Japanese Public Opinion and Government Policy on the Planning and Execution of U.S. - Japanese Bilateral Ground Exercises

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-06-01

baseline knowledge of the 6 0L aa Y.S 00 evolution of Japanese Defense Policy focused on major defense-policy agreements and issues. The baseline...bilaterally with their Japanese counterparts. (Japanese soldiers stationed in northern Japan are excellent military skiers .) U.S. soldiers who receive...other cases, interviewees had knowledge and expertise regarding the evolution of bilateral exercises and negotiations necessary to initiate bilateral

Japanese Robotic SFA during Expedition 22

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-03-10

ISS022-E-089764 (10 March 2010) --- Looking through the Kibo airlock, the Japanese robotic Small Fine Arm (SFA), also known as ?Ko-bot?, is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 22 crew member in the Kibo laboratory of the International Space Station during its installation on the external Japanese Experiment Module - Exposed Facility.

[Evaluation of "Japanese Journal of Psychology" using citation analysis].

PubMed

Kato, Tsukasa; Baba, Mamiko; Tabata, Naoya; Shimoda, Shunsuke; Fukuda, Mildki; Okubo, Nobutoshi

2013-06-01

This study investigated the professional impact of "Japanese Journal of Psychology." Thirty four psychological journals written in Japanese were selected to register articles in a new database. This database included approximately 23,900 articles published through 2010. Using citations extracted from the references and footnotes in these scholarly journals, the Psychology Citation Index for Japanese Papers was created. The citation impact factors in Japanese psychology was determined on the basis of the number of times a journal was cited, cumulative impact factors, and the cited half-life of the journal; five years was a valid period for impact factor of psychological journals in Japan. The changes in the 5-year impact factors of "Japanese Journal of Psychology" were reviewed by comparing it with other journals.

Use of spoken and written Japanese did not protect Japanese-American men from cognitive decline in late life.

PubMed

Crane, Paul K; Gruhl, Jonathan C; Erosheva, Elena A; Gibbons, Laura E; McCurry, Susan M; Rhoads, Kristoffer; Nguyen, Viet; Arani, Keerthi; Masaki, Kamal; White, Lon

2010-11-01

Spoken bilingualism may be associated with cognitive reserve. Mastering a complicated written language may be associated with additional reserve. We sought to determine if midlife use of spoken and written Japanese was associated with lower rates of late life cognitive decline. Participants were second-generation Japanese-American men from the Hawaiian island of Oahu, born 1900-1919, free of dementia in 1991, and categorized based on midlife self-reported use of spoken and written Japanese (total n included in primary analysis = 2,520). Cognitive functioning was measured with the Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument scored using item response theory. We used mixed effects models, controlling for age, income, education, smoking status, apolipoprotein E e4 alleles, and number of study visits. Rates of cognitive decline were not related to use of spoken or written Japanese. This finding was consistent across numerous sensitivity analyses. We did not find evidence to support the hypothesis that multilingualism is associated with cognitive reserve.

Registry of the Japanese Society of Lung and Heart-Lung Transplantation: the official Japanese lung transplantation report 2008.

PubMed

Shiraishi, Takeshi; Okada, Yoshinori; Sekine, Yasuo; Chida, Masayuki; Bando, Toru; Minami, Masato; Oto, Takahiro; Nagayasu, Takeshi; Date, Hiroshi; Kondo, Takashi

2009-08-01

The year 2008 marked the 10th anniversary of the Japanese lung transplantation program started in accordance with the Japanese Organ Transplant Law, which took effect in 1997. A total of 105 lung transplantations, including 39 deceased-donor transplants and 66 living-related transplants, had been performed as of the end of 2007. This article is the 2008 official report of the Japanese Society of Lung and Heart-Lung Transplantation. It summarizes the data for clinical lung transplantation during the period 1998-2007 and discusses the current status of Japanese lung transplantation. The overall 5-year survival rate was 67.0%: including 53.4% and 74.6% for deceased-donor lung transplantation and living-donor lobar lung transplantation groups, respectively. The total operation-related and 1-month mortality rates after surgery were 3.8% and 10.4%, respectively. These data are better, or at least acceptable, in comparison with the international registry data.

Use of Spoken and Written Japanese Did Not Protect Japanese-American Men From Cognitive Decline in Late Life

PubMed Central

Gruhl, Jonathan C.; Erosheva, Elena A.; Gibbons, Laura E.; McCurry, Susan M.; Rhoads, Kristoffer; Nguyen, Viet; Arani, Keerthi; Masaki, Kamal; White, Lon

2010-01-01

Objectives. Spoken bilingualism may be associated with cognitive reserve. Mastering a complicated written language may be associated with additional reserve. We sought to determine if midlife use of spoken and written Japanese was associated with lower rates of late life cognitive decline. Methods. Participants were second-generation Japanese-American men from the Hawaiian island of Oahu, born 1900–1919, free of dementia in 1991, and categorized based on midlife self-reported use of spoken and written Japanese (total n included in primary analysis = 2,520). Cognitive functioning was measured with the Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument scored using item response theory. We used mixed effects models, controlling for age, income, education, smoking status, apolipoprotein E e4 alleles, and number of study visits. Results. Rates of cognitive decline were not related to use of spoken or written Japanese. This finding was consistent across numerous sensitivity analyses. Discussion. We did not find evidence to support the hypothesis that multilingualism is associated with cognitive reserve. PMID:20639282

Education for International Understanding in Japanese Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sato, Teruo

1979-01-01

Describes the evolution and current status of education for international understanding within the Japanese school system. Topics discussed include the UNESCO associated schools, Japanese schools overseas, experimental schools for students who have returned from abroad, curricula, and objectives by grade level. (DB)

Nucleotide sequences of Japanese isolates of citrus vein enation virus.

PubMed

Nakazono-Nagaoka, Eiko; Fujikawa, Takashi; Iwanami, Toru

2017-03-01

The genomic sequences of five Japanese isolates of citrus vein enation virus (CVEV) isolates that induce vein enation were determined and compared with that of the Spanish isolate VE-1. The nucleotide sequences of all Japanese isolates were 5,983 nt in length. The genomic RNA of Japanese isolates had five potential open reading frames (ORF 0, ORF 1, ORF 2, ORF 3, and ORF 5) in the positive-sense strand. The nucleotide sequence identity among the Japanese isolates and Spanish isolate VE-1 ranged from 98.0% to 99.8%. Comparison of the partial amino acid sequences of ten Japanese isolates and three Spanish isolates suggested that four amino acid residues, at positions of 83, 104, and 113 in ORF 2 and position 41 in ORF 5, might be unique to some Japanese isolates.

Regional Classification of Traditional Japanese Folk Songs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kawase, Akihiro; Tokosumi, Akifumi

In this study, we focus on the melodies of Japanese folk songs, and examine the basic structures of Japanese folk songs that represent the characteristics of different regions. We sample the five largest song genres within the music corpora of the Nihon Min-yo Taikan (Anthology of Japanese Folk Songs), consisting of 202,246 tones from 1,794 song pieces from 45 prefectures in Japan. Then, we calculate the probabilities of 24 transition patterns that fill the interval of the perfect fourth pitch, which is the interval that maintains most of the frequency for one-step and two-step pitch transitions within 11 regions, in order to determine the parameters for cluster analysis. As a result, we successively classify the regions into two basic groups, eastern Japan and western Japan, which corresponds to geographical factors and cultural backgrounds, and also match accent distributions in the Japanese language.

Offers and Requests: Performance by Japanese Learners of English.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fukushima, Saeko

1990-01-01

A comparison of native and nonnative (Japanese) English speakers' expressions for offers and requests found that Japanese subjects were typically too direct in most situations and sounded rude, even when they intended to be polite. This suggests that the pragmatic competence of Japanese learners of English needs to be reinforced in language…

The Japanese Automobile Worker: A Microcosm of Japan's Success.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaderabeck, Elizabeth A.

A teaching unit on the Japanese automobile worker was developed from a compilation of on-site interviews with Japanese company managers and production line employees, and official publications of the Japanese car industry. The unit is designed to present a balanced picture of Japan's economic success and labor relations and to develop global…

[Research on Japanese monograph of comprehensive dietetic materia medica, the Pao chu bei yong wo ming ben cao (Japanese Materia Medica Prepared for Kitchen)].

PubMed

Zhou, M; Ye, J

2017-11-28

Japanese physicians of Edo Period (1603-1867) wrote many dietetic books, by combining the knowledge system (content and compiling style) and thoughts of diet therapy from China with local condition in Japan. Among them, the Pao chu bei yong wo ming ben cao ( Japanese Materia Medica Prepared for Kitchen ), written by Mukai Genshou, a physician in the early Edo, is the earliest comprehensive work of dietetic materia medica. In this book, the choice and usage of Japanese dietetic materia medica reveals obvious Japanese local color, including the name, morphology, cultivation, collection, identification, nature and flavor, and indication etc., reflecting the sprouting idea of edible herbal plant at the beginning of Edo period and the characteristic of absorbing Chinese diet thoughts by Japanese physician. This is the important first-hand historical material to understand the development of Japanese dietetic herbalism in early Edo and its dietotherapy culture.

The Japanese and the American First-Line Supervisor.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bryan, Leslie A., Jr.

1982-01-01

Compares the American and Japanese first-line supervisor: production statistics, supervisory style, company loyalty, management style, and communication. Also suggests what Americans might learn from the Japanese methods. (CT)

Japanese Experiment Module arrival

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-03-29

Inside the Space Station Processing Facility, workers monitor progress as a huge crane is used to remove the top of the crate carrying the Experiment Logistics Module Pressurized Section for the Japanese Experiment Module. The logistics module is one of the components of the Japanese Experiment Module or JEM, also known as Kibo, which means "hope" in Japanese. Kibo comprises six components: two research facilities -- the Pressurized Module and Exposed Facility; a Logistics Module attached to each of them; a Remote Manipulator System; and an Inter-Orbit Communication System unit. Kibo also has a scientific airlock through which experiments are transferred and exposed to the external environment of space. Kibo is Japan's first human space facility and its primary contribution to the station. Kibo will enhance the unique research capabilities of the orbiting complex by providing an additional environment in which astronauts can conduct science experiments. The various components of JEM will be assembled in space over the course of three Space Shuttle missions. The first of those three missions, STS-123, will carry the Experiment Logistics Module Pressurized Section aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour, targeted for launch in 2007.

Standardisation of the Japanese diet for use in animal experiments.

PubMed

Sugawara, Saeko; Mizowaki, Yui; Iwagaki, Yui; Sakamoto, Yu; Yamamoto, Kazushi; Tsuduki, Tsuyoshi

2017-11-01

The aim of this study was to develop a purified diet that mimics the characteristics of the Japanese diet using readily available materials with a simpler composition and a focus on quality, with the goal of facilitating performance of studies on the Japanese diet worldwide. The utility of the new diet was examined as a mimic of the standard Japanese diet for use in animal experiments. We examined whether a key characteristic of the Japanese diet of being less likely to cause obesity could be reproduced. The mimic diet had a balance of protein, fat and carbohydrate based on the 1975 Japanese diet, which is the least likely to cause obesity, and materials chosen with reference to the National Health and Nutrition Survey (NHNS). To examine similarities of the mimic diet with the model 1975 Japanese diet, we created a menu of the 1975 diet based on the NHNS and prepared the freeze-dried and powdered diet. The mimic diet, the 1975 Japanese diet, a control AIN-93G diet and a Western diet were fed to mice for 4 weeks. As a result, the mimic diet and the 1975 diet resulted in less accumulation of visceral fat and liver fat. Mice given these two diets showed similar effects. This indicates that the mimic diet used in this study has characteristics of the 1975 Japanese diet and could be used as a standard Japanese diet in animal experiments.

Comparison of performance-based measures among native Japanese, Japanese-Americans in Hawaii and Caucasian women in the United States, ages 65 years and over: a cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

Aoyagi, Kiyoshi; Ross, Philip D; Nevitt, Michael C; Davis, James W; Wasnich, Richard D; Hayashi, Takuo; Takemoto, Tai-ichiro

2001-01-01

Background Japanese (both in Japan and Hawaii) have a lower incidence of falls and of hip fracture than North American and European Caucasians, but the reasons for these differences are not clear. Subjects and Methods A cross-sectional study. We compared neuromuscular risk factors for falls using performance-based measures (chair stand time, usual and rapid walking speed, and grip strength) among 163 Japanese women in Japan, 681 Japanese-American women in Hawaii and 9403 Caucasian women in the United States aged 65 years and over. Results After adjusting for age, the Caucasian women required about 40% more time to complete 5 chair stands than either group of Japanese. Walking speed was about 10% slower among Caucasians than native Japanese, whereas Japanese-American women in Hawaii walked about 11% faster than native Japanese. Grip strength was greatest in Japan, which may reflect the rural farming district that this sample was drawn from. Additional adjustment for height, weight or body mass index increased the adjusted means of chair stand time and grip strength among Japanese, but the differences remained significant. Conclusions Both native Japanese and Japanese-American women in Hawaii performed better than Caucasians on chair stand time and walking speed tests, and native Japanese had greater grip strength than Japanese in Hawaii and Caucasians. The biological implications of these differences in performance are uncertain, but may be useful in planning future comparisons between populations. PMID:11696243

Tall shrub and tree expansion in Siberian tundra ecotones since the 1960s.

PubMed

Frost, Gerald V; Epstein, Howard E

2014-04-01

Circumpolar expansion of tall shrubs and trees into Arctic tundra is widely thought to be occurring as a result of recent climate warming, but little quantitative evidence exists for northern Siberia, which encompasses the world's largest forest-tundra ecotonal belt. We quantified changes in tall shrub and tree canopy cover in 11, widely distributed Siberian ecotonal landscapes by comparing very high-resolution photography from the Cold War-era 'Gambit' and 'Corona' satellite surveillance systems (1965-1969) with modern imagery. We also analyzed within-landscape patterns of vegetation change to evaluate the susceptibility of different landscape components to tall shrub and tree increase. The total cover of tall shrubs and trees increased in nine of 11 ecotones. In northwest Siberia, alder (Alnus) shrubland cover increased 5.3-25.9% in five ecotones. In Taymyr and Yakutia, larch (Larix) cover increased 3.0-6.7% within three ecotones, but declined 16.8% at a fourth ecotone due to thaw of ice-rich permafrost. In Chukotka, the total cover of alder and dwarf pine (Pinus) increased 6.1% within one ecotone and was little changed at a second ecotone. Within most landscapes, shrub and tree increase was linked to specific geomorphic settings, especially those with active disturbance regimes such as permafrost patterned-ground, floodplains, and colluvial hillslopes. Mean summer temperatures increased at most ecotones since the mid-1960s, but rates of shrub and tree canopy cover expansion were not strongly correlated with temperature trends and were better correlated with mean annual precipitation. We conclude that shrub and tree cover is increasing in tundra ecotones across most of northern Siberia, but rates of increase vary widely regionally and at the landscape scale. Our results indicate that extensive changes can occur within decades in moist, shrub-dominated ecotones, as in northwest Siberia, while changes are likely to occur much more slowly in the highly continental

CO2 enrichment alters diurnal stem radius fluctuations of 36-yr-old Larix decidua growing at the alpine tree line.

