HOME Introduction Prefecture leaves Flowering pistil staments Tamano Tairin サカワ ミヤコ
ツクシ kantoh ヒメ ヤクシマ ランヨウ フジノカンアオイ オモロカンアオイ Gusuku hybrid animal trail
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Kan-aoi beside an animal trail

 While walking in an animal trail for envilonmental research,occasionally I find a few kan-aoi along the trail though kan-aoi growing group can't be found nearby .
 One day I was in an animal trail . I found a few kan-aoi but saw no growing group around . There was a community of tairin-aoi (A. asaroides) (600u) at intervals of 350 meters in a straight line from there . That was the place where I finally located some kan-aoi .
 I don't recognize the ecology of ants , but I'm wondering it is too long for ants to carry the seeds of kan-aoi .
No consecutive growing location was found along the way , in addition there was a little stream halfway between the two spots .
 Gazing at the kan-aoi beside the animal trail , I was eager to trace where this species came from .
 According to the late Doctor Maekawa , "ants can spread the distribution of kan-aoi , and the distance around the year is short ." Then there should be a succession of spreading the area . His theory doesn't apply in this case .
 Some gifu-chou (Luehdorfia japonica) researchers mention that mice eat the seeds . I support this opinion . Mice eat the seeds then weasels , martens and foxes eat those mice .
I suppose the distribution spread through their feces .
The reason is the distribution of kan-aoi is often seen along a marten trail etc .
 Furthermore the habitat of kan-aoi is
 ・the place where no pile of sand from the upper area , moreover scattered where no distribution is found around .
 ・the place where there's pile of sand although there is no habitat in a large part of the upper area .
 ・the place where these creatures' habitat was identified by environmental reseach .
 Harvest Mouse (their nests were identified near habitat of kan-aoi )
 Large Japanese Field Mouse
 Japanese Marten
 Raccoon Dog (exception They don't defecate along the trail )
These are the points to be considered .
In my opinion there is a good possibility that the distribution range of kan-aoi can be spread out mediated by weasels , martens and foxes rather than by ants .
 Migratory birds (Dusky Thrush、Woodcock etc ) whose feeding area is on the ground and raptorial birds that eat rodents also have the possibility to spread the distribution of kan-aoi . I haven't got the data to issue with confidence yet .
 
 
 
 
 



HOME Introduction Prefecture leaves Flowering pistil staments Tamano Tairin サカワ ミヤコ
ツクシ kantoh ヒメ ヤクシマ ランヨウ フジノカンアオイ オモロカンアオイ Gusuku hybrid animal trail
link


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