Form4 (FR2→FR3)

Interim Report

Project Title Biodiversity-driven Nutrient Cycling and Human Well-being in

Social-Ecological Systems

Abbreviated Title e-REC Project

Project Category Individual Collaboration Project

Project Leader OKUDA Noboru

Homepage Ex. http://www.chikyu.ac.jp/xxx/.

Keywords Biodiversity, Ecosystem service, Human well-being,

Nutrient balance, Watershed governance

Proposed project

period

□ 3 years Full Research

□ 4 years Full Research

■ 5 years Full Research

Check the applicable box.

Contents

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1. ACHIEVEMENTS IN FULL RESEARCH TO DATE

2. AMENDMENTS TO RESEARCH OBJECTIVES AND METHODS AS NECESSARY

3. RESEARCH PLAN

4. RESPONSE TO REVIEWER COMMENTS

5. MOST NOTABLE OUTPUTS TO DATE

6. PROJECT ORGANIZATION AND MEMBERS

7. FIGURES AND SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Summarize the proposal within two pages. Figures, tables and pictures can be included here. Supplementary figures, tables and pictures should be put in Section 8.

a) Research objectives and background

Technological innovation in food production resulted in population growth,

increase in life expectancy and economic prosperity. However, overexploitation of the

basal resources leads to disturbance of natural biogeochemical cycles of

macronutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, in watersheds. Such nutrient

imbalances have caused serious environmental problems, contributing to cultural

eutrophication and water pollution. The nutrient imbalances also skew biological

communities toward overwhelming superiority of nuisance species, as in the case of

harmful algal blooms. The anthropogenic disturbances in the nutrient cycling result

in deterioration of ecosystem services in quality and quantity through the loss of

ecosystem functions provided by biodiversity. At present, it has been recognized that

nutrient imbalances and biodiversity loss are so common and prevalent throughout

the planet, posing a risk to sustainable human development (Rockström et al. 2009).

To solve these nutrient imbalance-associated issues emerging at a watershed scale,

we aim to develop a method of adaptive watershed governance, in which biodiversity,

nutrient cycling and human well-being are enhanced as the primary components for

sustainable social-ecological systems.

b) Research methods and organization

Conventionally, governments and researchers have hitherto pay attention to

elucidate causality of environmental pollutions for practice of watershed

management, in which planning and decision-making are made for solution of public

issues based on scientific rationality, often taking institutional and technological

approaches. However, the modern nutrient imbalance-associated issues are

complicated and elusive not only because much of nutrients are loaded from non-

point sources, such as domestic and agricultural wastes, but also because a driver of

nutrient resource exploitation is remote from the source of nutrient pollution. In

addition, most of citizens, especially in developed societies, are not so interested in the

nutrient imbalance-associated issues because they never suffer from nutrient

pollution through their daily life, which is physically isolated from the nature. Rather,

they are concerned about social issues related to their life and livelihood than about

environmental issues. With the increasing population in society, the conventional

watershed management has difficulty in comprehensive solution of environmental

issues without social involvement.

Considering such limitation of the top-down approaches, we facilitate cross-

linkage of multi-level governance, in which a variety of stakeholders are involved in

enhancement of biodiversity, nutrient cycling and well-being for sustainability of

social-ecological systems, according to our hypothesis that these three components

are interdependent to each other through community activities, like gears (Fig. 1). In

local communities from upstream through downstream to coastal areas of the

watershed, we begin with action research, in which community member are

empowered for conservation of indigenous nature, defined as indigenous

environmental icon. By our definition, the indigenous environmental icon is not

always meaningful ecologically but culturally for the community members in the

context of their life and livelihood. It also has the potential to enhance community-

based well-being. When some of community members, who feel worthwhile and

satisfactory through conservation of the environmental icon, share its cultural values

with others, the community-based well-being is collectively enhanced through

accumulation of bonding social capitals. Then, the enhancement of community-based

well-being positively feeds back to biodiversity conservation and thus biodiversity-

driven nutrient cycling (processes at the local scale in Fig. 1).

If such community activities contribute to enhancement of nutrient cycling at a

watershed scale, they provide a watershed society with public interests in terms of

ecosystem services beyond indigenous cultural values for the local community.

