研究プロジェクト

Full Research

Stage	FR
Project No.	E-03
Project Name	Interactions between Natural Environment and Human Social Systems in Subtropical Islands
Project Leader	TAKASO, Tokushiro
Research Axis	Ecosophy
URL	http://iriomote.chikyu.ac.jp/
Key Words	forests, Iriomote, island econoics, mangrove plants, subtropical, water balance

○Research Subject and Objectives

Islands are faced with various environmental problems including water shortages, loss of topsoil, disappearing biodiversity, waste disposal issues, and those caused by the factors outside the islands including air and oceanic pollutions. The main purposes of this project awere to understand the multifacetness of these environmental problems and to indicate their solutions. We focused on the case of Iriomote Island in Okinawa Prefecture as a typical subtropical island but also intend to apply our research data and results to the cases of other islands. We strongly believe that economical independence of the local residents of the island is essential for creating a society in which the residents could hope for a better future. We also conducted various activities for conservation of the natural environment and the succession of the unique cultures of Iriomote Island

○Progress and Results in 2019

In the research of water balance and water quality, we have collected precious data concerning those of the rain and the rivers, which will be applicable to our research on the usages of water for everyday life, agriculture, and tourism. In the research of the forests, we deepened our understanding of the transitional processes of the broad-leaved forests and the Ryukyu pine forests. We also revealed an important role of typhoons in the death and growth of trees in the forests and understood that especially giant typhoons require a longer-term investigation because of their force that could devastate the forests. The research of island economy that was an important aspect of our project as a basis of everyday life of the islanders has not progressed as much as we first planned since our request to employ a specialist researcher was rejected. However, we continued to consider how the circulatory economy could contribute to the development of island economy and how it would be possible to introduce an environmental tax. In the research of the decision-making process, we reassured of the complexity of each local community on the island and the importance of its community centres through our close contacts with the local residents. In addition, we realised how important it is for us to introduce our research results to the subject areas. We also made a good progress in other research themes. This project had a large collection of photographic materials concerning Iriomote wildcats and local events, which are most useful for further research and activities.

○Project Members

◎ Takaso, Tokushiro ( Research Institute for Humanity and Nature,Professor,forest / interaction between organisms group: overall care of project, analysis of pollination mechanism, environmental education )

○ Inokura,Yoji ( Faculty of Agriculture, Kagoshima University,Associate Prof.,analysis of water balance and quality group: analysis of water balance )

○ Oshiro, Hajime ( Faculty of Law and Letters, Univ. of the Ryukyus,Professor,island economics group: island economics )

○ Kawakubo, Nobumitsu ( Faculty of Applied Biological Sciences, Gifu University,Associate Prof.,forest / interaction between organisms group: analysis of pollination mechanisms ,environmental education, management of database .Pictorial Library of Iriomote )

○ Kubota, Yasuhiro ( Faculty of Science,　Univ. of the Ryukyus,Associate Prof.,forest / interaction, between organisms group: analysis of ecosystem of evergreen forest )

○ Suzuki, Atsushi ( National Institute of Advanced Industrial Sciences and Technology,Head researcher,analysis of water balance and quality group: chemical analysis of sea water (coral reef area) including impacts of land-derived substances )

○ Hagiwara, Natsuko ( Faculty of Sociology, Rikkyo University,Associate Prof.,analysis of decision- making group: environmental sociology, analysis of decision-making )

○ Maekado, Akira ( Faculty of Law and Letters, Univ. of the Ryukyus,Professor,analysis of water balance and quality group: analysis of water balance ,evaluation of impacts of soil erosion )

○ Yoshimura, Kazuhisa ( Graduate School of Sciences, Kyusyu University,Professor,analysis of water balance and quality group: chemical analysis of land water, analysis of impacts of land-derived substances )

Enoki, Tsutomu ( Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyushu University,Assistant Prof.,forest / interaction between organisms group: analysis of mangrove forest ecosystem )

Otsuka, Yoshiki ( Faculty of Environmental and Information Studies, Musashi Institute of Technology,Associate Prof.,island economics group: economical analysis of industries, study of transportation )

Kimoto, Yukitoshi ( Research Institute for Humanity and Nature,Senior Researcher,forest / interaction between organisms group: analysis of pollination mechanism, plant morphology )

Kohno, Hiroyoshi ( Okinawa Regional Research Center, Tokai University,Associate Prof.,forest / interaction between organisms group: ecology of oceanic birds )

Satoi, Yoichi ( Faculty of Law and Letters, Univ. of the Ryukyus,Professor,island economics group: historical analysis of land use )

Sekino, Tatsuki ( Research Institute for Humanity and Nature,Associate Prof.,forest / interaction between organisms group: limnological and ecological studies using information technology, management of database, Literatures on Iriomote Island )

Setoguchi, Hiroaki ( Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University,Associate Prof.,forest / interaction between organisms group: analysis of introduced plants )

Taira, Tsuyoshi ( Faculty of Law, Okinawa International University,Lecturer,island economics group: study of public finance )

Takashima, Atsuko ( Graduate School of Science, Kyushu University,Graduate Student,analysis of water balance and quality group: chemical analysis of land water )

Tadauchi, Osamu ( Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Studies, Kyusyu University,Professor,forest / interaction between organisms group: insect taxonomy, ELKUType (database on type specimen collected in Nansei islands) )

Nakagawa, Masato ( Research Institute for Humanity and Nature,Researcher,forest / interaction between organisms group: population biology, analysis of genetic diversity (plants) )