PubMed

Dawes, Melissa A; Zweifel, Roman; Dawes, Nicholas; Rixen, Christian; Hagedorn, Frank

2014-06-01

To understand how trees at high elevations might use water differently in the future, we investigated the effects of CO2 enrichment and soil warming (separately and combined) on the water relations of Larix decidua growing at the tree line in the Swiss Alps. We assessed diurnal stem radius fluctuations using point dendrometers and applied a hydraulic plant model using microclimate and soil water potential data as inputs. Trees exposed to CO2 enrichment for 9 yr showed smaller diurnal stem radius contractions (by 46 ± 16%) and expansions (42 ± 16%) compared with trees exposed to ambient CO2 . Additionally, there was a delay in the timing of daily maximum (40 ± 12 min) and minimum (63 ± 14 min) radius values for trees growing under elevated CO2 . Parameters optimized with the hydraulic model suggested that CO2 -enriched trees had an increased flow resistance between the xylem and bark, representing a more buffered water supply system. Soil warming did not alter diurnal fluctuation dynamics or the CO2 response. Elevated CO2 altered the hydraulic water flow and storage system within L. decidua trees, which might have contributed to enhanced growth during 9 yr of CO2 enrichment and could ultimately influence the future competitive ability of this key tree-line species. © 2014 WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research - SLF. New Phytologist © 2014 New Phytologist Trust.

Localisation pattern of homogalacturonan and arabinogalactan proteins in developing ovules of the gymnosperm plant Larix decidua Mill.

PubMed

Rafińska, Katarzyna; Bednarska, Elżbieta

2011-03-01

We have identified and characterised the temporal and spatial distribution of the homogalacturonan (HG) and arabinogalactan proteins (AGP) epitopes that are recognised by the antibodies JIM5, JIM7, LM2, JIM4, JIM8 and JIM13 during ovule differentiation in Larix decidua Mill. The results obtained clearly show differences in the pattern of localisation of specific HG epitopes between generative and somatic cells of the ovule. Immunocytochemical studies revealed that the presence of low-esterified HG is characteristic only of the wall of megasporocyte and megaspores. In maturing female gametophytes, highly esterified HG was the main form present, and the central vacuole of free nuclear gametophytes was particularly rich in this category of HG. This pool will probably be used in cell wall building during cellularisation. The selective labelling obtained with AGP antibodies indicates that some AGPs can be used as markers for gametophytic and sporophytic cells differentiation. Our results demonstrated that the AGPs recognised by JIM4 may constitute molecules determining changes in ovule cell development programs. Just after the end of meiosis, the signal detected with JIM4 labelling appeared only in functional and degenerating megaspores. This suggests that the antigens bound by JIM4 are involved in the initiation of female gametogenesis in L. decidua. Moreover, the analysis of AGPs distribution showed that differentiation of the nucellus cells occurs in the very young ovule stage before megasporogenesis. Throughout the period of ovule development, the pattern of localisation of the studied AGPs was different both in tapetum cells surrounding the gametophyte and in nucellus cells. Changes in the distribution of AGPs were also observed in the nucellus of the mature ovule, and they could represent an indicator of tissue arrangement to interact with the growing pollen tube. The possible role of AGPs in fertilisation is also discussed.

Subarashii: Encounters in Japanese Spoken Language Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bernstein, Jared; Najmi, Amir; Ehsani, Farzad

1999-01-01

Describes Subarashii, an experimental computer-based interactive spoken-language education system designed to understand what a student is saying in Japanese and respond in a meaningful way in spoken Japanese. Implementation of a preprototype version of the Subarashii system identified strengths and limitations of continuous speech recognition…

Connective Choice between Native and Japanese Speakers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tabuki, Masatoshi; Shimatani, Hiroshi

A study investigated the use of connectors in English conversation between native Japanese-speakers and teachers outside the classroom. Data were drawn from six videotaped conversations between pairs of Japanese students, all learning beginning-level English, with conversational support provided by English teachers. The functions of four…

Japanese Educational Patterns in Science and Engineering

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Birnbaum, Henry

1973-01-01

Describes the Japanese educational system, and outlines some of the obstacles faced by students in progressing through successive levels from elementary school to university. Emphasizes undergraduate education, especially in science and engineering. The organization of the Japanese school system is schematically presented in a diagram. (JR)

Comparison of the evapotranspiration and its components before and after thinning in Japanese cedar and Japanese cypress forest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tateishi, Makiko; Xiang, Yang; Matsuda, Hiroki; Saito, Takami; Sun, Haotian; Otsuki, Kyoichi; Kasahara, Tamao; Onda, Yuichi

2014-05-01

Water source area of Japan is often covered by forest, and 40 % of forest cover is coniferous plantation. Thinning has become a major tool in the management of plantation in recent years, but its effects on water cycle and its components are yet to be evaluated well. In this study, we investigated the changes in evapotranspiration and its components, including stand transpiration and canopy interception loss, after thinning in 50 years old Japanese cedar and Japanese cypress plantation at Yayama experimental catchment in Fukuoka, Japan. We established study plot in each Japanese cedar and Japanese cypress stand. Sap flow measurement was conducted for evaluating stand transpiration in each plot. Through fall and stem flow were also monitored to estimate canopy interception loss. The experiments were conducted over two years. During the measurements, 50 % of trees were thinned randomly in entire catchment, which has an area of 2.98 ha. Stem density was changed from 3945 to 1977 trees per ha after thinning. The reduction of daily stand transpiration in the studied Japanese cedar and cypress stands after thinning were 31.6 % and 48.2 % under the same condition of microclimate, respectively. These values were comparable to the changes in total sapwood area, 34.2 % and 44.5 %, and sap flow density did not change after thinning. It implies that sapwood area is a primary determinant of stand transpiration. Canopy interception ratios were 27 % and 26 % for Japanese cedar and cypress before thinning, and the ratios decreased to 24 % and 21 % after thinning, respectively. Thus, we obtained the changes in annual evapotranspiration and its components at catchment scale by using observation and models. The changes in partitioning of evapotranspiration is also discussed. The evapotranspiration before and after thinning were also compared to water balance data in this study site.

Bilingual Dual Coding in Japanese Returnee Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taura, Hideyuki

1998-01-01

Investigates effects of second-language acquisition age, length of exposure to the second language, and Japanese language specificity on the bilingual dual coding hypothesis proposed by Paivio and Desrochers (1980). Balanced Japanese-English bilingual returnee (having resided in an English-speaking country) subjects were presented with pictures to…

Genetic researches on growth traits of Japanese quail

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Atalay, Sertaç

2017-04-01

The main objective of the poultry industry is to increase genetic capacity of animals. Growth is one of the most important economic trait in poultry production. Thus, to obtain genetically superior animals related to growth traits is one of the most important issues of poultry breeding programs. Japanese quail is one of the most productive animals in poultry species. Although Japanese quail is small body size, It has high meat and egg production yield. Japanese quail has also important breeding advantages such as short time generation interval, capacity to have a great number of birds per unit area, great reproductive performance, high resistance to diseases and low breeding cost. Therefore, Japanese quail has great advantages for genetic researches and can be used as model animal for major poultry species.

Korean speech sound development in children from bilingual Japanese-Korean environments

PubMed Central

Kim, Jeoung Suk; Lee, Jun Ho; Choi, Yoon Mi; Kim, Hyun Gi; Kim, Sung Hwan; Lee, Min Kyung

2010-01-01

Purpose This study investigates Korean speech sound development, including articulatory error patterns, among the Japanese-Korean children whose mothers are Japanese immigrants to Korea. Methods The subjects were 28 Japanese-Korean children with normal development born to Japanese women immigrants who lived in Jeonbuk province, Korea. They were assessed through Computerized Speech Lab 4500. The control group consisted of 15 Korean children who lived in the same area. Results The values of the voice onset time of consonants /ph/, /t/, /th/, and /k*/ among the children were prolonged. The children replaced the lenis sounds with aspirated or fortis sounds rather than replacing the fortis sounds with lenis or aspirated sounds, which are typical among Japanese immigrants. The children showed numerous articulatory errors for /c/ and /l/ sounds (similar to Koreans) rather than errors on /p/ sounds, which are more frequent among Japanese immigrants. The vowel formants of the children showed a significantly prolonged vowel /o/ as compared to that of Korean children (P<0.05). The Japanese immigrants and their children showed a similar substitution /n/ for /ɧ/ [Japanese immigrants (62.5%) vs Japanese-Korean children (14.3%)], which is rarely seen among Koreans. Conclusion The findings suggest that Korean speech sound development among Japanese-Korean children is influenced not only by the Korean language environment but also by their maternal language. Therefore, appropriate language education programs may be warranted not only or immigrant women but also for their children. PMID:21189968

Communication attitudes of Japanese school-age children who stutter.

PubMed

Kawai, Norimune; Healey, E Charles; Nagasawa, Taiko; Vanryckeghem, Martine

2012-01-01

Past research with the Communication Attitude Test (CAT) has shown it to be a valid and reliable instrument for assessing speech-associated attitude of children who stutter (CWS). However, in Japan, the CAT has not been used extensively to examine the communication attitude of CWS. The purpose of this study was to determine if a Japanese version of the CAT could differentiate between the communication attitude of Japanese elementary school CWS and children who do not stutter (CWNS). A Japanese translation of the 1991 version of the Communication Attitude Test-Revised (CAT-R) was used in this study. Eighty Japanese CWS and 80 gender- and grade level-matched CWNS participated in the study. The results showed that CWS had a significantly more negative communication attitude than CWNS. Both CWS and CWNS in 1st grade showed significantly more positive communication attitudes than children in 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th grades. Furthermore, a link between stuttering severity and CWS' communication attitude was found. Additional research is needed to confirm the results of the current study, which indicate that the communication attitude of Japanese CWS becomes more negative as they get older. The reader will be able to: (1) Describe the process that was used to develop a Japanese version of the Communication Attitude Test (CAT-J). (2) Discuss attitude differences between Japanese children who stutter and those who do not and how grade level impacts a negative attitude toward communication. (3) Explain the link between stuttering severity and attitudes of Japanese children who stutter. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Japanese Encephalitis Virus in Meningitis Patients, Japan

PubMed Central

Ito, Mikako; Takao, Shinichi; Shimazu, Yukie; Fukuda, Shinji; Miyazaki, Kazuo; Kurane, Ichiro; Takasaki, Tomohiko

2005-01-01

Cerebrospinal fluid specimens from 57 patients diagnosed with meningitis were tested for Japanese encephalitis virus. Total RNA was extracted from the specimens and amplified. Two products had highest homology with Nakayama strain and 2 with Ishikawa strain. Results suggest that Japanese encephalitis virus causes some aseptic meningitis in Japan. PMID:15757569

Argumentative Strategies in American and Japanese English.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kamimura, Taeko; Oi, Kyoko

1998-01-01

A study examined differences in argumentative strategies in Japanese and American English by analyzing English essays on capital punishment written by 22 American high school seniors and 30 Japanese college sophomores. Differences were found in the organizational patterns, content and use of rational appeals, preference for type of diction, and…

A MANUAL OF JAPANESE WRITING, BOOK 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

CHAPLIN, HAMAKO ITO; MARTIN, SAMUEL E.

THIS IS THE FIRST OF THREE VOLUMES WRITTEN TO TEACH THE 881 ESSENTIAL OR "EDUCATION" CHARACTERS TO ENGLISH-SPEAKING STUDENTS OF JAPANESE. THE AUTHORS ASSUME THAT THE STUDENTS HAVE ALREADY LEARNED THE HIRAGANA AND KATAKANA SYLLABARIES AND HAVE A BASIC KNOWLEDGE OF JAPANESE GRAMMAR. ORTHOGRAPHIC CONVENTIONS USED FOLLOW CLOSELY THOSE…

Travel-related health problems in Japanese travelers.

PubMed

Mizuno, Yasutaka; Kudo, Koichiro

2009-09-01

Although the number of Japanese individuals traveling abroad has increased steadily, reaching approximately 17.3 million in 2007, the incidence of various travel-related health problems in Japan remains unknown. The travel-related health problems of Japanese travelers returning to Japan from abroad are analyzed by assessing the records. Data were collected retrospectively on returning travelers who visited the authors' travel clinic during the period from January 2005 through to December 2006 with any health problem acquired overseas. A total of 345 patients were included in this study (200 male, 145 female; average age, 34+/-12.3 years). Reasons for travel included leisure (45.8%); business (39.1%); visiting friends and relatives or accompanying other travelers (8.7%); volunteering (3.8%); and long stays in order to study or live (2.6%). The most visited destination was Asia (n=260), followed by Africa (n=105). The most commonly reported health problems were gastro-intestinal infections (39.1%), followed by respiratory tract infections (16.2%), animal bites (8.1%), and skin problems (5.8%). Together, malaria and dengue accounted for 10% of diagnoses in 125 febrile patients (36.2%). Although the profile of travel-related health problems in Japanese travelers is similar to that of Western travelers, the characteristics of travel were quite different. Therefore Japanese travel advice should be tailored to suit the Japanese traveler.

Harnessing Furigana to Improve Japanese Learners' Ability to Read Kanji

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kirwan, Leigh

2005-01-01

The historical development of written Japanese has resulted in an extremely complex system. Modern Japanese is usually written in logosyllabic script consisting of a combination of "kanji," the Chinese characters, and "kana," the Japanese syllables originally formed from them. There are two types of "kana," the…

Other Japanese Educations and Japanese Education Otherwise. Review Essay

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Takayama, Keita

2011-01-01

Education in the United States was in a state of "crisis" at the time of the 1983 release of "A Nation at Risk," the landmark report on the US education reform. This was the time when the rising Japanese economy started threatening the post-war US economic dominance and conservative figures such as Ronald Reagan gained popular…

The Stroop effect in English-Japanese bilinguals: the effect of phonological similarity.

PubMed

Sumiya, Hiromi; Healy, Alice F

2008-01-01

English-Japanese bilinguals performed a Stroop color-word interference task with both English and Japanese stimuli and responded in both English and Japanese. The Japanese stimuli were either the traditional color terms (TCTs) written in Hiragana or loanwords (LWs) from English written in Katakana. Both within-language and between-language interference were found for all combinations of stimuli and responses. The between-language interference was larger for Katakana LWs (phonologically similar to English) than for Hiragana TCTs, especially with Japanese responses. The magnitude of this phonological effect increased with self-rated reading fluency in Japanese. Overall responding was slower and the Stroop effect larger with English than with Japanese stimuli. These results suggest that unintentional lexical access elicits automatic phonological processing even with intermediate-level reading proficiency.

7 CFR 301.48-6 - Movement of live Japanese beetles.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 5 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Movement of live Japanese beetles. 301.48-6 Section... INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE DOMESTIC QUARANTINE NOTICES Japanese Beetle Quarantine and Regulations § 301.48-6 Movement of live Japanese beetles. Regulations requiring a permit for and otherwise...

7 CFR 301.48-6 - Movement of live Japanese beetles.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 5 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Movement of live Japanese beetles. 301.48-6 Section... INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE DOMESTIC QUARANTINE NOTICES Japanese Beetle Quarantine and Regulations § 301.48-6 Movement of live Japanese beetles. Regulations requiring a permit for and otherwise...

7 CFR 301.48-6 - Movement of live Japanese beetles.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 5 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Movement of live Japanese beetles. 301.48-6 Section... INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE DOMESTIC QUARANTINE NOTICES Japanese Beetle Quarantine and Regulations § 301.48-6 Movement of live Japanese beetles. Regulations requiring a permit for and otherwise...

The Japanese value of harmony and nursing ethics.

