Near Nagano, Japan Photograph by Yasuharu Esaki   Eastern Asia: northeastern Honshu and part of Hokkaido in Japan Temperate Coniferous Forests   4,400 square miles (11,500 square kilometers) -- about the size of Connecticut Vulnerable

· An Alpine Abode
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
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An Alpine Abode

Spruce and fir trees carpet the mountainous areas across northeastern Honshu and part of the Oshima Peninsula in Hokkaido, Japan. This alpine region has varying habitats, from dry to lush. Here, birds such as the spotted nutcracker, the rare rock ptarmigan, and the arctic warbler make their home.

Special Features

Vegetation types reflect the distribution of snow in the region--alpine heath, grasslands, and deserts can be found in this alpine zone. Across habitats where snowmelt arrives early, Japanese stone-pine scrub communities grow in dense stands that are well adapted to an environment with little moisture. Where more water soaks the soils, broadleaved deciduous trees such as alder, mountain ash, and maple join the pines. As autumn approaches, these trees, especially maple, blaze with brightly colored leaves.

	Rock ptarmigan have feathered feet that act as snowshoes, allowing the birds to walk across soft snow. The bird’s Latin name, Lagopus, means "foot of a rabbit," referring to the ptarmigan’s furry feet.

Wild Side

A golden eagle soars over the tops of spruce and fir trees, searching the ground for a meal. Hunting is a frequent occupation for this bird--a typical golden eagle pair requires nearly 600 pounds (270 kg) of prey per year! Only 138 pairs were confirmed in to inhabit Japan as of 1994, and reproduction rates seem to be rapidly declining. A herd of shika deer browses on twigs and grasses as they make their way across an alpine meadow where the indigo and violet blossoms of bellflowers hang next to a constellation of star-shaped white lily blossoms. A brown bear feeds on berries at the meadow’s edge, while a rare Japanese rock ptarmigan searches for seeds and grasses. This threatened bird has been classified as a Special Natural Monument in Japan.

Cause for Concern

The trees in many of this ecoregion’s subalpine coniferous forests have been cut down for timber and the land replanted with trees such as Japanese larch. Most of the alpine vegetation at higher elevations is still relatively intact, however, because these areas are difficult to access. Mountain peaks and plateaus in this ecoregion are well-protected within the national park system, but increasing threats from tourism development and road construction call for careful management plans.

For more information on this ecoregion, go to the World Wildlife Fund Scientific Report.