Nakano, Takanori ( Research Institute for Humanity and Nature,Professor,analysis of water balance and quality group: stable isotope analysis of water )

Nomura, Naofumi ( Research Institute for Humanity and Nature,Researcher,forest / interaction between organisms group: ecophysiological analysis of introduced plants )

Hagihara, Akio ( Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Univ. of the Ryukyus,Professor,forest / interaction between organisms group: analysis of forest ecosystem, study of pine forests )

Hidaka, Toshitaka ( Kyoto Seika University,Visiting Professor,forest / interaction between organisms group: analysis of animal behavior including Iriomote cat )

Hirose, Takashi ( Faculty of Law and Letters, Univ. of the Ryukyus,Associate Prof.,analysis of water balance and quality group: analysis of water balance, analysis of impacts of soil types on soil erosion )

Fujita, Yoko ( Faculty of Law and Letters, Univ. of the Ryukyus,Associate Prof.,island economics group: economical analysis of industries, study of ecotourism )

Maeta, Yasuo ( Shimane University,Professor Emeritus,forest / interaction between organisms group: study of pollination symbiosis, life cycle of bees )

Maruta, Tsutomu ( Faculty of Arts and Crafts, Okinawa Prefectural University of Arts,Associate Prof.,local industrial possibilities group: study of ceramics, soil analysis for ceramics )

Miyanaga, Ryuichi ( Faculty of Life and Environmental Science, Univ. of Shimane,Asociate Prof.,forest / interaction between organisms group: study of pollination symbiosis, life cycle of bees )

Mukasa, Akiko ( Research Institute for Humanity and Nature,Project Research Associate,local industrial possibilities group: study of traditional dying and weaving methods )

Morimoto, Naoko ( Graduate School of Engineering and Science, Univ. of the Ryukyus,Graduate Student,analysis of water balance and quality group: chemical analysis of sea water in coral reef )

Yasuda, Keiko ( Research Institute for Humanity and Nature,Project Research Associate,forest / interaction between organisms group: analysis of plant diversity, insect identification )

Yanagi, Yoshikuni ( Institute Attached Okinawa Prefectural University of Arts,Professor,local industrial possibilities group: study of dyeing and weaving )

Yonekura, Koji ( Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University,Assistant Prof.,forest / interaction between organisms group: analysis of plant diversity )

CHIANG Tzen-Yuh ( Faculty of Biology, Cheng-Kung University,Professor,forest / interaction between organisms group: analysis of plant diversity )

PENG Ching-I. ( Institute of Botany, Academia Sinica, Taiwan,Head Re-searcher,forest / interaction between organisms group: analysis of plant diversity )

○Future Themes

In the past, some researchers maintained that all the islanders should move out of the island in order to protect Iriomote wildcats. Many researchers would not report the results of their researches to the islanders in return for their interviews and plant-animal-collecting on the island. In addition, on conducting fieldwork there, some researchers simply persisted on their own ideas that they had already developed and fixed beforehand and did not consider the actual conditions on the island at all. These facts led to antipathy to researchers shared among many local residents. It may not be as strong as hostility; but the researcher and the local resident still tend to conflict with each other. In such circumstances, it requires patience and careful consideration to solve the environmental problems. We attempted to contact with the local residents as frequently as possible. We also took up the issues that particularly concern the islanders into our research project. It was particularly effective in establishing good relations between the project and the local resident to introduce our research results at elementary and junior-high schools. The core members of the project have deeply understood that continuous introduction of research results to the local school and society is essential to build the society with prospective future. At least the reader continues to communicate with the islanders.

Books

【Chapters/Sections】

・Peng, C.I., D.E. Boufford, T. Takaso, T.Z. Chiang eds. 2007 . . A Selection of Plants from Iriomte Island, Japan. Endemic Species Research Institute and Research Center for Biodiversity, Academia Sinica, Taiwan, English

Papers

【Original Articles】

・Takaso, T and J.N. Owens. 2008 Significance of exine shedding in Cupressaceae-type pollen. J. Plant Res 121:83-85.

・Otsuka Y. 2007 Raw sugar, pine, black rice – transportation and nature in Iriomote Island. Gendai shisou 35:162-177.

・Takashima, A., K. Yoshimura, K. Kurisaki, Y. Inokura, T. Takaso 2007 River water quality on Iriomote Island, a subtropical island of the Ryukyus, and the effect of acid deposition,. Journal of Japan Society of Water Environment 30:325-328. (in Japanese)

・Tobe H., Y. Kimoto and N. Prakash 2007 Development and structure of female gametophyte in Ausrobaileya scandens (Austrobaileyaceae). Journal of Plant Research 120:431-436. (reviewed).

・Nomura N., H.Setoguchi, K. Yasuda, and T. Takaso 2007 Genetic structure of rheophytic and nonrheophytic populations of Farfugium japonicum on Yaeyama Islands, Japan. Canadian Journal of Botany 85:637-643. (reviewed).

・Hannan, A.M. and Y. Maeta 2007 Nesting biology and the nest architecture of Lithrugus collaris Smith (Hymenptera: Megachilidae) on Iriomote island, southwestern subtropical archipelago,. Journal of Kansas Entomological Society 80:213-222.

・Maeta, Y., A.M. Hannan and R. Miyanaga 2006 Additional notes on the nesting habits of Megachile yaeyamaensis Yasumatsu et Hirashima in Iriomote Island (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae). New Entomologist 55:1-8. (reviewed).