JAPANESE JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY

What is the value of long-term ecological research (LTER) for young academic (or professional) ecologists? In this review, we suggest that combining long-term and large-scale monitoring, which are primary components of LTER, with field experiments allows for effective hypothesis testing in the field. The procedure is as follows: first, long-term and large-scale studies detect new spatial and temporal patterns in ecological processes. Consequently, new hypotheses can be formulated. Finally, field experiments can test these hypotheses by isolating and manipulating the driving factors. This process is very useful because it provides a means of first searching for, and ultimately elucidating the mechanisms underlying, a new subject. To this end, it is also important to connect with other researchers across multiple disciplines. Freeing oneself from private management may also pave the way to new research topics of interest to young ecologists.

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The main objective of protected areas in Japan is to maintain biodiversity, landscapes, and multiple ecosystem functions. However, a number of studies have reported that climate change has had negative impacts on these forms of ecosystem protection. Both research and conservation programs in other countries have addressed the issue of climate change at the level of protected areas, and those efforts can inform conservation practices in Japanese protected areas. This article reviews such studies and relevant examples of the adaptation of ecosystems to climate change. More specifically, most protected areas have been established based on the premise that ecosystems are statically distributed, but this assumption may no longer be valid due to climate change. Therefore, flexible management of protected areas, including the creation of connections among multiple areas, is considered to be one important adaptation measure. On the other hand, the question of how to conserve species and ecosystems in existing protected areas presents another important challenge. Several approaches have recently emerged, such as climate change vulnerability assessment (CCVA), expert consultation, scenario planning, and the Adaptation for Conservation Targets (ACT) framework. A non-static perspective on ecosystems may also change the value placed on some non-native species, as already seen in other countries. Thus, these new ideas may alter the values and directions of protected area management.

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