Through dissemination of our scientific knowledge to the watershed society, we can

facilitate social involvement in conservation activities and green consuming of

environmentally friendly community’s products by non-community members who

appreciate the public interests, resulting in accumulation of bridging social capitals

and increase in economic incentives (processes at the watershed scale in Fig. 1). The

public interests may also solicit institutional support for the conservation activities

from local governments. Through integration of local and scientific knowledge, the

community-based well-being will be further enhanced, leading to empowerment of

community activities for environmental restoration as well as for biodiversity

conservation. In order to facilitate social involvement and linkage among a variety of

stakeholders in the watershed society, we will organize a watershed forum, in which

new environmental knowledge may be created to make the watershed system more

sustainable.

To practice the adaptive watershed governance based on transdisciplinary

science, we organized 7 discipline-based research units, which to put forward and test

working hypotheses on natural and social processes through the governance, and 15

site-specific or issue-specific working groups to co-work with a variety of stakeholders

in society from local to watershed scales (Fig. 2). We compare outcomes of our

watershed governance between contrasting two watershed systems, Lake Biwa

Watershed in Japan and Laguna de Bay Watershed in Philippines as models for

infrastructure-oriented and high-loading societies, respectively. For each of the two

societies, we have some focal communities across the longitudinal gradient of

watershed to view site-specificity in social-environmental issues and their solution

strategy. While finding constraints of the multi-level governance from our practices

and gathering social and ecological data on other watersheds from literature survey,

we will discuss applicability and limitation of our governance approach to a wide

range of watershed societies around the world.

1. ACHIEVEMENTS IN FULL RESEARCH TO DATE Compile this section within two pages. Figures, tables and pictures can be included here. Supplementary figures, tables and pictures should be put in Section 8.

To apply a method of our multi-level governance to the Yasu River sub-watershed of

Lake Biwa, we practiced action research to empower local communities for

conservation of indigenous environmental icons (subject a), while we conducted

synoptic researches on biodiversity, nutrient cycling and well-being in its whole

catchment to assess public interests of conservation activities (b-d). In parallel, we

applied our governance approach to the Silang-Santa Rosa sub-watershed of Laguna

de Bay to compare its outcomes with each other (e). We are also thinking out how to

construct international framework for the watershed governance (f).

a) Action research in local communities

We launched the action research in a local community located in the middle-

stream of Yasu River sub-watershed. Through recognition of indigenous nature and

mutual learning of its cultural values, we regarded a brown frog as an indigenous

environmental icon and worked on its conservation. The GIS-based spatial statistics

revealed that the brown frog prefers to spawn in the paddy fields with wetland

biotopes (Fig. 3a). This scientific knowledge facilitated farmers’ engagement in

conservation activities, in which paddy field irrigation system was modified from

modern to traditional one (Fig. 3b, c). Inquiry survey based on a grounded theory

revealed that participants altered their environmental consciousness, in which their

well-being was closely linked to natural capitals, through the conservation activities

(Fig. 4).

We also conducted the field survey on nutrient loadings from the paddy fields.

There was a tendency that the traditional irrigation system is effective in reduction

of phosphate loadings during the irrigation period, compared to the modern system,

though it was not statistically significant because of small sample size (Fig. 5).

b) Synoptic research on biodiversity and nutrient cycling

In the whole catchment of Yasu River, we conducted synoptic field research to

visualize spatial pattern of biodiversity and nutrient cycling during irrigation period,

which are comparable to the previous data on those during non-irrigation period. The

data analysis is now going on to assess not only the impact of the paddy field

irrigation on the biodiversity and nutrient cycling but also the relative contribution

of community conservation activities to reduction of anthropogenic nutrient loadings.

c) Assessment of public interests

Prior to assessment of public interests from the community conservation activities,

we established some advanced technique to monitor nutrient cycling at a watershed

scale. Sequential extraction method to isolate and quantify speciation of particulate

phosphorous (PP) was used to evaluate its bioavailability and assess its potential

impacts on coastal ecosystems. In the previous year, we reported that coastal

zoobenthos diversity is depauperated by habitat degradation due to siltation from the

paddy fields in the catchment. In Yasu River, the PP accounts for 85.2% of the total

phosphorous loaded from its catchment, reaching to 18.9t of annual loading on the

lake basin (Ohkubo 2008). It has been believed that the PP loaded from the

catchment quickly sinks to the coastal area and sequestered to the lake sediment as

immobile phosphorous. Our present research gave evidence that much of PP in river

waters is derived from the paddy fields during the irrigation period (Fig. 6a, b). The

sequential extraction method showed that the PP includes much of bioavailable P

(Fig. 6c), suggesting the possibility that the bioavailable P can be regenerated to the

water column after the sedimentation and thus cause eutrophication.