PubMed

Konishi, Emiko; Yahiro, Michiko; Nakajima, Naoko; Ono, Miki

2009-09-01

Harmony is one of the most fundamental Japanese values. It is derived from Confucianism and encompasses a state of mind, an action process and outcomes of the action. This article draws on research data and discusses Japanese nurses' perceptions of harmony as reflected in their everyday practice. The most important virtues for these nurses were reported as politeness and respect for other persons. The outcome from the nurses' harmonious practice, it is claimed, benefited patients and created peaceful, harmonious relationships for all. Because of the unique link between harmony and the location of interaction, the ideal 'workplace harmony' threatened some nurses' professional decision making. These nurses confused harmony with conformity by superficial agreement. The Japanese seniority system could be a major factor contributing to this problem. Ethics education that includes traditional values and concepts in Japanese culture is strongly urged.

The Art of Japanese Masks and Kimonos

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brooks, Nancy Johnston

2009-01-01

Japanese masks have been worn for a number of reasons. In the past they were often used in plays and celebrations. Today in Japan, social masks are essential in many party gatherings as a form of expressing one's personality. In this article, the author describes an art project wherein students created Japanese masks and kimonos.

Distinctive Features of Japanese Education. NIER Occasional Paper 01/91.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Inst. for Educational Research, Tokyo (Japan).

For the past decade there has been a surge of international interest in Japanese education in the wake of its economic and technological successes. This paper discusses eight distinctive features of Japanese education, identifying their advantages and disadvantages and how they have been brought about. These eight features of Japanese schooling…

Der Begriff des "Ki" und die japanische Padagogik: Uber Konflikte zwischen westlicher und japanischer Padagogik (The Concept of "Ki" and Japanese Pedagogy: On Conflicts between Western and Japanese Pedagogics).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fujikawa, Nobuo

1997-01-01

Sketches the characteristics of the Japanese educational tradition and analyzes conflicts between modern western pedagogies and traditional education. Argues that Japanese socialization processes stress a specifically Japanese construction of the "self" and of behavior. Concludes that Japanese educators should be more aware of this…

Paleolithic Contingent in Modern Japanese: Estimation and Inference using Genome-wide Data

PubMed Central

He, Yungang; Wang, Wei R.; Xu, Shuhua; Jin, Li; SNP Consortium, Pan-Asia

2012-01-01

The genetic origins of Japanese populations have been controversial. Upper Paleolithic Japanese, i.e. Jomon, developed independently in Japanese islands for more than 10,000 years until the isolation was ended with the influxes of continental immigrants about 2,000 years ago. However, the knowledge of origin of Jomon and its contribution to the genetic pool of contemporary Japanese is still limited, albeit the extensive studies using mtDNA and Y chromosomes. In this report, we aimed to infer the origin of Jomon and to estimate its contribution to Japanese by fitting an admixture model with missing data from Jomon to a genome-wide data from 94 worldwide populations. Our results showed that the genetic contributions of Jomon, the Paleolithic contingent in Japanese, are 54.3∼62.3% in Ryukyuans and 23.1∼39.5% in mainland Japanese, respectively. Utilizing inferred allele frequencies of the Jomon population, we further showed the Paleolithic contingent in Japanese had a Northeast Asia origin. PMID:22482036

Center for Japanese Study Abroad. Fastback 386.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jassey, William

The Center for Japanese Study Abroad (CJSA) is a Japanese immersion and study abroad program implemented as a magnet program at inner-city Brien MacMahon High School in Norwalk, Connecticut. The program is supported by a grant from the state department of education. Attended by 60-70 students from high schools in southern Fairfield County…

Classroom Silence: Voices from Japanese EFL Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harumi, Seiko

2011-01-01

This article explores Japanese EFL learners' classroom silence in a Japanese EFL context. The existence of silence in second language learning contexts can be a source of conflict between students and teachers and even among students themselves. It can also be an obstacle to acquiring the target language. In order to tackle this problem and to…

Validation of the Japanese disease severity classification and the GAP model in Japanese patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

PubMed

Kondoh, Shun; Chiba, Hirofumi; Nishikiori, Hirotaka; Umeda, Yasuaki; Kuronuma, Koji; Otsuka, Mitsuo; Yamada, Gen; Ohnishi, Hirofumi; Mori, Mitsuru; Kondoh, Yasuhiro; Taniguchi, Hiroyuki; Homma, Sakae; Takahashi, Hiroki

2016-09-01

The clinical course of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) shows great inter-individual differences. It is important to standardize the severity classification to accurately evaluate each patient׳s prognosis. In Japan, an original severity classification (the Japanese disease severity classification, JSC) is used. In the United States, the new multidimensional index and staging system (the GAP model) has been proposed. The objective of this study was to evaluate the model performance for the prediction of mortality risk of the JSC and GAP models using a large cohort of Japanese patients with IPF. This is a retrospective cohort study including 326 patients with IPF in the Hokkaido prefecture from 2003 to 2007. We obtained the survival curves of each stage of the GAP and JSC models to perform a comparison. In the GAP model, the prognostic value for mortality risk of Japanese patients was also evaluated. In the JSC, patient prognoses were roughly divided into two groups, mild cases (Stages I and II) and severe cases (Stages III and IV). In the GAP model, there was no significant difference in survival between Stages II and III, and the mortality rates in the patients classified into the GAP Stages I and II were underestimated. It is difficult to predict accurate prognosis of IPF using the JSC and the GAP models. A re-examination of the variables from the two models is required, as well as an evaluation of the prognostic value to revise the severity classification for Japanese patients with IPF. Copyright © 2016 The Japanese Respiratory Society. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Kids Explore America's Japanese American Heritage. Westridge Young Writers Workshop.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jefferson County School District R-1, Denver, CO.

This book was written by 94 students, aged 8-14, at Westridge Elementary School (Littleton, Colorado) during a summer enrichment class. The book was written for anyone who wants to learn about Japanese-American culture and heritage. Chapter 1 gives an overview of Japanese history before American contact, the immigration of Japanese to America, the…

Low mitochondrial DNA diversity of Japanese Polled and Kuchinoshima feral cattle.

PubMed

Mannen, Hideyuki; Yonesaka, Riku; Noda, Aoi; Shimogiri, Takeshi; Oshima, Ichiro; Katahira, Kiyomi; Kanemaki, Misao; Kunieda, Tetsuo; Inayoshi, Yousuke; Mukai, Fumio; Sasazaki, Shinji

2017-05-01

This study aims to estimate the mitochondrial genetic diversity and structure of Japanese Polled and Kuchinoshima feral cattle, which are maintained in small populations. We determined the mitochondrial DMA (mtDNA) displacement loop (D-loop) sequences for both cattle populations and analyzed these in conjunction with previously published data from Northeast Asian cattle populations. Our findings showed that Japanese native cattle have a predominant, Asian-specific mtDNA haplogroup T4 with high frequencies (0.43-0.81). This excluded Kuchinoshima cattle (32 animals), which had only one mtDNA haplotype belonging to the haplogroup T3. Japanese Polled showed relatively lower mtDNA diversity in the average sequence divergence (0.0020) than other Wagyu breeds (0.0036-0.0047). Japanese Polled have been maintained in a limited area of Yamaguchi, and the population size is now less than 200. Therefore, low mtDNA diversity in the Japanese Polled could be explained by the decreasing population size in the last three decades. We found low mtDNA diversity in both Japanese Polled and Kuchinoshima cattle. The genetic information obtained in this study will be useful for maintaining these populations and for understanding the origin of Japanese native cattle. © 2016 Japanese Society of Animal Science.

COMPARING 3D FOOT SHAPE MODELS BETWEEN TAIWANESE AND JAPANESE FEMALES.

PubMed

Lee, Yu-Chi; Kouchi, Makiko; Mochimaru, Masaaki; Wang, Mao-Jiun

2015-06-01

This study compares foot shape and foot dimensions between Taiwanese and Japanese females. One hundred Taiwanese and 100 Japanese female 3D foot scanning data were used for comparison. To avoid the allometry effect, data from 23 Taiwanese and 19 Japanese with foot length between 233 to 237 mm were used for shape comparison. Homologous models created for the right feet of the 42 subjects were analyzed by Multidimensional Scaling. The results showed that there were significant differences in the forefoot shape between the two groups, and Taiwanese females had slightly wider feet with straighter big toe than Japanese females. The results of body and foot dimension comparison indicated that Taiwanese females were taller, heavier and had larger feet than Japanese females, while Japanese females had significantly larger toe 1 angle. Since some Taiwanese shoemakers adopt the Japanese shoe sizing system for making shoes, appropriateness of the shoe sizing system was also discussed. The present results provide very useful information for improving shoe last design and footwear fit for Taiwanese females.

An Analysis of Japanese Medical Periodicals

PubMed Central

Taniguchi, Mayumi

1965-01-01

Medical periodicals published in Japan were studied by analyzing the journals abstracted in Igaku Chuo Zasshi (ICZ), the most comprehensive abstracting service for Japanese medical journal articles. Since the inauguration of medical periodicals in 1869, the number of journals has increased remarkably. In 1963 ICZ abstracted 1,074 journals published in Japan (960 in Japanese and 114 in other languages). Of these 1,074 titles, 855 were on medical sciences, of which 740 were substantive. A subject analysis of the substantive journals in ICZ, as compared to the 124 Japanese journals currently indexed in Index Medicus, was also made. Data were presented relating the number of periodicals to the size of the medical scene in Japan and the United States, and it was pointed out that good control of the literature, by whatever methods, requires a knowledge of the extent of the publications. PMID:14223738

Affective Variables and Japanese L2 Reading Ability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kondo-Brown, Kimi

2006-01-01

This study investigates how 17 affective factors are related to Japanese second language (L2) reading comprehension and "kanji" knowledge test scores of 43 university students in advanced Japanese courses. Major findings are that: a) reading comprehension ability and "kanji" knowledge have direct associations with…

Learning from Japanese Middle School Math Teachers. Fastback.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whitman, Nancy C.

This document reviews the Japanese educational system and examines middle school education in particular to identify cultural differences and help improve educational quality in the United States. Contents include: (1) "An Overview of Japanese Education"; (2) "Teacher Behavior in the Classroom"; (3) "Teacher Behavior…

[Dentistry in Korean during the Japanese occupation].

PubMed

Shin, Jae-Eu

2004-12-01

The Japanese introduction of dentistry into Korea was for treating the Japanese residing in Korea Noda-Oji was the first Japanese dentist for Japanese people in Korea in 1893, and Narajaki doyoyo, an invited dentist was posted in the Korean headquarter of Japanese army in September, 1905. The imperialist Japan licensed the dental technicians (yipchisa) without limit and controlled them generously so they could practice dentistry freely. This measure was contrary to that in Japan. (In Japan no new dental technician was licensed.) Komori, a dental technician opened his laboratory at Chungmuro in 1902. The dental technician had outnumbered by 1920. In 1907, the first Korean dental technician Sung-Ryong Choi practiced dentistry in Jongno. The imperialist Japan made the regulations for dental technicians to set a limit to the advertisement and medical practice of dental technicians. The first Korean dentists Suk-Tae Ham was register No. 1 in the dentist license. The Kyungsung dental school was established by Nagira Dasoni for the purpose of educating some Korean people that contributed to Japanese colonization. It made progress with the help of Japan, it was was given the approval of the establishment of the professional school in January the 25th, 1929. It was intended to produce Korean dentists in the first place but became the school for Japanese students later on. The association of Chosun dentist, which had been founded by Narajaki doyoyo, was managed by Japanese dentists in favor of the colonial ruling. The Hansung Association of Dentists established in 1925 was the organization made by the necessity of the association for Koreans only. The Japanese forcefully annexed the Association of Hansung Dentists (Koreans only) to the Association of Kyungsung Dentists to avoid collective actions of Korean dentists in the name of 'Naesunilche' -- 'Japan and Korea and one'. Their invading intention was shown in the event of 'decayed tooth preventive day'. Japanese controlled

LEARN JAPANESE--ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEXT, VOLUME II.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

SATO, YAEKO; AND OTHERS

THIS TEXT WAS WRITTEN FOR THE USE OF THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHER OF JAPANESE. IT IS TO BE USED IN THE SECOND SEMESTER OF JAPANESE LANGUAGE STUDY AND FOLLOWS THE AUDIO-LINGUAL ORIENTATION OF VOLUME I. THE MAIN GOAL OF BOTH VOLUMES IS "TO ELEVATE THE PUPIL'S MOTIVATION AND TO CULTIVATE PROPER PRONUNCIATION HABITS." THE NEW ITEMS IN VOLUME II…

Telling her story: narrating a Japanese lesbian community.

PubMed

Welker, James

2010-01-01

This article explores queer Japanese women's narratives of their own histories and the history of the "Japanese lesbian community," which has been constructed as a space outside the heterosexual mainstream, a space where queer women can find at least temporary refuge. It begins with the acknowledgment that the evolution and the shape of the community, along with the identities of the women who comprise it, are shifting and contested. This article specifically looks at the long history of the lesbian bar scene as well as more recent history of lesbian dance parties; the early role of lesbian feminism and activism; lesbian community-based and commercial publications, paying special attention to the critical role translation has played in Japanese lesbian discourse and the construction of multiple lesbian identities; and, finally, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) pride events and film festivals, through which the larger LGBT community has been gaining increasing visibility. This article argues that while some of the building blocks of the community are borrowed, from the "West" as well as from the Japanese gay community, there has also been creative translation, adaptation, and resistance to these imports. The resulting Japanese lesbian community is a complex and local construct, an innovative bricolage firmly sited in Japan.

Sexuality education in Japanese medical schools.

PubMed

Shirai, M; Tsujimura, A; Abdelhamed, A; Horie, S

2017-07-01

The present study aimed to investigate current sexuality education in Japanese medical schools and the impact of position title in the Japanese Society for Sexual Medicine (JSSM). Questionnaires were mailed to urology departments in all Japanese medical schools. The responses were evaluated according to four factors: the number of lecture components, curriculum hours, degree of satisfaction with the components and degree of satisfaction with the curriculum hours. We also investigated differences in these four factors among three groups: Directors, Council members and non-members of the JSSM. The medians of curriculum hours and the number of the lecture components were 90.0 min and 7.0, respectively. The curriculum hours of the Directors (140.0 min) were significantly longer than those of the non-members (90.0 min; P<0.05). The number of lecture components taught by Directors (9.5) was significantly higher than that of the Council (4.0; P<0.01) and non-members (7.0; P<0.05). More than half of the faculties were not satisfied with the lecture components and curriculum hours. This is the first study on sexuality education in Japanese medical schools. It showed the inadequacy of both curriculum hours and lecture components, and that the position title of department chair affects sexuality education in medical schools.

U.S. and Japanese Source Reliance for Environmental Information.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pierce, John C.; And Others

1988-01-01

Examines environmental information source reliance among American and Japanese citizens. Finds that the Japanese are inclined to rely on non-mass media sources, whereas Americans exhibit greater differentiation among sources. (RS)

Acculturation and Perceptions of a Good Death Among Japanese Americans and Japanese Living in the U.S.

