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Shiro TSUYUZAKI
Plant community ecology / Environmental conservation

Mount Usu / Sarobetsu post-mined peatland
From left: Crater basin in 1986 and 2006. Cottongrass / Daylily

(Update on November 4 2010)

Serpentine zone

Serpentine (蛇紋岩)

A rock composed of one or more serpentine group minerals

Serpentine group minerals

Minerals in this group are formed by serpentinization, a hydration and metamorphic transformation of ultramafic rock from mantle.

Serpentine soil
  • low Ca/Mg ratio
  • lack of essential nutrients, N, K and P
  • ultramafic, due to heavy metals
Plants in serpentine zones

Serpentine zone supports diverse wildflowers that are occasionally rare or endangered species, such as Primula takedana and Berberis amurensis var. japonica.

Species sepcifically established in serpentine zones can be used as ecologic indicator

Plants in the serpentine zone of Teshio, northern Hokkaido

Achillea ptarmica L. var. yezoensis Kitamura (ホソバエゾノコギリソウ)
Berberis amurensis Rupr. var. japonica (Regel) Rehd. (ヒロバノヘビノボラズ)
Euphorbia sieboldiana Morr. et Decne. var. montana Tatew. (ヒメナツトウダイ)
Japonolirion osense Nakai (テシオソウ)
Picea glehnii Masters (アカエゾマツ)
Primura takedana Tatew. (テシオコザクラ)
Thymus quinquecostatus Celak. (イブキジャコウソウ)

References

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