Open! Cherry blossoms finally opened in Yokohama

 

So, we were anxious about the cherry blossoms this year. This weekend, THEY FINALLY OPENED THIS SPRING! Not only that, they are accelerating the speed of reaching full bloom, by hours.

Morning, Cerasus jamasakura in Yokohama

The same tree in the afternoon

It’s another type of cherry tree, garden species.

Somei Yoshino in Ikebuchi Open Space of Niiharu.
 Almost reaching to the full bloom ...

So, Naomi become suddenly uber-busy to visit the places with cherry blossoms. This is super short post for this week. I‘ll tell you my adventure with cherry blossoms next week. Sorry.

Cerasus incisa, an endemic species found around Mt. Fuji.

If you find environmental issues in Kanagawa Prefecture, please make a contact with Kanagawa Natural Environment Conservation Center 神奈川県自然環境保全センター

657 Nanasawa, Atsugi City, 243-0121
〒243－0121　厚木市七沢657
Phone: 046-248-0323

You can send an enquiry to them by clicking the bottom line of their homepage at http://www.pref.kanagawa.jp/div/1644/

Please don’t tease me … Cherry blossoms this year in Kanagawa Prefecture

 

Two months ago in January, weather forecasters told us that it was a warm winter, and thus cheery blossoms would come early, maybe around 20th of March as in 2023. Now, it is March 24th, and the “official” opening doesn’t come to Kanagawa Prefecture. “Official opening” = The first day when a specimen tree has more than 5 opened flowers. Specimen tree for Kanagawa Prefecture is in Yokohama Local Meteorological Observatory at Minatono-mieruoka Park.” It has been a cold week. So far we have not had many March days that reached more than 15°C for max temp. Accordingly, cherries are not yet ready for blossoming … maybe.

Violets are open.

Last week, I planned to see cherry blossoms in one of the well-known hiking courses. It was a fine warm day compared with the previous days. The spot was in the southern part of the prefecture (more to this next week), so I expected I could meet early blossoms under relaxing sunshine. Nah. Yeah, there were lots of cherry trees along the trek, but no tree had flowers. Their buds looked very tight yet. When a cherry tree is ready to open its flowers, the buds have bright pale green which will be calyx supporting the petals when it‘s open. I could not find a tree reaching to this level of readyness. Sad.

Eyes tightly-shut

If all of them open, it‘ll be spectacular.

According to Dr. Hisanori Itoh, Prof. Emeritas of Kyushu Univ., when cherrys could not experience enough cold days of winter, they feel groggy even when spring comes. So, they cannot burst out their flower, but start to open them in a protracted way. For the worst case scenario, before all the flowers open the temperature reaches the level of early summer, and so the cherrys fail to acomplish full bloom. In Hachijojima Island 八丈島, this is already happening, and people cannot enjoy the spectacle there. I don‘t think we are at this stage in Kanagawa Prefecture yet. But still ...

They are all cherrys.

Please keep crossing your fingers for me to be able to tell my adventure next week with cherry blossoms.

Wind flowers were already open.

If you find environmental issues in Kanagawa Prefecture, please make a contact with Kanagawa Natural Environment Conservation Center 神奈川県自然環境保全センター

657 Nanasawa, Atsugi City, 243-0121

〒243－0121　厚木市七沢657

Phone: 046-248-0323 You can send an enquiry to them by clicking the bottom line of their homepage at http://www.pref.kanagawa.jp/div/1644/

Study ctd.: FY2023 results for Citizen’s River Monitoring in Kanagawa Prefecture

 

Since 2007, Kanagawa Prefecture mobilizes citizen volunteers to monitor water source rivers of Sagami 相模川 and Sakawa 酒匂川 Rivers (; my post on October 28, 2022). Every February, the researchers for the Prefecture at Kanagawa Environmental Research Centre 神奈川県環境科学センター preside two report sessions that tell us the collected results from volunteers’ studies during a fiscal year. According to this year’s session, we are 156 citizen monitors, the biggest number in 18 years of the project. We checked 48 points on Sagami and Sakawa Rivers. Unfortunately (or not), we did not find critically endangered species this fiscal year. Among the findings, Mr. Hasebe of the Environmental Research Center said the checking of Japanese fluvial sculpin is probably increasing. The fish lives only in the purest water. So, we in Kanagawa Prefecture procure water of improving quality seeping out from our forest. The other day, I’ve heard we in Kanagawa Prefecture pays the lowest tariff for tap of water thanks to these within-prefecture water sources. We must be grateful of it.