PubMed

Mori, Masanori; Kuwama, Yuichiro; Ashikaga, Takamaru; Parsons, Henrique A; Miyashita, Mitsunori

2018-01-01

Acculturation is the phenomenon of the attitudinal changes of individuals who come into continuous contact with another culture. Despite the long history of Japanese immigration to America, little is known about the impact of acculturation on perceptions of a good death. To examine differences in perceptions of a good cancer death among Japanese Americans (JA/A), Japanese living in America (J/A), and the Japanese living in Japan (J/J). We administered surveys among JA/A and J/A and used historical J/J data for reference. Primary endpoint was the proportion of respondents who expressed the necessity of core and optional items of the Good Death Inventory. Group differences ≥20% were deemed clinically important. In total, 441 survey responses in America and 2548 in Japan were obtained. More than 80% of respondents consistently considered nine of 10 core items necessary without significant group differences. No core item reached a ≥20% group difference. Three of the eight optional items reached ≥20% group difference: fighting against disease until one's last moment (49%, P < 0.0001; 52%, P < 0.0001; and 73% in JA/A, J/A, and J/J, respectively), knowing what to expect about one's condition in the future (83%, P < 0.0001; 80%, P < 0.0001; and 58%, respectively), and having faith (64%, P = 0.0548; 43%, P = 0.0127; and 38%, respectively). Although most core items of a good death were preserved throughout the levels of acculturation, perceptions of some optional items shifted away from Japanese attitudes as individuals became more acculturated. Understanding of different levels of acculturation may help clinicians provide culturally sensitive end-of-life care. Copyright © 2017 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Effectiveness of a Japanese Language Course on Cross-Cultural Competence.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miyamoto, Yumi; Rasmussen, Roger

1998-01-01

A quasi-experimental research design was employed to measure the effectiveness of a Japanese language and culture course entitled "Japanese for the Business Community." The study analyzed seven cross-cultural competence attributes in interactions with Japanese people in business settings. (Auth/JL)

Japanese women's experiences of pharmacological pain relief in New Zealand.

PubMed

Doering, Keiko; Patterson, Jean; Griffiths, Christine R

2014-06-01

In Japan, most women manage labour pain without pharmacological interventions. However, New Zealand statistics show a high percentage of epidural use amongst Asian women. Entonox (a gas mixture of nitrous oxide and oxygen) and pethidine are also available to women in New Zealand. This article investigates how Japanese women in New Zealand respond to the use of pharmacological pain relief in labour. The study was guided by two research questions: (1) How do Japanese women experience and manage labour pain in New Zealand? (2) How do they feel about the use of pharmacological pain relief? Thirteen Japanese women who had given birth in New Zealand were interviewed individually or in a focus group. The conversations were analysed using thematic analysis. Although in Japan very few women use pain relief, nine women received epidural and/or Entonox out of 11 women who experienced labour pain. The contrast between their Japanese cultural expectations and their birth experiences caused some of the women subsequent personal conflict. Japanese women's cultural perspectives and passive attitudes were demonstrated to influence the decision-making process concerning pain relief. It was concluded that understanding Japanese cultural worldviews and approaches to the role of pain in labour would help maternity providers in their provision of appropriate care for Japanese women. Copyright © 2013 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Japanese Experience of the NameExoWorlds Competition: Translating Official Information into Japanese to Enable Domestic Groups to Participate in a Global Event

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Usuda-Sato, K.; Iizuka, R.; Yamaoka, H.; Handa, T.

2018-02-01

Translation of information from English is an essential step toward ensuring the involvement of non-English speakers in global events. The NameExoWorlds competition, led by the International Astronomical Union (IAU), was held from 9 July 2014 to 15 December 2015. It was a unique event that invited the public to name celestial bodies. In Japan, language acts as a significant barrier for amateur astronomers and school students to participate in global events hosted in English. To address this concern, we established a domestic working group to set up a Japanese website and provided a translation of the IAU's official site for the NameExoWorlds competition. We also developed additional original information in Japanese when needed and sent announcements to a mailing lists of astronomy societies in Japan. As a result, 28% of the registered groups and 47% of proposals for names were from Japan, making Japan the most active country for these stages of the competition. After the competition had ended, we carried out a survey in the Japanese astronomy community and received 124 responses. We found that most of the Japanese participants referred to our official Japanese website in order to overcome the language barrier and participate in the competition. This article explores our work of translating the competition information into Japanese and our evaluation of the impact of this action on the uptake by Japanese astronomy enthusiasts.

Economic Statistics and Information Concerning the Japanese Auto Industry

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1980-12-01

The report examines the following aspects of the Japanese automobile Industry: Identification of Japanese agencies that receive statistical data on the automobile industry; Determination of research and development and capital investment procedures; ...

Japanese Educational System Improving Ongoing Practice in Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arimoto, Masahiro

1995-01-01

Describes the Japanese education system's unique characteristics. Japanese schools provide a prescribed curriculum, with pupils confined to desks. Teachers identify with their schools and are committed to service. Teachers and students try to improve schools by working harder. Understanding school effectiveness requires frameworks deeply rooted in…

Standardization of Weed Pollen Extracts, Japanese Hop and Mugwort, in Korea

PubMed Central

Jeong, Kyoung Yong; Son, Mina; Choi, Soo-Young; Park, Kyung Hee; Park, Hye Jung; Hong, Chein-Soo; Lee, Jae-Hyun

2016-01-01

Purpose Japanese hop (Humulus spp.) and mugwort (Artemisia spp.) are notable causes of autumn pollinosis in East Asia. However, Japanese hop and mugwort pollen extracts, which are widely used for the diagnosis, have not been standardized. This study was performed to standardize Japanese hop and mugwort pollen extracts. Materials and Methods Allergen extracts were prepared in a standardized way using locally collected Humulus japonicus and purchased Artemisia vulgaris pollens. The immunoglobulin E (IgE) reactivities of prepared extracts were compared with commercial extracts via IgE immunoblotting and inhibition analyses. Intradermal skin tests were performed to determine the bioequivalent allergy unit (BAU). Results The IgE reactive components of the extracts via IgE immunoblotting were similar to those of commercial extracts. A 11-kDa allergen showed the strongest IgE reactivity in Japanese hop, as did a 28-kDa allergen in mugwort pollen extracts. Allergenic potencies of the investigatory Japanese hop and mugwort extracts were essentially indistinguishable from the commercial ones. Sums of erythema of 50 mm by the intradermal skin test (ΣED50) were calculated to be 14.4th and 13.6th three-fold dilutions for Japanese hop and mugwort extracts, respectively. Therefore, the allergenic activity of the prepared extracts was 90827.4 BAU/mg for Japanese hop and 34412 BAU/mg for mugwort. Conclusion We produced Japanese hop and mugwort pollen extracts using a standardized method. Standardized Japanese hop and mugwort pollen extracts will facilitate the production of improved diagnostic and immunotherapeutic reagents. PMID:26847293

Sociocultural dilemma of Japanese steeplejacks.

PubMed

Iwata, H

1997-12-01

Japanese steeplejacks are good at working in high places as construction workers, and they have been called tobi for a longtime. They now play an important role in completing modern civil engineering projects and in the construction of high-rise buildings; however, their lifestyle is considered by most to be quaint but outdated. Originally, they were unskilled workmen at construction sites. In the 18th century, they were engaged in repairing houses or setting up scaffolding, helping carpenters, but they worked as firefighters whenever fires broke out. Their traditional work system did not change throughout the Meiji era, although Japanese society became greatly modernized. After World War II, the industrialization of Japanese society required highly developed technology in civil engineering and architecture. This provided an opportunity for them to establish their positions as trained professional workers. However, the number of skilled tobi professionals has continued to decrease because the younger generation does not consider this profession desirable career. Improving not only the professional skills but also the way of living to the extent as a modern high-tech society demands will be the key for the tobi's work system to become attractive.

Compulsory "Foreign Language Activities" in Japanese Primary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hashimoto, Kayoko

2011-01-01

From 2011, the new curriculum for introducing English to Japanese primary schools will be fully implemented in the form of "foreign language activities". This innovation forms part of the government's plan to cultivate "Japanese with English abilities", a development based on the awareness, particularly in the business sector,…

On the Processing of Japanese Wh-Questions: An ERP Study

PubMed Central

Ueno, Mieko; Kluender, Robert

2009-01-01

The processing of Japanese wh-questions was investigated using event-related brain potentials (ERPs). Unlike in English or German, a wh-element in Japanese need not be displaced from its canonical position, but instead needs a corresponding Q(uestion)-particle to indicate its interrogative scope. We tested to see if there were any processing correlates specific to these features of Japanese wh-questions. Both mono-clausal and bi-clausal Japanese wh-questions elicited right-lateralized anterior negativity (RAN) between wh-words and corresponding Q-particles, relative to structurally-equivalent yes/no-question control conditions. These results suggest a reliable neural processing correlate of the dependency between wh-elements and Q-particles in Japanese, which is similar to effects of (left) anterior negativity seen between wh-fillers and gaps in English and German, but with a right- rather than left-lateralized distribution. It is suggested that wh-in-situ questions in Japanese are processed by the incremental formation of a long-distance dependency between wh-elements and their Q-particles, resulting in a working memory load for keeping track of the scopeless wh-elements. PMID:19501576

Effects of fire disturbance on soil respiration in the non-growing season in a Larix gmelinii forest in the Daxing'an Mountains, China.

PubMed

Hu, Tongxin; Sun, Long; Hu, Haiqing; Guo, Futao

2017-01-01

In boreal forests, fire is an important part of the ecosystem that greatly influences soil respiration, which in turn affects the carbon balance. Wildfire can have a significant effect on soil respiration and it depends on the fire severity and environmental factors (soil temperature and snow water equivalent) after fire disturbance. In this study, we quantified post-fire soil respiration during the non-growing season (from November to April) in a Larix gmelinii forest in Daxing'an Mountains of China. Soil respiration was measured in the snow-covered and snow-free conditions with varying degrees of natural burn severity forests. We found that soil respiration decreases as burn severity increases. The estimated annual C efflux also decreased with increased burn severity. Soil respiration during the non-growing season approximately accounted for 4%-5% of the annual C efflux in all site types. Soil temperature (at 5 cm depth) was the predominant determinant of non-growing season soil respiration change in this area. Soil temperature and snow water equivalent could explain 73%-79% of the soil respiration variability in winter snow-covering period (November to March). Mean spring freeze-thaw cycle (FTC) period (April) soil respiration contributed 63% of the non-growing season C efflux. Our finding is key for understanding and predicting the potential change in the response of boreal forest ecosystems to fire disturbance under future climate change.

Neural Measures of a Japanese Consonant Length Discrimination by Japanese and American English Listeners: Affects of Attention

PubMed Central

Hisagi, Miwako; Shafer, Valerie L.; Strange, Winifred; Sussman, Elyse S.

2015-01-01

This study examined automaticity of discrimination of a Japanese length contrast for consonants (miʃi vs. miʃʃi) in native (Japanese) and non-native (American-English) listeners using behavioral measures and the event-related potential (ERP) mismatch negativity (MMN). Attention to the auditory input was manipulated either away from the auditory input via a visual oddball task (Visual Attend), or to the input by asking the listeners to count auditory deviants (Auditory Attend). Results showed a larger MMN when attention was focused on the consonant contrast than away from it for both groups. The MMN was larger for consonant duration increments than decrements. No difference in MMN between the language groups was observed, but the Japanese listeners did show better behavioral discrimination than the American English listeners. In addition, behavioral responses showed a weak, but significant correlation with MMN amplitude. These findings suggest that both acoustic-phonetic properties and phonological experience affects automaticity of speech processing. PMID:26119918

Japanese Culture in the United States of America; An Annotated Bibliography.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Connor, John W., Comp.

This bibliography describes and briefly reviews, from an anthropological perspective, books and articles on the Japanese in the United States. Works cited include: (1) bibliographies; (2) general studies on Japanese Americans; (3) works dealing with the cultural heritage of the Japanese immigrant generation; (4) literature on the Japanese…

Taming the Wild: Approaches to Nature in Japanese Early Childhood Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burke, Rachael S.

2014-01-01

The Japanese early childhood curriculum provides ample opportunities for children to interact with nature and to learn about natural phenomena. However, using Kalland (1995) and Martinez's (2008) theories about Japanese constructions of nature, this paper argues that most Japanese early childhood experiences do not constitute direct contact with…

Normalizing Social Networking in a Beginners' Japanese Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morofushi, Mari; Pasfield-Neofitou, Sarah Ellen

2014-01-01

With the spread of the Internet, students now have greater opportunities to use Japanese outside of the classroom. For example, they can interact with other Japanese speakers through instant messaging or social networking, or utilize online dictionaries and translation tools to decipher websites in ways that would be impossible with traditional…

Sibling Relationships Cognition in Japanese Female University Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sawai, Misae; Kato, Daiki

2017-01-01

This study examined the factor structure of sibling relationships in Japanese female university students. Two hundred and fifteen Japanese female university students participated in this study. The Adult Sibling Relationship Scale (ASRQ, Stocker et al., 1997) was used to measure sibling relationship cognition. The model was constructed as a result…

Japanese High School Teachers' Views on Pupil Misbehaviour

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kyriacou, Chris

2010-01-01

This study aimed to explore Japanese high school teachers' views of pupil misbehaviour in order to contribute to the growing international literature on discipline in schools. A total of 141 Japanese high school teachers completed a questionnaire which explored their views regarding the factors accounting for pupil misbehaviour, the frequency of…

Women among First Authors in Japanese Cardiovascular Journal.

PubMed

Fujii, Tomoko; Matsuyama, Tasuku; Takeuchi, Jiro; Hara, Masahiko; Kitamura, Tetsuhisa; Yamauchi-Takihara, Keiko

2018-03-30

The representation of women in Japanese academic medicine is not evident. We aimed to assess trends related to the proportion of female first authors in Japanese cardiovascular journals.We reviewed original research articles in 6 journals published in English by Japanese societies between 2006 and 2015 related to cardiovascular fields. We conducted a multivariable logistic regression analysis to assess the factors associated with the gender of first authors and plotted the trend of predicted probability for female first authors over the study period. Of 7,005 original articles, 1,330 (19.0%) had female first authors. Affiliations located in Japan (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.76; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.71-0.81), concurrent first and corresponding authors (aOR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.64-0.74), and the total number of listed authors (aOR, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.95-0.99) were negatively associated with female first authors. The adjusted probability of a female first author increased from 13% to 20% on an average between 2006 and 2009, but the increase reached a plateau after 2010.Female first authors of original research articles published in Japanese cardiovascular journals increased over the examined decade. However, the representation of women is still low and has plateaued in recent years. A gender gap in authorship for Japanese cardiovascular journals remains.

Content Analysis of Life Exhibitions in Japanese Science Museums and Centres

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kazama, Tomoko; Ogawa, Masakata

2015-01-01

Life exhibitions in Japanese science museums (SMs) face difficulties in coping with rapid progress in the life sciences owing to certain constraints around the frequency of exhibit renovations, and the Japanese indigenous understanding of the natural world (Shizen) that Japanese visitors unconsciously bring with them. To what extent do current…

On A Project Work for International Students Paired with Japanese Partners in a Summer Intensive Japanese Program for Science and Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fudano, Hiroko

A project work in which learners of a foreign language engage in a task with the native speakers is one of the effective ways to bring in ample real communication opportunities to a classroom. This scheme also gives both parties meaningful experiences for intercultural understanding. This paper reports a “Pythagoras” machine production project in which international students were paired up with Japanese students as a part of a Japanese for science and technology course in a summer intensive program. Based on the participants‧ course evaluation data, the paper also discusses the effectiveness of the project for Japanese language learning and for promoting intercultural understanding.

2011 Japanese Nuclear Incident

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA’s RadNet system monitored the environmental radiation levels in the United States and parts of the Pacific following the Japanese Nuclear Incident. Learn about EPA’s response and view historical laboratory data and news releases.

Japanese guidelines for childhood asthma 2017.

