抄録
In order to assess the influence of global warming on alpine plants, an experiment has been carried out on Mt. Kisokomagatake (2, 956m), the Central Japanese Alps, using the ITEX (International Tundra Experiment) method. Five open-top-chambers (OTC) were set up, and vegetation distributions were observed in each OTC for the years 1997 and 2000. The temperatures at the surface and under ground were measured in each OTC as well as control plots from July 1996 to November 1998. The annual surface temperature in OTCs is about 1.1°C higher than that in the control plots. Under the greenhouse condition, Empetrum nigrum var. japonicum showed the remarkable expansion and intrusion into other species. In three OTCs without Empetrum nigrum var. japonicum, however, Vaccinium uliginosum tended to expand, and at the same time the other species could keep themselves. The area of died plants and non-plant decreased in this greenhouse experiment.