We’re collecting our specimen.

Kanagawa Prefecture gives scores for several indicator families of aquatic creatures, which shows the water quality where the animal lives. The numbers are adjusted to Kanagawa’s river from the Japanese Biological Monitoring Working Party (BMWP) published in 2017 from the Ministry of Environment. Japanese BMWP itself is modified for Japan based on English version started in 1976. We identified our catch under microscopes, and if it has a defined point, we record it in the report. The observations’ numbers are summed up, then we divide the total by the number of species we’ve recorded. We do the math like

(Kamimuria quadrata’s score + Perissoneura Paradoxa’s score + Oyamia gibba’s score + Epeorus latifolium’s score) / (Number of species in this equation, i.e. 4)

= (9+9+9+9) / 4

= 9

Perfect score is 10, which says the stream has impeccable quality. 9 is the second highest grade. For fiscal 2023, the best scored point, 8.15, was at ASL950m confluence of Mizuhi Stream ミズヒ沢 and Shijuhasse River 四十八瀬川 on the slope of Mt Nabewari 鍋割山 (ASL 1272m). Our study in Yadoriki Stream 寄沢 earned the 2024 second position with score 8.11 at ASL425m confluence of Yadoriki and Takigoh 滝郷沢 Streams. Not bad.

The score 8.11

I’ve found a sort of “???” in the score calculation. Because of the math, a place, where we have found only a small number of creatures but each of them had a higher score, earns good evaluation. Let’s call this place A. Take another place, call it B which records more species including all the animals found in Place A + the other insects et al of lower score. Then, the evaluation of Place B can be lower than Place A … I also noticed compared with the last year’s expedition I did alone in Yadoriki Stream, in FY 2023 adventure with tons of help from the fellow Forest Instructors, we’ve recorded more families of aquatic animals. Power of number in this regard. OK, but the final score becomes lower. Let’s be philosophical, and read the earned grade with a pinch of salt. The pros in Kanagawa Environmental Research Centre said the computed score can be a rough indication unless the numbers are widely apart. Roughly, roughly, if the score is higher than 7, we can regard the water quality good for tap of water. Oh, caution. Yeah, we can drink them in mountains if you like. But we can find such several tiny water animals that can be identifiable only with microscopes and their DNAs are floating freely. Moreover, there are lots of wild animals roaming in the forest of Kanagawa. They don’t hesitate pee and poop near the streams. Your cup of water procured from the stream in deep mountain surely has such ingredients. Allow them going down to your stomach? It’s your choice!

A bit of photo gallery I’ve taken from the specimen.
It’s stonefly.
I always think the pattern of their back is so artistic.

Caddisfly.
Don’t you think it’s cute?
The thing next to the bug is its home.
I tell you it’s so difficult to destroy.

Hexatoma sp.
When it becomes adult,
it is like a large mosquito (but doesn’t bite).
 I personally think it is also very cute,
like a fluffy doll. 😍

Leuctridae.
By the way, I took all these phots with Google Pixel.
 Though it does not have macros camera,
 it does this good job. 😉

The result from environmental DNA is also very interesting. There are several mismatches. Some families of animals have been catalogued as specimen, but no e-DNA result, or vice versa. Yeah. We made specimen roughly 100m long area of stream, but DNA was collected from just one pin-point place. That could make a difference for sure. Also, there are lots of DNAs found for non-aquatic insects. Mr. Hasebe said “If an ant fall in the stream, and madly swam for survival, its DNA can be found, right?” Hm. Yeah, it’s a likely scenario. Mammalian DNAs are also found. Boar and Masked palm civet. DNA keeps its form in non-refreg aquatic environment for about an hour or so. Maybe, their pee and/or poop is constantly dissolving in stream … or, their hair? Carcass floating? Actually, the scholars are trying to collect environmental DNA for non-aquatic animals as well. A group tried to gather DNA from morning dews on leaves. Another tried adhesive handy cleaner on soil. Who knows same time next year, we may be given a new tool to collect DNA from another place? Let us see …

Stabilizing the collected DNA in a filter with chemical.