PubMed

Arakawa, Hirokazu; Hamasaki, Yuhei; Kohno, Yoichi; Ebisawa, Motohiro; Kondo, Naomi; Nishima, Sankei; Nishimuta, Toshiyuki; Morikawa, Akihiro

2017-04-01

The Japanese Guideline for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Allergic Diseases 2017 (JAGL 2017) includes a minor revision of the Japanese Pediatric Guideline for the Treatment and Management of Asthma 2012 (JPGL 2012) by the Japanese Society of Pediatric Allergy and Clinical Immunology. The section on child asthma in JAGL 2017 provides information on how to diagnose asthma between infancy and adolescence (0-15 years of age). It makes recommendations for best practices in the management of childhood asthma, including management of acute exacerbations and non-pharmacological and pharmacological management. This guideline will be of interest to non-specialist physicians involved in the care of children with asthma. JAGL differs from the Global Initiative for Asthma Guideline in that JAGL emphasizes diagnosis and early intervention of children with asthma at <2 years or 2-5 years of age. The first choice of treatment depends on the severity and frequency of symptoms. Pharmacological management, including step-up or step-down of drugs used for long-term management based on the status of asthma control levels, is easy to understand; thus, this guideline is suitable for the routine medical care of children with asthma. JAGL also recommends using a control test in children, so that the physician aims for complete control by avoiding exacerbating factors and appropriately using anti-inflammatory drugs (for example, inhaled corticosteroids and leukotriene receptor antagonists). Copyright © 2016 Japanese Society of Allergology. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Tanko Bushi: Designing a Japanese-American Dance Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sweeting, Terry; Werner, Peter; Williams, Lori H.; Crump, Alyssa

2012-01-01

Many folk dances reflect the everyday activities of the people, celebrating the commonplace through physical forms of expression. The traditional Japanese folk dance, Tanko Bushi, is still performed in Japan and among Japanese-Americans today, and its theme of coal mining makes it relatable to many cultures around the world. With its traditional…

Business Communication Needs of Japanese Companies in Malaysia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Su, Yeoh Lee; Mahadi, Tengku Sepora Tengku; Singh, Manjet Kaur Mehar

2016-01-01

Business relationship between Japan and Malaysia has developed very quickly in recent years. This has caused a dramatic increase in the need for individuals who possess language skills to function in Japanese businesses. In order to investigate the needs of our Malaysian graduates, a survey was conducted involving graduates of Japanese language…

Video Game Play in British and Japanese Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Colwell, John; Kato, Makiko

2005-01-01

Results from research into negative correlates of computer/video game play in the United Kingdom and in Japan are presented, with new analyses across cultures. Patterns of play are similar, although Japanese adolescents have been playing for longer, they play fewer aggressive games, and there is greater perceived concern by Japanese parents.…

Japanese Americans: The Evolution of a Subculture. Ethnic Groups in American Life Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kitano, Harry H. L.

Japanese-American accomplishments are a logical outcome of Japanese-American culture and institutions, but, more importantly, of the energy and spirit of the hundreds of thousands of Japanese, some prominent figures now, who have made places for themselves in the American society. Nevertheless, the Japanese-American, like any American, must adapt…

[Study of Japanese anatomical terms, such as 'sphenoid bone'].

PubMed

Sawai, Tadashi

2008-12-01

Japanese anatomical terms (butterfly-shaped bone) have an interesting history. Galen named a bone (wedge-like). This Greek term was introduced into Latin anatomical texts by transcribing into 'os sphnoides' or translating it as 'os cuneiforme'. Both terms mean equally wedge-like bone. From 16th century on, these two terms prevailed in European anatomical textbooks, but in 18th century some anatomists merged this bone with some kinds of winged creatures and named their wings "Ala major' and 'Ala minor'. In mid-19th century English-Chinese anatomical book, this bone was named (butterfly bone) by a medical missionary Benjamin Hobson. This term was introduced into Japanese textbooks. In Meiji Era both terms were used in Japanese textbooks, and (wedged-like bone). Some anatomists insisted on using because this echoed original Latin term's sense. Eventually, Japanese Associations of Anatomists adopted in 1943.

The fine-scale genetic structure and evolution of the Japanese population.

PubMed

Takeuchi, Fumihiko; Katsuya, Tomohiro; Kimura, Ryosuke; Nabika, Toru; Isomura, Minoru; Ohkubo, Takayoshi; Tabara, Yasuharu; Yamamoto, Ken; Yokota, Mitsuhiro; Liu, Xuanyao; Saw, Woei-Yuh; Mamatyusupu, Dolikun; Yang, Wenjun; Xu, Shuhua; Teo, Yik-Ying; Kato, Norihiro

2017-01-01

The contemporary Japanese populations largely consist of three genetically distinct groups-Hondo, Ryukyu and Ainu. By principal-component analysis, while the three groups can be clearly separated, the Hondo people, comprising 99% of the Japanese, form one almost indistinguishable cluster. To understand fine-scale genetic structure, we applied powerful haplotype-based statistical methods to genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism data from 1600 Japanese individuals, sampled from eight distinct regions in Japan. We then combined the Japanese data with 26 other Asian populations data to analyze the shared ancestry and genetic differentiation. We found that the Japanese could be separated into nine genetic clusters in our dataset, showing a marked concordance with geography; and that major components of ancestry profile of Japanese were from the Korean and Han Chinese clusters. We also detected and dated admixture in the Japanese. While genetic differentiation between Ryukyu and Hondo was suggested to be caused in part by positive selection, genetic differentiation among the Hondo clusters appeared to result principally from genetic drift. Notably, in Asians, we found the possibility that positive selection accentuated genetic differentiation among distant populations but attenuated genetic differentiation among close populations. These findings are significant for studies of human evolution and medical genetics.

The fine-scale genetic structure and evolution of the Japanese population

PubMed Central

Katsuya, Tomohiro; Kimura, Ryosuke; Nabika, Toru; Isomura, Minoru; Ohkubo, Takayoshi; Tabara, Yasuharu; Yamamoto, Ken; Yokota, Mitsuhiro; Liu, Xuanyao; Saw, Woei-Yuh; Mamatyusupu, Dolikun; Yang, Wenjun; Xu, Shuhua

2017-01-01

The contemporary Japanese populations largely consist of three genetically distinct groups—Hondo, Ryukyu and Ainu. By principal-component analysis, while the three groups can be clearly separated, the Hondo people, comprising 99% of the Japanese, form one almost indistinguishable cluster. To understand fine-scale genetic structure, we applied powerful haplotype-based statistical methods to genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism data from 1600 Japanese individuals, sampled from eight distinct regions in Japan. We then combined the Japanese data with 26 other Asian populations data to analyze the shared ancestry and genetic differentiation. We found that the Japanese could be separated into nine genetic clusters in our dataset, showing a marked concordance with geography; and that major components of ancestry profile of Japanese were from the Korean and Han Chinese clusters. We also detected and dated admixture in the Japanese. While genetic differentiation between Ryukyu and Hondo was suggested to be caused in part by positive selection, genetic differentiation among the Hondo clusters appeared to result principally from genetic drift. Notably, in Asians, we found the possibility that positive selection accentuated genetic differentiation among distant populations but attenuated genetic differentiation among close populations. These findings are significant for studies of human evolution and medical genetics. PMID:29091727

Language as Fluid: A Description of the Conduit Metaphor in Japanese.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nomura, Masuhiro

1993-01-01

The question of how 'communication' is metaphorized in Japanese is examined and this metaphorization is contrasted with Reddy's (1979) conduit metaphor. A claim is made that there is a strong tendency for Japanese to conceptualize 'word' as 'fluid' and to fuse 'word' and 'meaning.' English, which unlike Japanese, has overt count/mass and…

Western and Japanese Discourse Style in a Consensus-Building Task Discussion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hirabayashi, Haruma; Long, Christopher

2011-01-01

The current study analyzes discourse style differences between western and Japanese interlocutors in a group consensus-building task discussion. Four discussants (American male, Japanese male, German female and Japanese female) first created a ranking of 5 life values and then participated in a group discussion to arrive at a common group ranking.…

7 CFR 301.91-3 - Regulated areas.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE DOMESTIC QUARANTINE NOTICES European Larch Canker Quarantine and Regulations § 301..., in which European larch canker has been found by an inspector or in which the Deputy Administrator has reason to believe that European larch canker is present, or any portion of a quarantined State...

Sex and cultural differences in spatial performance between Japanese and North Americans.

PubMed

Sakamoto, Maiko; Spiers, Mary V

2014-04-01

Previous studies have suggested that Asians perform better than North Americans on spatial tasks but show smaller sex differences. In this study, we evaluated the relationship between long-term experience with a pictorial written language and spatial performance. It was hypothesized that native Japanese Kanji (a complex pictorial written language) educated adults would show smaller sex differences on spatial tasks than Japanese Americans or North Americans without Kanji education. A total of 80 young healthy participants (20 native Japanese speakers, 20 Japanese Americans-non Japanese speaking, and 40 North Americans-non Japanese speaking) completed the Rey Complex Figure Test (RCFT), the Mental Rotations Test (MRT), and customized 2D and 3D spatial object location memory tests. As predicted, main effects revealed men performed better on the MRT and RCFT and women performed better on the spatial object location memory tests. Also, as predicted, native Japanese performed better on all tests than the other groups. In contrast to the other groups, native Japanese showed a decreased magnitude of sex differences on aspects of the RCFT (immediate and delayed recall) and no significant sex difference on the efficiency of the strategy used to copy and encode the RCFT figure. This study lends support to the idea that intensive experience over time with a pictorial written language (i.e., Japanese Kanji) may contribute to increased spatial performance on some spatial tasks as well as diminish sex differences in performance on tasks that most resemble Kanji.

Construction and reliability of the Japanese version of the Adolescent Egocentrism-Sociocentrism (AES) scale and its preliminary application in the Japanese university students.

PubMed

Yamamoto, Mayumi; Tomotake, Masahito; Ohmori, Tetsuro

2008-08-01

In recent years, the problem of interpersonal relationships has been reported to be associated with various adolescent psychiatric problems. Egocentrism is one factor related to the problem of interpersonal relationships. The Adolescent Egocentrism-Sociocentrism (AES) scale is used to assess egocentrism in Western countries, but no such scale has been developed in Japan. The purpose of our current study was to develop the Japanese version of the AES scale and investigate the relationship between the egocentrism assessed by the AES scale and the self-consciousness assessed by the Japanese version of the self-consciousness scale. The original version of the AES scale was first translated into Japanese using the forward-backward method and examined for factorial reliability and validity. The results demonstrated that the Japanese version of the AES scale shows adequate factorial reliability and validity, but different from the original version the "egocentrism personal fable" subscale which measures the feeling that oneself is special and unique was not extracted in the Japanese version. We found a moderate correlation between the non-social focuses of the AES scale and the public self-consciousness subscale of the self-consciousness scale. This correlation suggests that a strong attention of others' view on oneself results in the avoidance of others. The Japanese version of the AES scale can examine egocentrism adequately together with sociocentrism and non-social focuses. As this scale is self-reporting and easy to complete, it may have practical utility in a clinical setting.

Skills and Life Strategies of Japanese Business Women.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iwao, Sumiko

In this paper, case studies of two successful Japanese businesswomen illustrate how traditional Japanese cultural values and female sex roles have enabled women to succeed in business. These two cases were chosen as representative from a sample of 56. The businesses discussed are in very different sectors of the economy. One is a traditional and…

Mapping Japanese medical terms to UMLS Metathesaurus.

PubMed

Onogi, Yuzo; Ohe, Kazuhiko; Tanaka, Masaaki; Nozoe, Atsutake; Sasaki, Tetsuro; Sato, Megumi; Kikuchi, Yuko; Shinohara, Tsuneki; Suzuki, Hiromichi; Kaihara, Shigekoto; Seyama, Yousuke

2004-01-01

This paper introduces and reports the results for a project to map Japanese medical terms to the UMLS Metathesaurus. The "Thesaurus for Medical and Health related Terms version 5" published in 2003 by the Japan Medical Abstracts Society and UMLS version 2002AC provided by NLM were used in this study. The goal was to judge the validity of the correlation between the Japanese and English terms that belong to the same MeSH concept. Fifteen medicine, nursing, and library science professionals, excluding JAMAS, used a custom designed Web interface to perform this task. About 10% of the concepts were judged as invalid, and the reasoning behind these failures were analyzed. Experience from this project can be used to estimate the manpower required to revise the Japanese thesaurus after future revisions to UMLS or MeSH.

Japanese Terms of Address: Some Usages of the First and Second Person Pronouns. Papers in Japanese Linguistics, Vol. 1, No. 2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kurokawa, Shozo

This paper examines the following points: (1) how Japanese personal pronouns are used according to the speakers' social constraints, and (2) differences between males and females of the same occupational group in their use of personal pronouns. The dialect analyzed is the speech of Japanese faculty members at the University of Hawaii. A speaker of…

Daily Life in Japanese High Schools. ERIC Digest.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Marcia L.; Johnson, Jeffrey R.

This ERIC Digest asserts that the Japanese education system is one of the most influential agents molding Japanese youth. This influence is especially great due to the large amount of time students spend in schools. Six topics examine aspects of daily high school life: (1) Getting to School; (2) At School; (3) Extracurricular Activities; (4)…

Bumping into Someone: Japanese Students' Perceptions and Observations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lieske, Carmella

2010-01-01

This pilot study explores the apologies Japanese nursing college students thought they would use in their L1 (i.e. Japanese) and their L2 (i.e. English) when bumping into each other. The students completed a questionnaire, the results of which indicated that they believed they should always apologize for bumping into someone. The paper describes…

The decline in BMI among Japanese women after World War II.

PubMed

Maruyama, Shiko; Nakamura, Sayaka

2015-07-01

The body mass index (BMI) of the Japanese is significantly lower than is found in other high-income countries. Moreover, the average BMI of Japanese women is lower than that of Japanese men, and the age-specific BMI of Japanese women has decreased over time. The average BMI of Japanese women at age 25 decreased from 21.8 in 1948 to 20.4 in 2010 whereas that of men increased from 21.4 to 22.3 over the same period. We examine the long-term BMI trend in Japan by combining several historical data sources spanning eleven decades, from 1901 to 2012, to determine not only when but also how the BMI decline among women began: whether its inception was period-specific or cohort-specific. Our nonparametric regression analysis generated five findings. First, the BMI of Japanese women peaked with the 1930s birth cohort. This means that the trend is cohort-specific. Second, the BMI of men outpaced that of women in the next cohort. Third, the BMI of Japanese children, boys and girls alike, increased steadily throughout the 20th century. Fourth, the gender difference in the BMI trend is due to a gender difference in the weight trend, not the height trend. Fifth, these BMI trends are observed in urban and rural populations alike. We conclude that the BMI decline among Japanese women began with those who were in their late teens shortly after World War II. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Effects of bryophytes in dark coniferous forest of Changbai Mountains on three conifers seed germination and seedling growth].

PubMed

Lin, Fei; Hao, Zhanqing; Ye, Ji; Jiang, Ping

2006-08-01

This paper studied the effects of Hylocomium splendens and Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus, the main bryophytes in dark coniferous forests of Changbai Mountains, on the seed germination and seedling growth of Pinus koraiensis, Picea koraiensis and Larix olgensis. The results indicated that at definite concentrations, the water extract of H. splendens inhibited Picea koraiensis seed germination, while that of R. triquetrus promoted it. Although the water extracts of the two bryophytes had no obvious effects on the seed germination of Picea koraiensis and Larix olgensis, they expedited the occurrence of the tree species' daily germination peak. The water extracts of test bryophytes inhibited the seedling growth of P. koraiensis and Picea koraiensis, but promoted that of Larix olgensis. The living shoots of the two bryophytes had no obvious effects on the seed germination of Picea koraiensis and Larix olgensis, but delayed the daily germination peak of Picea koraiensis while promoted that of Larix olgensis, andthe killed shoots inhibited the seed germination of all test tree species. Living shoots in larger amounts promoted the seedling growth of Picea koraiensis and Larix olgensis, but killed shoots were inadverse.

