Sugadaira Montane Research Center

Sugadaira Montane Research Center, established in 1934, is located on the mountain region of 1,300 m alt. in Nagano Prefecture, central Honshu-Island, Japan. In the extensive campus of the Center (35 ha), a sere of vegetation succession is well preserved, and seral stages of the secondary succession for the last one hundred years are sequentially and chronologically arranged: a Miscanthus grass field (A) - young pine forest (about 35 year-old) (B) - mature pine forest (about 50 year-old) (C) - older deciduous broad-leaved forest (about 100 year-old) (D). Thus well preserved filed, which enables us to observe the secondary vegetation succession and grasp its true image at a glance in such a restricted area, is a very precious being not only in Japan but in the world. Utilizing such a valuable environment, various researches and educational activities in the field sciences concerning the biodiversity, ecosystem, ecodynamics, weather, soil, stream etc. have been conducted by researchers and students from the University of Tsukuba and other domestic and foreign institutes.

Our center is the largest-scale mountain field science research institute in facility and staff in Japan. We aim at developing the Center into a world-wide base for the promotion of field sciences.

Research staff and covering fields

Facilities

Research biological and stereo microscopes - fluorescence biological and stereo microscopes - Intelligent microscope - education biological and stereo microscopes - scanning electron microscope - transmission electron microscope - ultra- and semithin microtomes - DNA sequencing system - next-generation DNA sequencer - integrated climatological analysis system - 4WD vehicle - tractor - library (about 20,000 items)