Oh, recently, I’ve learned one way of calculating opening of cherry blossoms in higher altitudes. It’s like

A day of beginning cherry blossoms in a place ASL X m

= A day of beginning blossoms in a nearby seaside + X*(2 or 3)/100

i.e. a place of 100m higher altitude will have 2 to 3 days delay in opening flowers. I’ll try this formula to plan this year’s cherry blossom hiking. 😊

For the issues of river monitoring in Kanagawa Prefecture, please make a contact with Kanagawa Environmental Research Center 神奈川県環境科学センター

1-3-39 Shinomiya, Hiratsuka City, 254-0014
〒254-0014平塚市四之宮1-3-39

Phone: 0463-24-3311
FAX: 0463-24-3300

k-center@k-erc.pref.kanagawa.jp

https://www.pref.kanagawa.jp/docs/b4f/index.html

Baby Boar’s Hands: Polystichum polyblepharum in Niiharu Citizen Forest 新治市民の森

 

Spring is coming. Winter buds are unfurling even under occasional snow showers. Plum flowers are already falling. We must be ready for cherry blossoms in a couple of weeks. Niiharu Citizen Forest 新治市民の森 is not an exception. We Lovers are finding lots of frog eggs in ponds. “Don’t you think it’s a bit earlier than usual?” “Yeah.” “And I’ve found not only the eggs of Montane brown frogs (my post on March 31, 2023). There are lots of eggs for toads.” “Me too!” Surely, spring is coming. Another light-hearted news. Polystichum polyblepharum is back. Let me explain.

Many kinds of eggs

These days we have been worrying the health of a part of Niiharu Forest where ferns are covering the ground beneath the afforested cedars. When the spot was a private property years ago, the landlord planted lots of Japanese cedars which loved humid environment like here in a valley along small stream from springs. Inevitably, the place was also favored by ferns, especially humidity enjoying Polystichum polyblepharum. Then, after Typhoon Hagibis in 2019 when lots of cedars there were damaged, we noticed apparent decline in the colony of Polystichum polyblepharum. “Hmmmmm … in any case, we had to deal with the broken and fallen cedars. So, our intervention was inevitable.” “The level of humidity has been continuously declining in the slope of the hill for decades as the other side was completely developed for housing, right? The underground water vein was already damaged by concreated roads and housings.” “Even though, was it a right thing for us removing the fallen trees which would increase the direct sunshine coming into the valley?” The discussion is continuing …

The power of typhoon …

Yet, in 2020 6 months later of the typhoon 
Polystichum polyblepharum was yet standing …

Instead of Polystichum polyblepharum, another ferns like Arachniodes standishii that is more tolerant of drier environment began overtaking the space of Polystichum polyblepharum. Yeah, this fern is also beautiful, but I would say, its mysteriousness is a touch short of the atmosphere Polystichum polyblepharum creates. Last year, there came another theory. “Maybe, Polystichum polyblepharum is sick.” “Meaning?” “At least we have not found massive attack by caterpillars of sawflies, or leaf beetles.” “Or, they are infected by some virus (; yup, we’re in the post-COVID era) that causes the decline of the species.” “Like?” “Brown spots.” “Hmmmmmmm …” “Have you found leaves of Polystichum polyblepharum that are affected by brown spots for sure?” “Er …” We were wondering what was happening there, and if there was something we can do for that.

A year later, in 2021, from the above photo.
Could you feel a change?

And in 2022.
Don’t you think the scenery looks scarce of something?