Phosphate oxygen isotope (δ18Op) analysis was also used to identify the source of

phosphorous loadings from the catchment of Yasu River. Although we previously had

technical problem of contamination in the process of phosphate sample purification

for the isotope analysis, we solved this problem using a modified method, except for

organic P-rich samples. We found that natural and anthropogenic P sources from this

catchment have unique isotope signatures (Fig. 7). For most of river water samples,

their δ18Op values did not reach at isotope-exchange equilibrium, suggesting that all

of loaded phosphates are not biologically recycled in stream. The δ18Op values tended

to be higher with increasing proportional area of cropland in the catchment,

suggesting that agricultural P sources are loaded on river ecosystems though they

have not yet been identified (Fig. 8).

d) Assessment of subjective well-being

We need to know social demands and concerns in order to facilitate social

involvement in community activities and solicit institutional support for these

activities from local governments. For this purpose, we conducted comprehensive

questionnaire survey on subjective well-being and ecosystem services, targeted at the

watershed society (more than 30 thousand of households). A preliminary analysis of

multilevel structural equation modelling revealed that natural and social capitals

have site-specific effects on subjective well-being.

e) Application of governance approach to other watersheds

Considering applicability of our watershed governance to developing societies

with high-loading, we conducted basic questionnaire survey on life and livelihood,

targets at three local communities from upstream, middle-stream and downstream

of the Silang-Santa Rosa sub-watershed, in which residents strongly depends on

groundwater resources for drinking and irrigation. Our nutrient research revealed

that groundwater nitrate concentration is higher than a guideline value of health risk

at a given site, possibly due to anthropogenic loadings (Fig. 10 & 11).

We also estimated in-stream nutrient uptake rate in this watershed with tracer

addition experiment (TASCC sensu Covino et al. 2010). Although most of sampling

stations show P-excess in nutrient balances, the phosphorous uptake rates were

higher by 1-3 orders than those for Yasu River. In order to examine whether such

high phosphorous uptake is specific to our study watershed or common in tropical

streams, we conducted the synoptic research on the nutrient spiral metrics in the

Marikina River sub-watershed which is located adjacent to the mega-city Manila.

f) International framework

To trace phosphorous flows in the processes of production, distribution and

consumption in a society of the Lake Biwa Watershed, we collected statistical data on

an input-output table for phosphorous flow analysis. We also have considered

feasibility to assess how much direct and indirect flows of phosphorous resources can

place environmental loadings on developing countries.

2. AMENDMENTS TO RESEARCH OBJECTIVES AND METHODS AS NECESSARY Use this section to indicate whether or not your Research Objectives and Methods have changed in light of achievements and problems confronted in the PR period. Indicate clearly where the new plan differs from that described in Form 2 (PR→FR1)

According to PEC comments, we conducted inquiry survey targeted at residents and

local governments in the Silang-Santa Rosa sub-watershed of Laguna de Bay

because our research framework of watershed governance, especially what is an

environmental issue and who are key stakeholders in this governance, is unclear.

Based on the inquiry survey, we found that they are concerned about the sustainable

use of groundwater resources and the health risk of groundwater pollution but not

about biodiversity loss emerging in this watershed. Considering priority to their life

and livelihood, thus, we partly shifted our research focus of our governance from

biodiversity to groundwater resources. In the next fiscal year, we will hold a workshop

to discuss how to solve the groundwater pollution among a variety of stakeholders in

this watershed. On one hand, we may need to take top-down approaches of

institutional and technological solutions because the magnitude and intensity of the

groundwater pollution are beyond the potential for community-based governance to

solve this issue at the watershed scale. On the other hand, we try to empower a rural

farmer community for conservation of indigenous nature in the middle stream of this

watershed, where there are some scopes for community-based solution.

