Fossil Pollen assemblages from the Late Pleistocene sediments between SIP tephra and On-Pm-1 tephra in the northeast Musashino upland, Saitama Prefecture are described. Fossil pollen assemblages were divided into six local Pollen zones. Cryptomeria japonica and Picea were dominant in WP-2,4,6 pollen zones. It is indicate the wet upper cool-temperate zone coniferous forests expanded. Paleo-climete condition was cold at most upper pollen zone of WP-1.WP-6 pollen zone correlated with MIS5.5 by core MD01-2421, located off Kashima in northwest Pacific. Moreover, WP-4 correlated with MIS5.3, WP-2 with MIS5.1.

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Fossil pollen assemblages of the Late Pleistocene to Holocene sediments in northwest side of kanto Plain , Saitama Prefecture, Central Japan, were analysed to divided into three zones and subdivided eight subzones.
The YP-1-a subzone, was spreaded Pinus densiflora secondary forest and farmland. The YP-1-b subzone, warm-temperate zone composed deciduous and evergreen forest in the hills to plains, Mid-temperate zone composed of Abies firma and Tsuga sieboldii forests had spreaded to the mountains. The YP-2 zone, mainly of deciduous broad-leaved forests of the cool-temperate zone, in the mountains, and subarctic coniferous forest has expanded. Paleoclimate was cool and dry. The YP-3 zone, deciduous broad-leaved forest of the cool-temperate zone narrower distribution than YP-2 zone, subarctic coniferous forest has more expansion. Paleoclimate was slightly wet and cool condition. YP-2 zone is correlated with upper part MIS3 and YP-3 zone is correlated with middle part MIS3.
The Palaeoloxodon naumanni from near site , which is correspond to YP3 zone in age to 45ka..

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Until now, Eosentomon brachychaetum Nakamura, 2010, was known from a single holotype collected from Mt. Hayachine-san, Iwate Prefecture, northern Honshu, Japan. This study describes three specimens, a male, female and maturus junior, collected from Mt. Iwaki-san, Aomori Prefecture, northern Honshu. The male squama genitalis and maturus junior are described, and some specific supplementary notes, such as a description of the head sensilla and body chaetotaxy, are reported.

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Cephalanthera longifolia is a perennial Orchidaceous plant that was said to grow on sandy Pine-wood in coastal area. Since there are some reports that revealed they grow in parks and planted area of inland in recent years, the author clarified the distribution of C.longifolia in Saitama prefecture. As a result, new Cephalanthera specimen collected from a sawtooth oak grove in Kazo City, eastern Saitama in 2015 (SMNH-As53599) was identified as C.longifolia. And the reexamination of Cephalanthera specimens in Saitama Museum of Natural History clarified one specimen that had been identified as C.longibracteata was C. longifolia (SMNH-As21239; collected from Chichibu City, western Saitama in 1982). These results show that C.longifolia has been distributed in Saitama Prefecture since 1980s.

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We investigated the freshwater fish fauna of agricultural channels which are irrigated from Tokigawa River in Saitama Prefecture in 2012. We found a total of 7 families, 22 genus and 25 freshwater fish species including 15 native species which accounted for 40% of a number of native species confirmed in Saitama Prefecture. This results suggest that the study channels provide one of the important habitats for freshwater fish characteristic of middle to lower watershed, including endangered species because three endangered species were recorded. On the other hand, we confirmed the presence of 10 alien species. Although species richness and abundance of invasive alien species were relatively low, we have to pay attention to their population levels while considering possible preventive measures against further proliferation.

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Earthworm sampling was performed in Soto-Chichibu Mountains to investigate the earthworm fauna．From 27 sampling sites, 744 individuals of earthworm were collected, among them 20 species belong to Family Megascolecidae, including four tentative undescribed species. It is the first time to record Pheretima monticola, P. purpurata, P. quintana, P. rufidura, and P. surcata in Saitama Prefecture. According to the result of present survey and previous records, the megadrile fauna in Saitama Prefecture consists of 33 valid species belonging to four families. High-frequency appearance species were P. irregularis, P. vittata, and P. aokii. The intraspecific variabillity of P. purpurata, P. aokii, and P. surcata in Soto-Chichibu Mountains were described.

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To investigate earthworm fauna, earthworms were collected in Chichibu district (Chichibu City, Ogano Town, Higashi Chichibu Village, Minano Town, Yokoze Town). From 29 localities, 584 individuals of 31 species belonging to two families were collected. Among them, nine Megascolecid species were considered as a tentative undescribed species. Following 10 species were first record for Saitama prefecture: Pheretima acincta, P. florea, P. verticosa, Bimastos parvus, Eisenia andrei, and E. japonica. Thirty-three valid species belonging to 4 families are distributed in Saitama prefecture, and 23 described species and 10 tentative undescribed species in Chichibu district. Pheretima hilgendorfi is the one of common earthworm for all over the mainland Japan, whereas they are very rare in Chichibu district. From distribution pattern of individual species, species lacked in low altitude shows narrow distribution. High mountain has a possibilities as a barrier for some earthworms.

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Chert breccia, limestone breccia and greenstone breccia are distributed in the northern Chichibu Belt in the northwest part of Ogano-machi, central Japan. The gaps among chert or limestone fragments in the breccias occasionally are filled with muddy materials as injection structure. The evidence mentioned above suggests that breccias were formed by injection of muddy materials under high pore fluid pressure in the accretionary prism. The place where breccias were formed is shallow part in the accretionary prism. The greenstone in this district has a role as a matrix among blocks and breccias.

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[in Japanese]

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