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The distribution and extent of serpentinized areas in Japan

  • Chapter
The Ecology of Areas with Serpentinized Rocks

Part of the book series: Geobotany ((GEOB,volume 17))

Abstract

Japan contains a major part of the ultramafic rock belts in the Pacific Basin. The concentrations of nickel and chromium in the serpentine soils are high, but it is only nickel which is high in both its total and soluble forms, the latter being at a toxic level to plants. Chromium is not toxic to plants, because its solubility is low. Nickel toxicity in the plants causes a mineral imbalance between iron and nickel. Furthermore, associated with this, one can sometimes observe deficiencies in zinc and molybdenum.

Natural vegetation regions are recognized as the following four regions:

  • Camellietea japonicae region

  • Fagetea crenatae region

  • Vaccinio-Piceetea region

  • Alpine vegetation retgion

In the Camellietea japonicae region and the Fagetea crenatae region, rather thin, evergreen needle-leaved forest vegetations occurs at serpentine vegetation. The main type of these forests is Pinus densiflora forest.

The Fagetea crenatae and the Vaccinio-Piceetea cover northern Japan, where, especially in Hokkaido, the serpentine vegetation consists of Picea glehni forest.

In the alpine vegetation region, the serpentine vegetation is recognized as a thin herbaceous community belonging to the order Minuartetalia vernae japonicae, which includes two alliances, Drabo-Arenarion katoanae and Cerasteo-Minuartion vernae japonicae. The former alliance includes four associations.

There are about 50 species of serpentine characteristic plants in Japan. 37 spp. of these are recognized as typical serpentinophytes, and the remainder are relics.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Tokyo University of Agriculture, Onnenai 59-8, Abashiri City, Hokkaido, 099-35, Japan

    Naoharu Mizuno

  2. Department of Biology, Education University of Aichi, Kariya-shi, Aichi Prefecture, 448, Japan

    Shiro Nosaka

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  1. Naoharu Mizuno
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  2. Shiro Nosaka
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B. A. Roberts J. Proctor

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© 1992 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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Mizuno, N., Nosaka, S. (1992). The distribution and extent of serpentinized areas in Japan. In: Roberts, B.A., Proctor, J. (eds) The Ecology of Areas with Serpentinized Rocks. Geobotany, vol 17. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-3722-5_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-3722-5_11

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