3. RESEARCH PLAN Describe in detail the activities to be undertaken by the next evaluation.

1) Community-based governance in the Yasu River sub-watershed

We are going on 5 case studies of community-based governance in the Yasu River

sub-watershed. In the upstream forestry community, we are planning to conduct the

field research to examine how forest thinning can enhance nutrient cycling in the

forest floors, facilitating effective utilization of lumbers by community and out-

community members. We will apply the δ18Op technique to trace phosphate dynamics

in the soils. In the middle-stream farmer community, we will conduct the field and

laboratory experiments to examine how traditional irrigation systems can enhance

biodiversity and microbial nutrient recycling in the paddy fields, using the δ18Op

analysis. In the downstream farmer community, we will establish a method of fish

otolith Sr isotope (87Sr/86Sr) analysis to trace pelagic fish migration for spawning in

the nursery paddy fields, which can contribute to animal-driven nutrient

transportation from the lake to croplands. In the coastal community, in which lagoon

restoration is practiced, we will assess effects of fishway construction on the fish

spawning migration to this lagoon, using the fish otolith 87Sr/86Sr analysis and

environmental DNA technique. We will also conduct the field research to assess

microbial nutrient recycling in this lagoon, based on the δ18Op analysis. Also in the

coastal areas, urban and fishery communities recently suffer from macrophyte

overgrowth. We already conducted laboratory experiments to examine how

macrophyte composts can enhance microbial nutrient recycling in the cropland soils.

To facilitate social involvement in the macrophyte composts, we will hold a workshop

with a variety of stakeholders in the coastal communities.

2) Scaling-up of governance from local communities to a watershed society

We already conducted synoptic surveys to monitor spatial pattern of biodiversity

and nutrient cycling in the whole catchment of Yasu River. Based on these scientific

knowledge, we will assess public interests of conservation activities in our focal

communities, that is, how these activities contribute to nutrient recycling as one of

ecosystem services at the watershed scale. To solicit institutional support for these

community activities from local governments, we are now under construction of

institutional framework, reinforcing cooperative relationships with local

governmental sectors (Fig. 9). In order to facilitate social involvement in the

community activities as participants or green consumers, we will disseminate our

scientific knowledge on public interests yielded from these activities to the watershed

society. Prior to this action, we already conducted questionnaire survey in a whole

catchment of Yasu River to search for social demands and concerns in the watershed

society. Based on results from multilevel structural equation modelling, we are

planning to organize a watershed forum, in which we will call a variety of

stakeholders in the watershed society in order to facilitate social involvement in

community activities for biodiversity conservation and environmental restoration.

3) Application of governance approach to the Silan-Santa Rosa sub-watershed

In the previous year, we conducted stable isotope research with δ15NO3 analysis to

identify the source of nitrogen pollution and trace the nitrogen dynamics in the

Silang-Santa Rosa sub-watershed. We will hold an international workshop jointing

with the Nutrient Management Research Unit in the Philippines in March, 2017 to

discuss research progress and implementation plans for FR3. We will also hold a

workshop for residents and local governmental sectors in this watershed to discuss

the solution strategy for the nitrogen pollution.

Although we found in the previous field research that phosphorous loadings and

the resultant eutrophication are so serious in this watershed, we have not yet come

to conclusion what is the source of phosphorous pollution. That is why we are ready

to introduce the δ18Op technique to the laboratory of our counterpart, Laguna Lake

Developmental Authority, in the Philippines. We will conduct the synoptic sampling

of dissolved phosphate in river and ground waters to identify the source of

phosphorous loadings. It is challenging to conduct δ15NO3-δ18Op dual analyses, which

may enable us view the spatial pattern of phosphorous and nitrogen loadings and

thus the ecological consequences of the resultant spatial heterogeneity in nutrient

imbalances.

While we urgently need to take top-down approaches of nutrient management,

we also practice community-based governance in the middle-stream farmer

community, named Carmen Barangay, where a communal spring is managed by

community members for multipurpose use. We will conduct the action research to

empower them for conservation of this spring, which has the potential for

enhancement of well-being through accumulation of social capitals.