[Development of a Japanese version of the TALE scale].

PubMed

Ochiai, Tsutomu; Oguchi, Takashi

2013-12-01

The Thinking About Life Experiences (TALE) Scale (Bluck & Alea, 2011) has three subscales that assess the self, social, and directive functions of autobiographical memory. This study constructs a Japanese version of the TALE Scale and examines its reliability and validity. Fifteen items that assess the three functions of autobiographical memory were translated into Japanese. We conducted an online investigation with 600 men and women between 20-59 years of age. In Study 1, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis identified that the three-factor structure of the Japanese version of the TALE Scale was the same as the original TALE Scale. Sufficient internal consistency of the scale was found, and the construct validity of the scale was supported by correlation analysis. Study 2 confirmed that the test-retest reliabilities of the three subscales were sufficient. Thus, this Japanese version of the TALE Scale is useful to assess autobiographical memory functions in Japan.

Japanese Temple Geometry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vincent, Jill; Vincent, Claire

2004-01-01

Between the 17th and 19th centuries, the Japanese government closed its borders to the outside world in an attempt to become more powerful. Foreign books were banned, people could not travel, and foreigners were not allowed to enter the country. One result of this isolation was the flourishing of sangaku--wooden tablets inscribed with intricately…

The Concept of Learning Japanese: Explaining Why Successful Students of Japanese Discontinue Japanese Studies at the Transition to Tertiary Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oshima, Ryoko; Harvey, Sharon

2017-01-01

Student attrition and falling tertiary education enrolments afflict languages education across the "inner circle" English speaking world. In the southern hemisphere, in New Zealand and Australia, Japanese has become one of the most successful languages of education. However, numbers of students are now declining. This paper examines why…

[The registry report of Japanese lung transplantation--2009].

PubMed

2010-07-01

To scrutinize the status of lung transplantation in Japan, the Japanese Society of Lung and Heart-Lung Transplantation started to collect and present registry data from 2005. This is the 5th official registry report of Japanese lung transplantation. The data of cadaveric lung transplantation and living-donor lobar transplantation performed by the end of 2008 were registered to the database and analyzed with respect to the number of transplants, recipient survival rates, recipient functional and working status, and cause of death after transplantation. Survival rates were calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Fifty-three (30 single and 23 bilateral) cadaveric lung transplantations and 77 living-donor lobar transplantations were performed by the end of 2008. Five-year survival rates of cadaveric single and bilateral lung transplantations were 61.9% and 62.5%, respectively, which were both superior to those in the International Registry (47.1% and 55.0%, respectively). Five-year and 10-year survival rates of living-donor lobar transplantation were excellent at 79.9% and 77.0%, respectively. The functional status of >80% of recipients was restored to Hugh-Jones I or II after transplantation. Infection was the leading cause of death after lung transplantation. The results of Japanese lung transplantation are so far satisfactory although we should note the small number of lung transplant cases in Japan. The Japanese Society of Lung and Heart-Lung Transplantation will continue to present the annual report of Japanese lung transplantation.

Foliar litter decomposition in an alpine forest meta-ecosystem on the eastern Tibetan Plateau.

PubMed

Yue, Kai; Yang, Wanqin; Peng, Changhui; Peng, Yan; Zhang, Chuan; Huang, Chunping; Tan, Yu; Wu, Fuzhong

2016-10-01

Litter decomposition is a biological process fundamental to element cycling and a main nutrient source within forest meta-ecosystems, but few studies have looked into this process simultaneously in individual ecosystems, where environmental factors can vary substantially. A two-year field study conducted in an alpine forest meta-ecosystem with four litter species (i.e., willow: Salix paraplesia, azalea: Rhododendron lapponicum, cypress: Sabina saltuaria, and larch: Larix mastersiana) that varied widely in chemical traits showed that both litter species and ecosystem type (i.e., forest floor, stream and riparian zone) are important factors affecting litter decomposition, and their effects can be moderated by local-scale environmental factors such as temperature and nutrient availability. Litter decomposed fastest in the streams followed by the riparian zone and forest floor regardless of species. For a given litter species, both the k value and limit value varied significantly among ecosystems, indicating that the litter decomposition rate and extent (i.e., reaching a limit value) can be substantially affected by ecosystem type and the local-scale environmental factors. Apart from litter initial acid unhydrolyzable residue (AUR) concentration and its ratio to nitrogen concentration (i.e., AUR/N ratio), the initial nutrient concentrations of phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) were also important litter traits that affected decomposition depending on the ecosystem type. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The oxygen isotope enrichment of leaf-exported assimilates--does it always reflect lamina leaf water enrichment?

PubMed

Gessler, Arthur; Brandes, Elke; Keitel, Claudia; Boda, Sonja; Kayler, Zachary E; Granier, André; Barbour, Margaret; Farquhar, Graham D; Treydte, Kerstin

2013-10-01

The oxygen stable isotope composition of plant organic matter (OM) (particularly of wood and cellulose in the tree ring archive) is valuable in studies of plant-climate interaction, but there is a lack of information on the transfer of the isotope signal from the leaf to heterotrophic tissues. We studied the oxygen isotopic composition and its enrichment above source water of leaf water over diel courses in five tree species covering a broad range of life forms. We tracked the transfer of the isotopic signal to leaf water-soluble OM and further to phloem-transported OM. Observed leaf water evaporative enrichment was consistent with values predicted from mechanistic models taking into account nonsteady-state conditions. While leaf water-soluble OM showed the expected (18)O enrichment in all species, phloem sugars were less enriched than expected from leaf water enrichment in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), European larch (Larix decidua) and Alpine ash (Eucalyptus delegatensis). Oxygen atom exchange with nonenriched water during phloem loading and transport, as well as a significant contribution of assimilates from bark photosynthesis, can explain these phloem (18)O enrichment patterns. Our results indicate species-specific uncoupling between the leaf water and the OM oxygen isotope signal, which is important for the interpretation of tree ring data. © 2013 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2013 New Phytologist Trust.

Experimental assessment of the microbocenosis stability in chemically polluted soils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sorokin, N. D.; Grodnitskaya, I. D.; Shapchenkova, O. A.; Evgrafova, S. Yu.

2009-06-01

Water solutions of fluorine and sulfur-containing salts of sodium—NaF, Na2SO3, and NaF + Na2SO3 (30, 150, and 300 MPC, respectively)—and salts of heavy metals—(Cu(NO3)2 · 3H2O, NiSO4, and Pb(NO3)2 (10, 25, and 50 MPC, respectively)—were applied as pollutants to dark gray forest soils of experimental plots (1 m2) in Siberian larch ( Larix sibirica Ledeb.) plantations once per growing period. The soil samples for the determination of the microbial biomass, respiration, and enzymatic activity (urease, protease, invertase, and catalase) were taken from the mineral soil layer (0-5 cm) at the beginning of the growing seasons before the application of the pollutants then in 14- to 18-day intervals every month. The fluorine and sulfur-containing compounds applied activated the respiration, lowered the enzymatic activity of the microorganisms, and decreased the microbial biomass by 1.3-2.2 times in the soils of the test plots as compared to the control one. The single application of Cu, Ni, and Pb increased the microbial biomass, while the changes in the basal respiration were compatible with its natural variability. Two months after the beginning of the experiment, all the parameters characterizing the functioning of the soil microbocenoses were restored.

Verb-raising and Numeral Classifiers in Japanese: Incompatible Bedfellows.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fukushima, Kazuhiko

2003-01-01

Examines verb raising in Japanese and looks at Koizumi's (2000) evidence for verb-raising based on data involving, among other things, numeral classifiers. Demonstrates that Koizumi's evidence based on numeral classifiers does not support his claim that verb-raising occurs in Japanese. (Author/VWL)

Cathepsin B expression in prostate cancer of native Japanese and Japanese-American patients: an immunohistochemical study.

PubMed

Sinha, Akhouri A; Morgan, Jenifer L; Betre, Konjit; Wilson, Michael J; Le, Chap; Marks, Leonard S

2008-01-01

Japanese-American (J-A) men who have immigrated to the U.S.A. and acquired the Western lifestyle usually have more invasive prostate cancer (PCa) than native Japanese (NJ) living in Japan. The specific reasons for these differences remain unknown. The objective of this study was to examine immunostainings of cathepsin B (CB) and its endogenous inhibitor stefin A (SA) in tissue microarray (TMA) and radical prostatectomy (RP) tissue sections in the hope of obtaining insights into the invasiveness of PCa in Japanese patients. TMA and RP sections were evaluated in 50 men (25 NJ and 25 J-A) for CB and SA reaction products. The CB and SA immunostainings were imaged directly from microscope slides to a computer using a high performance charge coupled device (CCD) digital camera, quantified using Metamorph software, analyzed using the two-sample t-test, and confirmed by multiple regression analysis. The CB and SA proteins were localized in the carcinomatous glands and isolated cancer cells in the TMA and RP sections. The Gleason scores and pre-surgery serum total prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels did not differ significantly in the NJ and J-A patients (p = 0.14, p = 0.16, respectively). The Chi-square analysis of clinical stage versus place of birth showed that the NJ patients had significantly more T2a and T2b clinical stages than the J-A patients who had more advanced T2c and T3a stages (p = 0.003). The CB and SA immunostainings and their ratios in Gleason score 6 tumors did not show any difference, but the CB:SA ratios in score > or = 7 tumors approached significance levels. The overall matching of specimens according to the Gleason grade/score, pre-RP serum total PSA levels, clinical stage and age prior to evaluation of immunostainings greatly minimizes subjectivity associated with the evaluation of markers in this ethnic sub-population of PCa patients. CB and SA immunostaining is similar in Japanese patients who have organ-confined and moderately

Characteristics of MUTYH variants in Japanese colorectal polyposis patients.

PubMed

Takao, Misato; Yamaguchi, Tatsuro; Eguchi, Hidetaka; Tada, Yuhki; Kohda, Masakazu; Koizumi, Koichi; Horiguchi, Shin-Ichiro; Okazaki, Yasushi; Ishida, Hideyuki

2018-06-01

The base excision repair gene MUTYH is the causative gene of colorectal polyposis syndrome, which is an autosomal recessive disorder associated with a high risk of colorectal cancer. Since few studies have investigated the genotype-phenotype association in Japanese patients with MUTYH variants, the aim of this study was to clarify the clinicopathological findings in Japanese patients with MUTYH gene variants who were detected by screening causative genes associated with hereditary colorectal polyposis. After obtaining informed consent, genetic testing was performed using target enrichment sequencing of 26 genes, including MUTYH. Of the 31 Japanese patients with suspected hereditary colorectal polyposis, eight MUTYH variants were detected in five patients. MUTYH hotspot variants known for Caucasians, namely p.G396D and p.Y179D, were not among the detected variants.Of five patients, two with biallelic MUTYH variants were diagnosed with MUTYH-associated polyposis, while two others had monoallelic MUTYH variants. One patient had the p.P18L and p.G25D variants on the same allele; however, supportive data for considering these two variants 'pathogenic' were lacking. Two patients with biallelic MUTYH variants and two others with monoallelic MUTYH variants were identified among Japanese colorectal polyposis patients. Hotspot variants of the MUTYH gene for Caucasians were not hotspots for Japanese patients.

[A Japanese in Marburg : Excerpts from the Memories - Jiden - of the Japanese Bacteriologist Taichi Kitashima (1870-1956)].

PubMed

Enke, Ulrike; Ishihara, Aeka

2017-06-01

The heart of this article is the transmission of selected chapters from the Japanese bacteriologist Taichi Kitashima's (1870-1956) autobiographical memoirs (in Japanese, Jiden) published in 1955, in which Kitashima reports on his stay in Marburg in a very personal and subjective way. Like other Japanese physicians of his generation, Kitashima spent several years in Germany in order to work with the serum researcher Emil von Behring and continued his education there. The contact came through Kitashima's teacher Shibasaburô Kitasato, who had worked with Behring in Berlin on questions of immunology. The memoir gives insight into Behring's laboratory work and his relation to his "subordinates". The editors investigate to what extent Kitashima's assessment, made from a distance of fifty years, of his stay in Germany as "wasted time" was accurate, given the advantages that arose from having been part of a vibrant European scientific community, including encounters in the Pasteur Institute in Paris, and why he cultivated his contacts with Germany and the Behring family during National Socialism.

Sequential-Simultaneous Analysis of Japanese Children's Performance on the Japanese McCarthy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ishikuma, Toshinori; And Others

This study explored the hypothesis that Japanese children perform significantly better on simultaneous processing than on sequential processing. The Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC) served as the criterion of the two types of mental processing. Regression equations to predict Sequential and Simultaneous processing from McCarthy…

Beliefs about Overcoming Psychological Problems among British and Japanese Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Furnham, Adrian; Ota, Hiromi; Tatsuro, Hosoe; Koyasu, Masuo

2000-01-01

Examines the cultural differences among Japanese students, British students, and Japanese students studying in Britain, concerning their beliefs on overcoming five psychological problems: depression, obesity, smoking cessation, agoraphobia, and lack of confidence. (CMK)

Reimagining Japanese Education: Borders, Transfers, Circulations, and the Comparative

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Willis, David Blake, Ed.; Rappleye, Jeremy, Ed.

2011-01-01

Sparked by the confluence of accelerating domestic transformation and increasingly explicit impacts from "globalization", the Japanese education system has undergone tremendous changes during the turbulence of the past decade. This volume, which brings together some of the foremost scholars in the field of Japanese education, analyzes…

Disruption and Reconnection: Counseling Young Adolescents in Japanese Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

LeTendre, Gerald K.

1995-01-01

Using two case studies, examines the systems used by Japanese middle school teacher/counselors to counsel troubled early adolescents. The system works well for prevention, but can substantially drain a teacher's time. Cautions against wholesale adoption of Japanese organizational techniques in California schools, since teachers are already…

Japanese for Tourism and Trade

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klarberg, F.

1974-01-01

Discusses the desirability of Japanese as a second language for Australians in tourism and trade industries. Initial instruction using Roman alphabet followed by job training in Japan is recommended. (RM)

Midlife use of written Japanese and protection from late life dementia

PubMed Central

Crane, Paul K.; Gibbons, Laura E.; Arani, Keerthi; Nguyen, Viet; Rhoads, Kristoffer; McCurry, Susan M.; Launer, Lenore; Masaki, Kamal; White, Lon

2011-01-01

Background The cognitive reserve hypothesis would predict that use of written Japanese should confer protection against dementia because of the complexity of its ideograms compared with written English. We sought to test this hypothesis in analyses from a longitudinal study of Japanese-American men. Methods Participants were second-generation Japanese-American men (Nisei) on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, who were seen in 1965 and in subsequent examinations to detect dementia beginning in 1991-1993. Use of spoken and written Japanese was self-reported in 1965 (Analyses 1 and 2), and mid-life use of written Japanese and written English was self-reported in 1994-1996 (Analysis 3). We analyzed prevalent dementia outcomes in 1991-1993 (Analysis 1, n=3,139) using logistic regression, and incident dementia outcomes in 1994-2002 (Analysis 2, n=2,299) and in 1997-2002 (Analysis 3, n=1,655) using Cox proportional hazards regression. Dementia outcomes included all-cause dementia, probable and possible Alzheimer disease, and probable vascular dementia. We adjusted models for probable and possible confounders. Results Participants who reported proficiency with written Japanese were older and had lower incomes. For Analysis 1, there were 154 prevalent cases of dementia, 74 of Alzheimer disease, and 43 of vascular dementia; for Analysis 2, 236 incident cases of dementia, 138 of Alzheimer disease, and 45 of vascular dementia; and for Analysis 3, 125 incident cases of dementia, 80 of Alzheimer disease, and 20 of vascular dementia. There was no relationship in adjusted models between self-reported proficiency with written Japanese and any dementia outcomes. Conclusions Proficiency with written Japanese does not appear to be protective for dementia. PMID:19593152

Japanese children's family drawings and their link to attachment.

