We examined the composition and abundance of buried diaspore （seeds and oospores） in the soils and discussed their possibility for restoration of hydro- and hygrophytes in abandoned terraced paddy fields in a mountainous region of Sado Island, Niigata Prefecture, Japan.　Laboratory sowing test was conducted using soil samples collected at depths of 5-15 and 15-25 cm （0.024 m³ in total） in reed and forest stands that had been abandoned as paddy fields ca. 40 years ago. We recorded 26 plant species and 1357 individuals in the laboratory sowing test. Based on the best models selected by GLM in the laboratory sowing test, higher water level and deeper soil sample were significantly associated with fewer total number of plant species and individuals germinated except submerged plants. The results of our study suggest that submerged plants, including many endangered species by Japan’s Ministry of the Environment, e.g., charophytes （Chara braunii and Nitella spp.）, can be restored from deeper soils （15-25 cm） in reed stands, setting the water depth 5-15 cm. We observed 10 species of endangered hydrophytes in the laboratory sowing test and/or neighboring biotopes in the study area. As the soil diaspores banks in abandoned terraced paddy fields of the study area may be coming up to their expiration of life span, various methods should be applied to restore and conserve hydro- and hygrophytes using soil diaspore banks and biotopes those had been recreated from abandoned terraced paddy fields several years ago.

The species composition, habitat condition, and geographical distribution pattern of the subalpine to alpine meadow （Trollio-Ranunculetalia acris japonici Ohba 1973） on the northern part of the Ushiro-tateyama mountain range were investigated.　Based on species composition, the Trollio-Ranunculetalia acris japonici in this region was classified into 7 associations, 1 community, and 3 subassociations.　In this area, with heavy snowy climate, variety of Trollio-Ranunculetalia acris japonici were found, depending on altitude, topography （slope type, slope inclination）, in sites with high snow accumulation such as avalanche slopes and concave slope.　Characteristic association were found in serpentine areas.　It suggests that the diversity of the Trollio-Ranunculetalia acris japonici in the northern part of the Ushiro-tateyama Mountain range is caused by the snowy environment and serpentine.　Additionally, the proportions of the geographical distribution pattern of the species that constituted each vegetation unit differed as a function of altitude and topography.　The Carici brevisquamae-Hedysaretum vicioidis established close to the ridgeline above the forest limit had a high proportion of circumpolar elements, while other vegetation units that were established above the forest limit tended to have a higher proportion of Pacific elements.　Conversely, the vegetation units that were distributed below the forest limit had a higher proportion of lower montane elements and low-altitude species.　This difference in the geographical distribution pattern as function of altitude and topography suggests that vegetation history resulting from climate change should be considered when discussing factors that affect the distribution of the subalpine to alpine meadow.

The Ishikari Peatland, located in Central Hokkaido, was the largest mire complex in Japan with an area of 55000 ha, but over 99% of it had disappeared by the 1960s due to agricultural development.　The 2.3 ha study site is one of the remaining wetlands of the Ishikari Peatland.　This wetland is drained by surrounding and internal ditches, but many wetland plant species are still alive there.　To conserve the wetland, irrigation from the surrounding agricultural pipeline has been carried out from May to August for more than 13 years.　In this study, groundwater levels and vegetation were recorded for the year before （pre-irrigation year）, and the first and the 13^th year after the introduction of irrigation to evaluate its effects.　Groundwater levels at any sites in the first and the 13^th year were about 30 cm higher than those in the pre-irrigation year during the irrigation months.　Groundwater levels after the implementation of irrigation at depression sites were higher than the ground surface throughout the irrigation months, while at other sites, groundwater levels were more than 20 cm below the ground surface.　After 13 years from the implementation of irrigation, wetland species such as Phragmites australis became dominant and alien species present in the pre-irrigation year greatly reduced at the depression sites.　Outside the depressions, Betula platyphylla var. japonica in tree layers decreased drastically in some sites, but alien species and Pteridium aquilinum subsp. japonicum, which is known to invade drier wetlands, increased in many sites.　At the depression sites, irrigation caused a sufficient rise in groundwater levels that resulted in maintenance and restoration of wetland vegetation, while other sites received less effect.　The results suggested that topography, groundwater level and vegetation in the wetland were closely related.

The characteristics of daily and seasonal vegetation utilization and behaviors of sika deer （Crevus nippon yezoensis） were clarified from the GPS collar location data of nine hinds acquired by the Ministry of the Environment of Japan in the Sarobetsu Region, Northern Hokkaido.　Daily maximum snow depth data and 1/25000 vegetation map were used for this analysis.　Except for the one resident type （non-migratory） hind, all the sika deer seasonally migrate, and they wintered in a coniferous forest （partly a mixed forest of conifers and broad-leaved trees） on the coastal dunes, and were active in and around the sand dune forest from January to March.　In January and February, they mostly stayed in coniferous forests and mixed forests all day.　In April, when the snow depth was less than 10 cm, the sika deer immediately began to move from their wintering area to their summer habitats and arrived within three weeks.　Only one of them used the Maruyama area adjacent to the Sarobetsu Mire as her summer habitat, and the remaining seven had summer habitats away from the Mire.　And sika deer were mainly using broad-leaved forests and reed swamps during daytime, and pasture during nighttime.　From mid-October to December, sika deer gradually moved from their summer habitats to their wintering area, and the distance traveled sharply increased when there was snow on the ground.　By overlapping and re-analyzing the GPS collar positioning data acquired by some government agencies with various environmental information data, it may be possible to further clarify the sika deer’s behavior, predatory plants, vegetation types used, and other characteristics.

We described species composition and productivity at abandoned farmland in the Republic of Kazakhstan.　We also compared characteristics among sites to investigate community assembly rules in the patterns of secondary succession.　We selected six study sites on the northern and western natural steppes of Kazakhstan.　The species composition associated with low scores on the Detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) axis 1 was considered to reflect locally stable states, associated with the long time periods following abandonment.　Compositional differences along DCA axis 2 were likely reflective of regional species pool characteristics.　We concluded that controlling the initial conditions of abandoned farmland is important for steppe restoration.　We also suggested that successful management of abandoned farmland on the Kazakhstan steppes requires careful monitoring of the initial stages of secondary succession.

Even though it is a common knowledge that seed plants do not grow naturally on the summit of Mt. Fuji, recent study shows otherwise. My investigation conducted between years 2006 to 2017 recorded 8 species in 6 families （9 species in 7 families including former record） of seed plants on the summit of Mt. Fuji. The summit area of Mt. Fuji has been classified as a moss and lichen zone from the vertical distribution zooning method. I propose to position the summit area as the subnival belt （Ellenberg 1963） above the upper alpine belt. At present, seed plants grow naturally in a mosaic pattern on the subnival belt, which are considered as Carex stenantha var. stenantha-Stellaria nipponica var. nipponica open community. Recent extension of seed plants and opening communities on the summit are attributed to artificial influences and global warming.