4. RESPONSE TO REVIEWER COMMENTS Use this section to respond to any outstanding reviewer comments (especially the comments given by PEC and the others)

As PEC pointed out, I agree that I did not sufficiently show scientific evidence in my

presentation. It might have been also unclear how biodiversity, nutrient cycling and

well-being are interdependently linked to each other in our research scheme of

watershed governance and how our comparison between the Lake Biwa and Laguna

de Bay Watershed can be extended to the global scale. In the forthcoming meeting, I

would like to improve my presentation, paying my special attention to the following

two points: 1) Research scheme of watershed governance and 2) Extension of

watershed governance to the global scale. Please see Section 1 for details of

achievements.

1) Research scheme of watershed governance

According to a working hypothesis that biodiversity, nutrient cycling and well-

being are interdependently enhanced through community activities (Fig. 1), we are

monitoring these three components at both local and watershed scales with the

progress of our watershed governance in the Yasu River sub-watershed of Lake Biwa.

At the local scale, we began with action research to empower local communities for

conservation of indigenous nature, defined as indigenous environmental icon. Based

on inquiry survey, we examined how community-based well-being is enhanced

through sharing of its cultural values among the community members and

accumulation of bonding social capitals. We are also monitoring how biodiversity and

nutrient cycling are enhanced at the local scale through the conservation activities

(subject a in Section 1).

In parallel, we conducted synoptic surveys to monitor spatial pattern of

biodiversity and nutrient cycling at the watershed scale, using some advanced

technique (b-c). Based on these results, we will assess public interests of conservation

activities, that is, how they can contribute to nutrient recycling at the watershed scale

as one of ecosystem services. To solicit local governmental support for these

community activities, we are under construction of institutional framework, while co-

working with local governmental sectors. Prior to dissemination of our scientific

knowledge on the public interests to the watershed society, it is necessary to search

for social demands and concerns related to natural and social components in the

watershed system. With this knowledge, we would like to think out how to call for

social involvement in the community activities as participants or green consumers.

For this purpose, we conducted questionnaire survey in a whole watershed to perform

multilevel structural equation modelling, by which we examine how social and

natural capitals affect subjective well-being at individual, local and watershed scales,

and what affects its site-specific pattern (d).

To facilitate linkages among local communities as well as among a variety of

stakeholders in a watershed society, we will organize a watershed forum in FR4.

Finally, we will assess how our watershed governance is effective in enhancement of

biodiversity, nutrient cycling and well-being at the watershed scale, using a scenario

model.

2) Extension of watershed governance to the global scale

In the Silang-Santa Rosa sub-watershed of Laguna de Bay, which is contrasting

to the Yasu River sub-watershed, we conducted questionnaire and inquiry surveys

targeted at residents and local governments to know their interests and concerns

about natural and social components in the watershed system. Based on these results,

we found that they are concerned about the sustainable and safety use of

groundwater resources, which are essential to their life and livelihood but whose

accessibility is limited due to overexploitation. Our nutrient research revealed that

groundwater nitrate concentration is higher than the guideline for safety drinking

waters recommended by WHO at a given site (e). Considering this result, we will

organize international and local workshops to discuss implementation plans for the

watershed governance in FR3. In FR4, we will also organize a watershed forum in

the same way as the Yasu River sub-watershed.

Through comparative approach, we will discuss applicability and limitation of our

governance approach to other watershed systems on a global scale up to FR4. For

this purpose, we will also conduct a literature survey to collect data on natural and

social properties of major watershed systems in the world and have interviews to

researchers who have practiced the watershed governance.

We are also considering extension and feasibility of phosphorous flow analysis in

a developed watershed society to assess how much direct and indirect flows of

phosphorous resources can place environmental loadings on developing watershed

societies (f)..

5. MOST NOTABLE OUTPUTS TO DATE Please provide the most notable outputs (no more than 15 outputs) below. Please note that the authors of the works to be listed here will be included in Section “7. PROJECT ORGANIZATION AND MEMBERS.” References should be consistent with the format used in the RIHN annual report. All outputs will be provided on Form2 “Outputs to Date.” Please indicate the original language if you have achievement(s) in non-English languages. Example: …(in Japanese).