PubMed

Behrens, Kazuko Y; Kaplan, Nancy

2011-09-01

This study explored the applicability of family drawings as a tool to estimate attachment security in a sample of Japanese six-year-olds (N = 47), applying Kaplan and Main's ( 1986 ) Family Drawing system. Maternal secure/insecure attachment status judged by the Adult Attachment Interview predicted family drawings' secure/insecure distinction produced by Japanese six-year-olds. However, insecure Japanese drawings took forms not seen in the original Berkeley drawings, such as a lineup of faces alone. Further examination of the Japanese children's drawings using global rating scales (Fury, Carlson, & Sroufe, 1997 ) yielded significant gender differences, rarely reported in the attachment literature, with girls scoring higher in scales that predict attachment security and boys scoring higher in scales that predict attachment insecurity. However, attachment security, as captured in the drawings, was not related to attachment security, observed behaviorally using Main and Cassidy's ( 1988 ) sixth-year reunion system. Implications of the findings are discussed in light of measurements, gender, and culture.

Evaluating genetic risk for prostate cancer among Japanese and Latinos

PubMed Central

Cheng, Iona; Chen, Gary K.; Nakagawa, Hidewaki; He, Jing; Wan, Peggy; Laurie, Cathy; Shen, Jess; Sheng, Xin; Pooler, Loreall C.; Crenshaw, Andrew T.; Mirel, Daniel B.; Takahashi, Atsushi; Kubo, Michiaki; Nakamura, Yusuke; Al Olama, Ali Amin; Benlloch, Sara; Donovan, Jenny L.; Guy, Michelle; Hamdy, Freddie C.; Kote-Jarai, Zsofia; Neal, David E.; Wilkens, Lynne R.; Monroe, Kristine R.; Stram, Daniel O.; Muir, Kenneth; Eeles, Rosalind A.; Easton, Douglas F.; Kolonel, Laurence N.; Henderson, Brian E.; Le Marchand, Loïc; Haiman, Christopher A.

2012-01-01

Background There have been few genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of prostate cancer among diverse populations. To search for novel prostate cancer risk variants, we conducted GWAS of prostate cancer in Japanese and Latinos. In addition, we tested prostate cancer risk variants and developed genetic risk models of prostate cancer for Japanese and Latinos. Methods Our first stage GWAS of prostate cancer included Japanese (cases/controls=1,033/1,042) and Latino (cases/controls=1,043/1,057) from the Multiethnic Cohort. Significant associations from stage 1 (P < 1.0×10−4) were examined in silico in GWAS of prostate cancer (stage 2) in Japanese (cases/controls=1,583/3,386) and Europeans (cases/controls=1,854/1,894). Results No novel stage 1 SNPs outside of known risk regions reached genome-wide significance. For Japanese, in stage 1, the most notable putative novel association was seen with 10 SNPs (P<8.0. x10−6) at chromosome 2q33; however, this was not replicated in stage 2. For Latinos, the most significant association was observed with rs17023900 at the known 3p12 risk locus (stage 1: OR=1.45; P=7.01×10−5 and stage 2: OR=1.58; P =3.05×10−7). The majority of the established risk variants for prostate cancer, 79% and 88%, were positively associated with prostate cancer in Japanese and Latinos (stage I), respectively. The cumulative effects of these variants significantly influence prostate cancer risk (OR per allele=1.10; P = 2.71×10−25 and OR=1.07; P = 1.02×10−16 for Japanese and Latinos, respectively). Conclusion and Impact Our GWAS of prostate cancer did not identify novel genome-wide significant variants. However, our findings demonstrate that established risk variants for prostate cancer significantly contribute to risk among Japanese and Latinos. PMID:22923026

Evaluating genetic risk for prostate cancer among Japanese and Latinos.

PubMed

Cheng, Iona; Chen, Gary K; Nakagawa, Hidewaki; He, Jing; Wan, Peggy; Laurie, Cathy C; Shen, Jess; Sheng, Xin; Pooler, Loreall C; Crenshaw, Andrew T; Mirel, Daniel B; Takahashi, Atsushi; Kubo, Michiaki; Nakamura, Yusuke; Al Olama, Ali Amin; Benlloch, Sara; Donovan, Jenny L; Guy, Michelle; Hamdy, Freddie C; Kote-Jarai, Zsofia; Neal, David E; Wilkens, Lynne R; Monroe, Kristine R; Stram, Daniel O; Muir, Kenneth; Eeles, Rosalind A; Easton, Douglas F; Kolonel, Laurence N; Henderson, Brian E; Le Marchand, Loïc; Haiman, Christopher A

2012-11-01

There have been few genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of prostate cancer among diverse populations. To search for novel prostate cancer risk variants, we conducted GWAS of prostate cancer in Japanese and Latinos. In addition, we tested prostate cancer risk variants and developed genetic risk models of prostate cancer for Japanese and Latinos. Our first-stage GWAS of prostate cancer included Japanese (cases/controls = 1,033/1,042) and Latino (cases/controls = 1,043/1,057) from the Multiethnic Cohort (MEC). Significant associations from stage I (P < 1.0 × 10(-4)) were examined in silico in GWAS of prostate cancer (stage II) in Japanese (cases/controls = 1,583/3,386) and Europeans (cases/controls = 1,854/1,894). No novel stage I single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) outside of known risk regions reached genome-wide significance. For Japanese, in stage I, the most notable putative novel association was seen with 10 SNPs (P ≤ 8.0 × 10(-6)) at chromosome 2q33; however, this was not replicated in stage II. For Latinos, the most significant association was observed with rs17023900 at the known 3p12 risk locus (stage I: OR = 1.45; P = 7.01 × 10(-5) and stage II: OR = 1.58; P = 3.05 × 10(-7)). The majority of the established risk variants for prostate cancer, 79% and 88%, were positively associated with prostate cancer in Japanese and Latinos (stage I), respectively. The cumulative effects of these variants significantly influence prostate cancer risk (OR per allele = 1.10; P = 2.71 × 10(-25) and OR = 1.07; P = 1.02 × 10(-16) for Japanese and Latinos, respectively). Our GWAS of prostate cancer did not identify novel genome-wide significant variants. However, our findings show that established risk variants for prostate cancer significantly contribute to risk among Japanese and Latinos. ©2012 AACR.

Transcultural stress factors of Japanese mothers living in the United Kingdom.

PubMed

Ozeki, Nobuko

2008-01-01

The aim of this study was to describe the stressors experienced by Japanese mothers living in the United Kingdom. An ethnomethodological design was used by means of an openended, in-depth interview. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 10 Japanese mothers living in the United Kingdom. Analysis was performed using the KJ (Kawakito Jiro) method, equivalent to content analysis and data reduction. The main stressors were participation in the small hierarchical society of the Japanese business climate, isolation, language and cultural barriers, and raising Japanese children in a British cultural context. Unsatisfactory experiences of childbirth, child rearing, and contacts with medical services were reported. Recognizing cultural differences and the difficulties that may be experienced by Japanese clients is a first step. Resources may be provided to help these clients widen their social contacts and improve communication with providers of health care and education for their children.

Pulp quality from small-diameter trees.

Treesearch

G.C. Myers; S. Kumar; R.R. Gustafson; R.J. Barbour; S.M. Abubakr

1997-01-01

Kraft and thermomechanical (TMP) pulps were prepared and evaluated from lodgepole pine and mixed Douglas-fir/western larch sawmill residue chips; lodgepole pine, Douglas-fir, and western larch submerchantable logs; and lodgepole pine, Douglas-fir, and western larch small trees and tops. Kraft pulp from small trees and tops was identical to that from submerchantable...

3. View of Japanese village, type C structure, facing eastsoutheast ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

3. View of Japanese village, type C structure, facing east-southeast - Nevada Test Site, Japanese Village, Type C Structure, Area 4, Yucca Flat, 4-04 Road near Rainier Mesa Road, Mercury, Nye County, NV

Japanese Patterns of Behavior.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lebra, Takie Sugiyama

This book attempts to shed light on the seemingly contradictory aspects of Japanese behavior. Separate chapters, grounded in interaction-oriented social scientific theory, focus on the themes of social relativism, belongingness, empathy, dependency, occupying the proper place, reciprocity, situational interaction, early socialization, selfhood,…

Validation of the Japanese Version of the Body Vigilance Scale.

PubMed

Saigo, Tatsuo; Takebayashi, Yoshitake; Tayama, Jun; Bernick, Peter J; Schmidt, Norman B; Shirabe, Susumu; Sakano, Yuji

2016-06-01

The Body Vigilance Scale is a self-report measure of attention to bodily sensations. The measure was translated into Japanese and its reliability, validity, and factor structure were verified. Participants comprised 286 university students (age: 19 ± 1 years). All participants were administered the scale, along with several indices of anxiety (i.e., Anxiety Sensitivity Index, Short Health Anxiety Inventory Illness Likelihood Scale, Social Interaction Anxiety Scale, and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale). The Japanese version of the Body Vigilance Scale exhibited a unidimensional factor structure and strong internal consistency. Construct validity was demonstrated by significant correlations with the above measures. Results suggest that the Japanese version of the scale is a reliable, valid tool for measuring body vigilance in Japanese university students. © The Author(s) 2016.

Citation Behaviors Observed in Japanese EFL Students' Argumentative Writing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kamimura, Taeko

2014-01-01

Effective use of outside source texts is one of the key components of successful academic writing. This study aims at clarifying Japanese university EFL students' citation behaviors in producing argumentative writing. Twenty-six Japanese university EFL students wrote an argumentative essay. Their essays were analyzed quantitatively by six…

Clarendon Alternative School Japanese Bilingual Bicultural Program: Curriculum Sampler.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

San Francisco Unified School District, CA.

Sample lessons and instructional materials from a Japanese bilingual/bicultural elementary school program are presented. The lessons are designed to integrate Japanese language instruction with content instruction, using thematic units related to the core curriculum. The ten lessons are organized by target grade (K-5), and describe classroom…

Work Environment and Japanese Fathers' Involvement in Child Care

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ishii-Kuntz, Masako

2013-01-01

Previous studies mainly examined individual and family factors affecting Japanese fathers' involvement in child care. Along with these factors, we examine how work-related factors such as father-friendly environment at work, workplace's accommodation of parental needs, job stress, and autonomy are associated with Japanese men's participation in…

English/Japanese Professional Interpretation: Its Linguistic and Conceptual Problems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ishikawa, Luli

1995-01-01

A study of simultaneous interpretation from Japanese to English focused on problems inherent in simultaneous language processing. Data were drawn from a discussion session at an international conference of physicians concerning nuclear war. Transcription of the Japanese source text (romanized), English product, and a gloss of lexical equivalents…

Japanese and Korean Kindergartners' Perspectives of Play Using Photos

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Izumi-­Taylor, Satomi; Ro, Yeonsun; Han, Jihee; Ito, Yoko

2017-01-01

The purpose of the study was to examine Japanese and Korean kindergarteners' perspectives by asking them to photograph play and explain why their photos represent play (photo elicitation interviews). The participants consisted of 50 kindergarteners on Japan's main island and 50 kindergarteners in South Korea. Japanese and Korean kindergartners…

Integrating Language and Content: Challenges in a Japanese Supplementary School in Victoria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Okumura, Shinji; Obara, Yumi

2017-01-01

The Melbourne International School of Japanese (MISJ) is a supplementary Saturday school which offers Japanese language and mathematics taught in Japanese from kindergarten to senior secondary level. Classes are scheduled on Saturdays from 9am to 3pm and approximately half of the program is dedicated to mathematics. While mathematics education…

Overcoming Ambivalence: The Case for Japanese Martial Internationalism

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-09-01

served this effort. All of these liberal reforms culminated in the establishment of the bicameral National Diet and the development and adoption of...widespread protests, in July Kishi forced through the Diet passage of the renewed treaty using police to drive opposition party members from the Diet ...serious discussions of constitutional reforms to permit overseas Japanese military activities. In June 1992, with great difficulties, the Japanese Diet

Effects of fire disturbance on soil respiration in the non-growing season in a Larix gmelinii forest in the Daxing'an Mountains, China

PubMed Central

Hu, Tongxin; Guo, Futao

2017-01-01

In boreal forests, fire is an important part of the ecosystem that greatly influences soil respiration, which in turn affects the carbon balance. Wildfire can have a significant effect on soil respiration and it depends on the fire severity and environmental factors (soil temperature and snow water equivalent) after fire disturbance. In this study, we quantified post-fire soil respiration during the non-growing season (from November to April) in a Larix gmelinii forest in Daxing'an Mountains of China. Soil respiration was measured in the snow-covered and snow-free conditions with varying degrees of natural burn severity forests. We found that soil respiration decreases as burn severity increases. The estimated annual C efflux also decreased with increased burn severity. Soil respiration during the non-growing season approximately accounted for 4%–5% of the annual C efflux in all site types. Soil temperature (at 5 cm depth) was the predominant determinant of non-growing season soil respiration change in this area. Soil temperature and snow water equivalent could explain 73%–79% of the soil respiration variability in winter snow-covering period (November to March). Mean spring freeze–thaw cycle (FTC) period (April) soil respiration contributed 63% of the non-growing season C efflux. Our finding is key for understanding and predicting the potential change in the response of boreal forest ecosystems to fire disturbance under future climate change. PMID:28665958

The Japanese artificial organs scene: current status.

PubMed

Mitamura, Yoshinori; Murabayashi, Shun

2005-08-01

Artificial organs and regenerative medicine are the subjects of very active research and development (R&D) in Japan and various artificial organs are widely used in patients. Results of the R&D are presented at the annual conference of the Japanese Society for Artificial Organs (JSAO). Progress in the fields of artificial organs and regenerative medicine are reviewed annually in the Japanese Journal of Artificial Organs. The official English-language journal of JSAO, Journal of Artificial Organs, also publishes many original articles by Japanese researchers. Although the annual conference and the publications of JSAO provide the world with update information on artificial organs and regenerative medicine in Japan, the information is not always understood appropriately in the rest of the world, mainly due to language problems. This article therefore introduces the current status of artificial organs and regenerative medicine in Japan. Artificial hearts and metabolic support systems are reviewed here and other interesting areas such as regenerative medicine can be found elsewhere.

Non-Grammatical Reflexive Binding Phenomena: The Case of Japanese.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sakakibara, Sonoko

Two non-syntactic phenomena of Japanese reflexive binding by "zibun" ("self") are analyzed with respect to a pragmatic use condition on "zibun," a culture-specific condition, and the Maxim of Politeness (Fukada 1986). The first phenomenon is the tendency by native speakers of Japanese to avoid referring to an honored…

Curricular, Relational, and Physical Spaces in the Japanese Hoikuen

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ferguson, Daniel E.; Kuby, Candace R.