Then, this year we’ve found in the valley lots of buds of Polystichum polyblepharum! Polystichum polyblepharum has Japanese name “Inode 猪手“ which means “Boar’s Hand.” It is said that for ancient people the buds of Polystichum polyblepharum looked like boar’s hand (foot?), and so they called the fern Inode. Early March this year we could find lots of cute boar’s hands here and there. Hurrah! “Oh, I’m so relieved to see them now!” “Last snowfall let the boughs of cedars falling on the boar’s hands. Let us clean up and help the baby to grow easily.” “Yup!” We did a little bit of cleaning over the head of the buds of Polystichum polyblepharum. Maybe, their previous ones were old enough to show apparent decline. Now, they are recovering with seedlings. I’m not sure if the kids of Polystichum polyblepharum can grow up beautiful adults. If our speculation on the changes in water vein is apt, they may have difficulty in survival. Yet still … I’m keep crossing my fingers for our concern being needless anxiety because due to human short temper, not out of the calm flow of forest time … Cherry blossoms are coming!

A baby is born!

Lots of babies!

If you find a problem in the greenery of north-half of Yokohama, please make a contact with

Office for the Park Greeneries in the North
北部公園緑地事務所
Yokohama Municipal Government Creative Environment Policy Bureau
横浜市環境創造局

Phone: 045-311-2016
FAX: 045-316-8420

Walking in the Living Plant Encyclopedia, in the Middle of Tokyo: Koishikawa Botanical Garden, II 小石川植物園

 

We enter the gate of Koishikawa Botanical Garden 小石川植物園 and go up a not-so-gentle slope. It’s reflected the geological structure of the Garden. The Northeast half of Koishikawa Garden is spreading relatively dry hilltop. The Southwest half has several springs which creates ponds and wetland-like environments. We can enjoy both dry climate loving plants and aquatic ones at one place. As I visited there early February, the ponds did not show lively development above surface. Though, I’m sure if it’s in June or July, we could see lotus and the other water vegetations. Between the hill and the ponds there is small but steep cliff-like slope that would be a fault line. Basically, the downtown area of Tokyo, like Ginza, Akihabara, and the area around Tokyo Station, was a large marsh some 600 years ago. Later several warlords, including the first Tokugawa Shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu 徳川家康, reclaimed the land by changing the flow of Tone 利根川 and Arakawa 荒川 Rivers. The wetland part of Koishikawa Garden would be a remnant of ancient environment of Tokyo.

The map of the Garden at the entrance.

The wide paved road is going up.

On our left of the climbing paved slope, we find an old 20-th century building that is the main (campus) building of the Garden. Before this architecture, there are large Japanese Sago Palms. These are academically important for Japanese botany, with another historical tree here. Please remember them. On our right, there is a large (I guess) Tilia platyphilla. The Garden has lots of VERY large old trees like this that show the history of the place. At the end of the slope there is a space under the gigantic deodar cedars. They are implants which came at the beginning of the Botanical Garden for the University. From the place of cedars, we can see a field and an old house which is the oldest building in the Garden, built in 1919. Before it was used for classes of physiologica chemistry, but now the place has small exhibition rooms and souvenir shop.

Sago Palms

The trees in exhibition, with name plates

I think it‘s Tilia platyphilla ...

Deodar cedars

From the deodar-cedars‘ place, meandering stroll paths are circling the allotments which are allocated each for a particular family, like wisteria, cherry and azalea. On our right there is a block for glasshouses. The one nearest to the visitors‘ path is open for the public. Naturally, they keep plants that are difficult to survive under cooler, or warmer, climate of Tokyo, i.e. the place is for curious plants. When a flower of Titan arum blossomed last December, they moved the specimen to this public glasshouse, and crowds advanced on to the Garden. Actually, in front of the glasshouse, there are two curious trees standing. One is an apple tree. Another is a grape. They look quite ordinary, but the apple tree was grafted from the apple tree in the birthplace of Newton. The grape is from the cutting of a tree from the vineyard where Mendel worked for producing better wine (yep, he also studied such things other than the genetics).

I‘m impressed they keep these ancient wisterias this way.
That‘s professional.

Azaleas. They would be beautiful in early May.

The glasshouse opens to the public.

