Plenary Speaker : Biological Sciences
Prof. Dr. Satoshi Imura
National Institute of Polar Research (NIPR), Japan
National Institute of Polar Research (NIPR), Japan
Biodata : Satoshi Imura is currently the Vice Director-General of National Institute of Polar Research (NIPR), Tachikawa, Tokyo, Japan. His major research interests include the biodiversity and ecosystem in polar region, especially reproduction and origin of mosses in terrestrial and limnetic environments. He joined Antarctic research expedition 7 times and stayed in stations of Japan, Belgium, Italy and USA, and visited Arctic two times. Dr. Imura received his B.E., M.E., and PhD. degrees in science from Hiroshima University in 1983, 1985 and 1992, respectively. From 1992, he had been working in National Institute of Polar Research. In 2018, he was appointed as a Vice Director-General for research and education at NIPR. Dr. Imura is currently the national representative to SCAR/Bio Sciences.
Transition of Antarctic terrestrial ecosystem after the last glacial maximum –a view from lake bottom-
Abstract : After the last glacial maximum (LGM, ca. 10,000 years ago), Antarctic ice sheet have been retreating and ice-free bare ground spreading around the edge of the Antarctic continent. From frozen and dark environments under the ice sheet, to wet/dry and UV rich open condition, drastic change have occurred on Antarctic terrestrial environment and its ecosystem. The joint group of biologists and geologists in NIPR has been working to understand this transition process for over 20 years.
Two axes, horizontal and vertical were set up in the research strategy on historical geology and succession of Antarctic terrestrial ecosystem, especially focusing on the lakes. Horizontal axis is established on the ice-free area, from the shore to the retreating ice edge, and comparative study on biological, chemical, and physical changes in the lake water had been carried out.
Two axes, horizontal and vertical were set up in the research strategy on historical geology and succession of Antarctic terrestrial ecosystem, especially focusing on the lakes. Horizontal axis is established on the ice-free area, from the shore to the retreating ice edge, and comparative study on biological, chemical, and physical changes in the lake water had been carried out.
The vertical axes are established in the lake sediments, to clarify the history of each lake and to compare these lake histories along the horizontal axis. Taking advantage of these two axes, we are trying to understand the transition of Antarctic terrestrial ecosystem for ca. 10,000 years after the last glacial maximum.