2015-01-01

Recent scholarship looks at the relationship of learning to space and place within educational research. The purpose of this article was to put data produced from teaching in four Japanese preschools into conversation with spatial theory and Ma, a Japanese spatial esthetic. We seek to understand "how" and "what" spaces…

Motivational Factors Affecting Online Learning by Japanese MBA Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kikuchi, Hisayo

2006-01-01

In Japan, Internet based learning is still at an early stage. However, adult learners in Japanese society expect the development of flexible e-learning programs. This case study examines motivational factors affecting online learning in a Japanese and Australian MBA program, using observations, interviews and a questionnaire survey. The data were…

[A VALIDATION STUDY OF THE IMPROVED PRODUCT FOR MEASURING JAPANESE CYPRESS POLLEN-SPECIFIC IgE (THERMO SCIENTIFIC™ ImmunoCAP™ ImmunoCAP JAPANESE CYPRESS POLLEN-SPECIFIC IgE)].

PubMed

Yonekura, Syuji; Okamoto, Yoshitaka; Nakayama, Satoshi

Japanese cypress pollen is a major causative allergen of seasonal allergic rhinitis in Japan. Although ImmunoCAP-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) reagent Japanese cypress pollen has been widely used as a diagnostic aid, its sensitivity requires enhancement. This study evaluated an improved version of this reagent. Serum samples from 61 subjects who underwent Japanese cypress pollen exposure testing in an environmental challenge chamber in Chiba University were assessed using the conventional ImmunoCAPspecific IgE Japanese cypress pollen product and the improved product. In addition, specific IgE for Cha o 1 and Cha o 2, the primary allergen components of Japanese cypress pollen, was evaluated and their reactivity to specific IgE was compared between the conventional and improved products. The antibody titer of the improved product was approximately 1.8-fold that of the conventional product. In addition, higher correlations with Cha o 1 and Cha o 2 were observed for the improved product than for the conventional product. The clinical sensitivity (≥class 2) in 56 exposure test-positive subjects was better for the improved product (80.4%) than for the conventional product (71.4%). An improvement of the ImmunoCAP-specific IgE reagent Japanese cypress pollen resulted in enhanced Japanese cypress pollen-specific IgE sensitivity. The primary reason for this appeared to be an improved Cha o 1- and Cha o 2-specific IgE detectability.

Comparison of Motivational Factors between Japanese and United States High School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kavanaugh, Debbie

2009-01-01

Spanning multiple subjects and age groups, U.S. students rate poorly while Japanese students rate highly when subject to international testing. Japanese children complete twice as much homework as their U.S. counterparts and sometimes attend school on Saturdays. The literature review looks at motivation in both U.S. American and Japanese students…

Oral self-care behaviours: comparing Greek and Japanese dental students.

PubMed

Polychronopoulou, Argy; Kawamura, Makoto

2005-11-01

This study explored cross-cultural differences of self-reported oral health behaviours between Greek and Japanese dental students. The sample population included 877 dental students, 539 students registered at the University of Athens Dental School, and 338 registered at the Hiroshima University Dental School. Oral health behaviour was assessed using the Greek and Japanese versions of a 20-item questionnaire entitled Hiroshima University-Dental Behavioural Inventory (HU-DBI). The mean questionnaire score of the Japanese students (7.40) was significantly greater than that of the Greek peers (6.86, P = 0.001), indicating better oral self-care behaviour amongst the Japanese students; however, the overall difference was mainly attributed to their additional sixth study year. Greek and Japanese students provided significantly different answers to 14 of 20 HU-DBI items. Greeks significantly more often were required by their dentist to evaluate their brushing technique (OR = 14.4, P < 0.01), checked their teeth in the mirror after brushing (OR = 8.1, P < 0.01), worried about bad breath (OR = 6.7, P < 0.01), and believed that gum disease is preventable by tooth brushing alone (OR = 2.1, P < 0.05), whereas their Japanese peers significantly more often felt comfortable to clean their teeth without the use of a toothpaste (OR = 0.3, P < 0.01), believed that they take much time to brush their teeth (OR = 0.3, P < 0.01), used a child-sized toothbrush (OR = 0.2, P < 0.01), and put off going to the dentist until having toothache (OR = 0.4, P < 0.01). Considerable differences in dental health attitudes/behaviour exist amongst students in the two countries reflecting the different culture and the health education system of the students; moreover, it is possible to distinguish Greek dental students from Japanese peers with a probability of more than 89% by using the HU-DBI instrument.

The 2016 American Orthopaedic Association-Japanese Orthopaedic Association Traveling Fellowship.

PubMed

Nandi, Sumon; Cho, Samuel K; Freedman, Brett A; Firoozabadi, Reza

2017-06-07

The American Orthopaedic Association-Japanese Orthopaedic Association (AOA-JOA) Traveling Fellowship, which began in 1992 as a collaborative effort between the 2 orthopaedic communities, is aimed at fostering leadership among early-career surgeons through clinical, academic, and cultural exchange. Over 3 weeks, we experienced an extraordinary journey that led us across nearly 800 miles of the picturesque Japanese countryside, with stops at 6 distinguished academic centers. The opportunity to become personally acquainted with orthopaedic leaders in Japan, learn from their experiences, and immerse ourselves in the ancient and storied culture of a beautiful country was one that we will not soon forget. Along the way, we accumulated a wealth of information while enjoying the legendary hospitality of the Japanese people. There is a ubiquitous challenge in delivering cost-effective, accessible health care while maintaining a commitment to education and research. The U.S. orthopaedic community may take solace in the fact that our Japanese colleagues stand with us as partners in this pursuit, and our relationship with them continues to grow stronger through endeavors such as the AOA-JOA Traveling Fellowship. We look forward to honoring our Japanese colleagues in 2017 when we host them in the United States.

New Japanese encephalitis vaccines: alternatives to production in mouse brain.

PubMed

Halstead, Scott B; Thomas, Stephen J

2011-03-01

Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), a flavivirus maintained in a zoonotic cycle and transmitted by the mosquito Culex tritaeniorhynchus, causes epidemics of encephalitis throughout much of Asia. Resident populations, including short- or long-term visitors to enzootic regions, are at risk of infection and disease. For the past several decades, killed viral vaccines prepared in tissue culture or mouse brain have been used effectively to immunize travelers and residents of enzootic countries. Cost, efficacy and safety concerns led to the development of a live-attenuated virus vaccine (SA14-14-2) and more recently, to the licensure in the USA, Europe, Canada, and Australia of a purified inactivated, tissue culture-based Japanese encephalitis vaccine (IXIARO(®), referred to as IC51; Intercell AG, Vienna, Austria). In addition, a live-attenuated yellow fever-Japanese encephalitis chimeric vaccine (IMOJEV™, referred to as Japanese encephalitis-CV; Sanofi Pasteur, Lyon, France) was recently licensed in Australia and is under review in Thailand. A broad portfolio of safe and effective Japanese encephalitis vaccines has become available to meet the needs of at-risk populations; when appropriately delivered, these new vaccines should greatly diminish the burden of disease.

Effects of Social Environment on Japanese and American Communication.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kitao, Kenji; Kitao, S. Kathleen

The social backgrounds of Japanese and Americans differ in ways that impede complete communication. The Japanese people, historically controlled by the forces of nature, have formed groups as the minimum functioning social units. The individual is only part of the group, and individual rights and obligations have not been clearly developed.…

Gender Representation in Japanese EFL Textbooks--A Corpus Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Jackie F. K.

2018-01-01

This paper seeks to investigate whether the Japanese government's attempt to promote a 'gender-equal' society in recent decades and the improved status of women are reflected in patterns of gender representation in Japanese English as a foreign language textbooks. The study made an analysis of four popular series of English language textbooks…

[Complexity and its integrative effects of the time lags of environment factors affecting Larix gmelinii stem sap flow].

PubMed

Wang, Hui-Mei; Sun, Wei; Zu, Yuan-Gang; Wang, Wen-Jie

2011-12-01

Based on the one-year (2005) observations with a frequency of half hour on the stem sap flow of Larix gmelinii plantation trees planted in 1969 and the related environmental factors air humidity (RH), air temperature (T(air)), photosynthetic components active radiation (PAR), soil temperature (T(soil)), and soil moisture (TDR), principal analysis (PCA) and correction analysis were made on the time lag effect of the stem flow in different seasons (26 days of each season) and in a year via dislocation analysis, with the complexity and its integrative effects of the time lags of environment factors affecting the stem sap flow approached. The results showed that in different seasons and for different environmental factors, the time lag effect varied obviously. In general, the time lag of PAR was 0.5-1 hour ahead of sap flow, that of T(air) and RH was 0-2 hours ahead of or behind the sap flow, and the time lags of T(soil) and TDR were much longer or sometimes undetectable. Because of the complexity of the time lags, no evident improvements were observed in the linear correlations (R2, slope, and intercept) when the time lags based on short-term (20 days) data were used to correct the time lags based on whole year data. However, obvious improvements were found in the standardized and non-standardized correlation coefficients in stepwise multiple regressions, i.e., the time lag corrections could improve the effects of RH, but decreased the effects of PAR, T(air), and T(soil). PCA could be used to simplify the complexity. The first and the second principal components could stand for over 75% information of all the environmental factors in different seasons and in whole year. The time lags of both the first and the second principal components were 1-1.5 hours in advance of the sap flow, except in winter (no time lag effect).

Screening for major depressive episodes in Japanese patients with epilepsy: validation and translation of the Japanese version of Neurological Disorders Depression Inventory for Epilepsy (NDDI-E).

PubMed

Tadokoro, Yukari; Oshima, Tomohiro; Fukuchi, Toshihiko; Kanner, Andres M; Kanemoto, Kousuke

2012-09-01

We validated and translated into Japanese the English version of the screening instrument Neurological Disorders Depression Inventory for Epilepsy (NDDI-E) to identify major depressive episodes in patients with epilepsy. A total of 159 Japanese subjects with epilepsy underwent a psychiatric structured interview with the Japanese version of the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.-J) followed by completion of the Japanese version of NDDI-E (NDDI-E-J). Twelve participants met the M.I.N.I.-J criteria of current major depressive episode. Participants had no difficulties completing the NDDI-E-J. Its Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.83 and a cut-off score greater than 16 provided a sensitivity of 0.92, a specificity of 0.89, and a negative predictive value of 0.99. The NDDI-E-J appears to be useful for primary care clinicians to screen for major depressive episodes in epilepsy patients. Routine use of this brief and self-administered instrument in busy clinical settings will likely improve management of depression in Japanese individuals with epilepsy. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Japanese Academic Profession.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shimbori, Michiya

1981-01-01

The history of Japanese higher education includes development of a patronage system that, despite the broadening of the system, still affects faculty careers. Institutional ranking limits professional mobility, and individuals may spend undergraduate, graduate, and faculty careers at the same institution. Teaching abroad is also severely limited.…

Langenbeck's Archives--an international communication forum between Japanese and German surgeons.

PubMed

Kitajima, Masaki; Hiki, Yoshiki

2010-04-01

Japan's first encounter with Western Medicine was in 1543. Japanese doctors were introduced to surgical treatment by Portuguese missionaries who visited Japan mainly to propagate Christianity and trade with Japan. Until that time, Japanese doctors have treated internal diseases by using mainly traditional Chinese medicine and had not experienced modern Western medicine, particularly surgery. In 1639, the Tokugawa shogunate issued the policy of seclusion (national isolation policy) and prohibited contacts with foreign countries except the Netherlands and China. All European culture came into Japan through Dutch traders. Japanese doctors studied medical books written in Dutch, but could not imagine that the original versions had been written by German doctors. Japanese doctors who studied Dutch medicine founded private schools in various places nationwide, prompting the development of Western medicine. In 1868 the Edo shogunate collapsed, and the newly established Meiji government opened Japan to the rest of the world. In an effort to introduce European civilization, which had been closed to the Japanese under the 250 years, the Meiji government followed Western styles when framing policy and building social systems. In terms of medicine, for the sake of reaching the world's highest level, the government decided to learn from Germans. Many of the young Japanese doctors travelled to Germany. However, as a world war loomed ahead, interchange with foreign countries became difficult. Peace was threatened, and even the progress of science was impeded. Although the United States led the world in the medical field, some Japanese doctors still studied in Germany after World War II to learn their medical traditions and look at the starting point of clinical medicine; and they continued the interchange between Japan and Germany. While continuing active relationship, in 1990, the German and Japanese Surgical Societies was established, and planned to hold a triennial joint

Issues in healthcare services in Malaysia as experienced by Japanese retirees.

PubMed

Kohno, Ayako; Musa, Ghazali; Nik Farid, Nik Daliana; Abdul Aziz, Norlaili; Nakayama, Takeo; Dahlui, Maznah

2016-05-05

Worldwide, international retirement migration is growing in its popularity and Japanese retirees choose Malaysia as their most preferred destination. This study examines the pertinent issues related to healthcare services as experienced by Japanese retirees in this country. From January to March 2015, we conducted focus group discussions with 30 Japanese retirees who live in Kuala Lumpur and Ipoh. Guided by the social-ecological model, we discovered seven pertinent themes: 'language barriers','healthcare decisions', 'medical check-ups','healthcare insurance', 'nursing and palliative care', 'trust and distrust of healthcare services', and 'word-of-mouth information'. We identified seven pertinent issues related to healthcare services among Japanese retirees in Malaysia, of which four are especially important. These issues are explained as integrated themes within the social-ecological model. Language barriers prohibit them from having difficulty accessing to healthcare in Malaysia, but lack of will to improve their language skills exist among them. For that reason, they rely heavily on word-of-mouth information when seeking for healthcare. As a consequence, some develop feelings of trust and distrust of healthcare services. In addition, we have identified the needs for provide nursing and palliative care among Japanese retirees in Malaysia. Based on the magnitude of the discussion, we concluded that there are four crucial healthcare issues among Japanese retirees; 'language barriers', 'trust and distrust of healthcare services', 'word-of-mouth information' and 'nursing and palliative care'. We propose that further dialogue by healthcare stakeholders should be carried out to improve further the healthcare service provisions for Japanese retirees in Malaysia.

Applying RUG-III in Japanese Long-Term Care Facilities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ikegami, Naoki; And Others

1994-01-01

Tested U.S. nursing home case-mix system, Resource Utilization Groups, Version III (RUG-III) in Japanese long-term care facilities. Measured staff time and resident characteristics for 871 patients. Found acceptable reliability for items defining RUG-III, and system explained 44% of variance in wage-weighted staff time (cost). Japanese and U.S.…

Contrastive Pragmatics of English and Japanese Offers and Requests.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Christianson, Kiel

This paper analyzes a study by Fukushima (1990) of the English offers and responses of Japanese English as a foreign language (EFL) college students and reports on an experiment designed to address the perceived weaknesses of Fukushima's work. Fukushima's study found that many Japanese EFL learners could not use appropriate levels of politeness in…

Assessing Japanese Language Needs for Business and Professional Use.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saito, Yoshiko

A study is reported that aimed to: (1) assess perceived needs of Japanese language by students and business faculty; (2) assess Japanese language needs of business professionals who work with Japan; (3) determine what language abilities and levels of proficiency are desired; and (4) identify perceived problem areas and ways that they are handled…

Silence in the Second Language Classrooms of Japanese Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

King, Jim

2013-01-01

Japanese language learners' proclivity for silence has been alluded to by various writers (e.g. Anderson 1993; Korst 1997; Greer 2000) and is supported by plenty of anecdotal evidence, but large-scale, empirical studies aimed at measuring the extent of macro-level silence within Japanese university L2 classrooms are notably lacking. This article…