Abstract ID: 3.21201 | Accepted as Talk | Talk | TBA | TBA

In recent decades it has become clear that some alpine plants are spreading to higher altitudes as a result of climate change. However, there are still uncertainties about the response of alpine plants to climate change. For example, how do alpine plants respond when both temperature and snowfall patterns change simultaneously? How do responses differ between regions with very different species composition? Central Japan has many high mountains above 3,000 m, characterised by heavy snowfall, and a complex geological history, resulting in a rich diversity of endemic and rare alpine plants.
Here we present the changes in plant species diversity and composition with altitude and slope aspect on Mt. Norikura (GLORIA site JP-HNO) in the Hida mountain range of Japan, ranging from 2,751 m to the summit of 3,014 m. This is the first GLORIA site in Japan and, more generally, in the coastal regions of East Asia. Although Mt. Norikura is an old volcano, we also present plans to establish the second GLORIA site on sedimentary rocks in the nearby Akaishi mountain range, which will allow us to verify the effects of parent material.