Biological studies on ecosystems in the Yukidori Valley, Langhovde, East Antarctica

Abstract

The studies on the mechanism of Antarctic terrestrial ecosystems was planned as a four-year research project from 1986 to 1990 (JARE-27～31) within major projects of JARE. This was undertaken in two different regions of East Antarctica; the coastal ice-free Syowa Station area in Enderby Land and the Sφr Rondane Mountains in Queen Maud Land. The study on ecosystems of the Yukidori Valley, Langhovde, located in the Syowa Station area and approved as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in 1987,was carried out with the following main subjects : 1) observation of biological meteorology to know relationships between vegetation and environmental factors, 2) establishment of small sites or quadrats for a long-term monitoring of vegetational changes and 3) synthetic biological studies on ecosystems along streams and lakes between the coast and the end of ice cap. The study also suits the purposes of the international project "Biological Investigations of Terrestrial Antarctic Systems (BIOTAS)". The present report is to summarize and introduce the general accounts of the biological activities in the Yukidori Valley program.