Guidance of field trip to Tomakomai
Venue: Tomakomai Experimental Forest of Hokkaido University (JaLTER core-site)
Tomakomai Experimental Forest (TOEF) was established in 1904, as a field of research and education about forest science through the transference of forest land from Hokkaido Prefecture to Sapporo Agricultural College, the forerunner of Hokkaido University.
In 1st April, 2001, the Botanic Garden, the Museum, the Livestock Farm, the Experimental Farms and the University Forests became independent from Faculty of Agriculture and joined the newly established The Field Science Center for Northern Biosphere. The Tomakomai Experimental Forest takes change of Forest Research Station of the center. The first working plan was formulated in 1906 and the first dormitory for students was built in 1910. Most of the present facilities were constructed within the last 30 years, The Forest Museum and the Forest Observation Tower in 1977, and the Administration Office of this forest instituted in 1979. The forest covers 2,715 ha of lowland area near the Tomakomai city, and it has been used as a study site in various fields of research and education for many years.
In TOEF are more than 100 species of trees and 230 species of herbs. Dominant species of natural forest includes Quercus crispula, Kalopanax pictus, Fraxinus mandshurica, some Acer tree, and some Betula trees. Fraxinus lanuginosa, Ostrya japonica, Populas maximowiczii, Tilia japonica, Prunus, Sorbus alnifolia, Alnus hirsute, and Cercidiphyllum japonicum are also commonly observed. Some coniferous trees like Picea jezoensis and Abies sachalinensis are distributed in relatively low abundance mainly in disturbed area.
TOEF is located in the subarctic pluvial zone. The mean annual temperature is 6.5oC. The maximum and minimum temperature in a year is 28 and -28oC. The mean monthly temperature ranges from 19.1 to -3.2oC. It is relatively cool and damp in summer compared to other regions in Hokkaido. The annual precipitation is about 1,200 mm. Seventy percent of the whole precipitation concentrates to summer season, which decrease the sunshine time to the halves compared to other seasons. The average maximum snow depth is 20-50 cm. The maximum freeze depth reaches 30cm in the forest and 70 cm on bare grounds.
During the field trip, participants will visit the long-term and large-scale research sites for forest biodiversity, carbon cycling and budget, ecosystem structure and functions including the heat-cable manipulation experiments, CO2 flux tower, canopy crane and so on.
TOEF web http://forest.fsc.hokudai.ac.jp/~exfor/Toef/hp_e/toef/top.html
International Long-Term Ecological Research Network ; Japan Long-Term Ecological Research Network (JaLTER); IFES-GCOE of Hokkaido University; Ecosystem Adaptability GCOE of Tohoku University; Global Land Project (GLP) Sapporo Nodal Office