Newton’s apple

Mendel’s grape

Greeted by such venerable trees, we enter a Japanese maple lined street, passing the allotment for camelias on the right, and meet a 300 years‘ old Ginko biloba. This and the Sago trees are very important in the history of Japanese botany. When Japan started industrialization in the late 19th century, scholars in Japanese Universities tried hard to prove they could do world-class researches. There were two scholars, Hirase Sakugoroh 平瀬作五郎 and Ikeno Seiichiroh 池野成一郎 in Tokyo University at that time who wondered how Ginko biloba and Sago tree, both anemophilous, fertilized. Hirase engaged in close microscopic study of the female flowers of Ginko biloba in this Botanical Garden and in 1894 found sperms from a pollen swam to the ovum. Few months later, Ikeno watched a similar development in the female flower of one of the Sago palms in the Garden. They published their findings, and became the first academic big and global news coming from Japan, reporting the reproduction process of gymnosperms which was unknown until then. The proud trees of the achievement now have a nice exhibition plate before them so we can know their contribution.

Japanese maple street

Camelias were also at their best in February.

THE Ginko biloba

Around the famous Ginko biloba there are 4 gigantic Camphor trees. Yeah, they are the trees that grow big, worthy for a house of Totoro. And so, we ordinary citizens do not plant them in our tiny garden. They are the testimony the place was a garden of Shogun. From the Camphor-tree-place to the northwest, the route is along the wide ridge of a hill full of large trees. We walk the boulevard lined by huge Tilia miqueliana, then Platanus orientalis which was the first implants brought from West Asia to Japan in the late 19th century. Next, tulip tree. Cornus officinalis that came here from China when the place was for the hospital. Its neighbor is endemic Ilex latifolia which exists in Japanese mountains from ancient times when people used its leaves for writing Buddhism mantra. Chinese quince was introduced here probably for manufacturing medicine during the hospital days, etc, etc … What is different walking under the big trees here, from, say, the ridgeway hike of Oku-Takao 奥高尾 with wild endemic trees (my three posts from February 25 to March 11, 2022) is some trees are really exotic plants intentionally introduced according to the usage of the place, like mansion for Shogun, general hospital, and aspiring international university. People transplanted them long ago, and has taken care of them for hundreds of years …

… Totoro …

The seeds for Tilia migueliana remained in February.

Platanus orientalis

Ilex latifolia, aka Postcard tree

At the end of the ridge way, there is a gazebo looking at the southwest spread of megalopolis Tokyo. Steps rapidly go down to the ‘wetland’ area of the Garden. Down there is a series of ponds with manicured vegetations of pines, crepe-myrtle, various boxes, etc. + strategically located rocks. This is a Japanese garden, the remnant of the time for little-boy Tokumatsu 徳松, who later became the 5th Tokugawa Shogun Tsunayoshi 綱吉. As such, this area is full of flowering shrubs and a large plum garden. It was in full-bloom during the middle of February. Beyond the plums, the vegetation becomes more of transplanted varieties including baldcypresses and redwoods. I personally impressed by the lines of Japanese alders here in the middle of Tokyo. The species loves boggy environment which is these days destroyed for development in Tokyo area, including Kanagawa Prefecture. The alders in Koishikawa Garden looked nice, well and thriving. I hope they won’t be the last standing for the survival of species like rhinos in zoo …

Tokyo is there.

The beginning of an old Japanese garden

We’re in the middle of Tokyo …

I guess the ponds have a very slow flow …

Baldcypress … er, yeah its roots for the photo.

Quiet waterfront

To the redwood lined street

Japanese alders there.

From the lower-land place, we can exit the garden directly, or return to the field of cherries on the hills. The entire Garden is of about 16ha. If you run it won’t take 30 minutes to go round. But, running could be a waste of your opportunity to enjoy such an academic Garden. All the displays have name plates facilitating nature observation sessions for pure novice. In a couple of weeks, their cherry field becomes pink clouds of cherry blossoms. The place will be an ideal location for cherry blossom party! Oh, I have to add this. We can picnic there, but of course all the trash must be removed with us. And no flower picking, collecting acorns, etc is allowed. This is THE educational place, mate.

Early flowering cherry was in full-bloom already last month.

Koishikawa Botanical Garden
Graduate School of Science, the University of Tokyo
3-7-1 Hakusan, Bunkyo-ku

Tokyo 112-0001