Project members and core-members are underlined and double-underlined,

respectively.

1) Akamatsu F, Y. Suzuki, Y. Kato, C. Yoshimizu & I. Tayasu (2016) A comparison

of freeze-dry and oven-dry preparation methods for bulk and compound-specific

carbon stable isotope analyses: examples using the benthic macroinvertebrates

Stenopsyche marmorata and Epeorus latifolium. Rapid Commun Mass

Spectrom 30: 137-142

2) Asano, S., K. Wakita, I. Saizen & N. Okuda (2016) Can the spawn of the

Japanese brown frog (Rana japonica, Ranidae) be a local environmental index to

evaluate environmentally friendly rice paddies? The proceeding of 37th Asian

Conference on Remote Sensing Ab0263:1-9

3) Ban, S., T. Toda, K. Ishikawa & A. Kohzu (2016) Possibility of a recycling-

oriented society through sustainable utilization of aquatic weed biomass.

Journal of Environmental Conservation Engineering, 45 (9): 30-35

4) Boyero, L., R. G. Pearson, C. Hui, M. O. Gessner, J. Pérez, M. A. Alexandrou, M.

A. S. Graca, B. J. Cardinale, R. J. Albariño, M. Arunachalam, L. A. Barmuta, A.

J. Boulton, A. Bruder, M. Callisto, E. Chauvet, R. G. Death, D. Dudgeon, A. C.

Encalada, V. Ferreira, R. Figueroa, A. S. Flecker, J. F. Goncalves Jr, J. Helson, T.

Iwata, T. Jinggut, J. Mathooko, C. Mathuriau, C. M’Erimba, M. S. Moretti, C.

M. Pringle, A. Ramirez, L. Ratnarajah, J. Rincon, C. M. Yule (2016) Biotic and

abiotic variables influencing plant litter breakdown in streams: a global study.

Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 283. 20152664

5) Fujiwara Y., T. Iwata, J. Urabe & S. Takeda (2016) Life history traits and

ecological conditions influencing the symbiotic relationship between the

flatworm Stylochoplana pusilla and host snail Monodonta labio. Journal of the

Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 96 (3): 667-672

6) Ho, P.-C., N. Okuda, T. Miki, M. Itoh, F.-K. Shiah, C.-W. Chang, S. S.-Y. Hsiao,

S.-J. Kao, M. Fujibayashi & C.-H. Hsieh (2016) Summer profundal hypoxia

determines the coupling of methanotrophic production and the pelagic food web

in a subtropical reservoir. Freshwater Biology 61: 1694–1706

7) Ikeya, T. (2016) Activities for Japanese conservation area as the UNESCO

world natural heritages and biosphere reserves: Towards participatory

approach by local communities: A review. Journal of Nature Restoration and

Conservation, 8: 1, 3 – 22 (in Japanese)

8) Ishikawa N. F., H. Togashi, Y. Kato, M. Yoshimura, Y. Kohmatsu, C. Yoshimizu,

N.-O. Ogawa, N. Ohte, N. Tokuchi, N. Ohkouchi & I. Tayasu (2016) Terrestrial-

aquatic linkage on stream food webs along a forest chronosequence: multi-

isotopic evidence. Ecology 97: 1146-1158

9) Iwata, T. (2016) Methane cycling in wetlands and lakes. Kawamura, K. et al.

eds., Encyclopedia of low temperature science．Asakura Publishing, Tokyo,

pp.233-234. ISBN: 978-4-254-16128-1 (In Japanese)

10) Kawanobe, K. & T. Ikeya (2016) An examination of fixatives and sample storage

temperatures for marine phytoplankton preservation: comprehensive policies on

quality and risk control. Bull. Plankton Soc. Japan, 63: 55 - 65 (in Japanese)

11) Koyama, M., S. Yamamoto, K. Ishikawa, S. Ban & T. Toda (2016) Inhibition of

anaerobic digestion by dissolved lignin derived from alkaline pre-treatment of

an aquatic macrophyte. Chemical Engineering Journal, 311: 55-62

12) Liu, X. & S. Ban (2016) Effects of acclimatization on metabolic plasticity of

Eodiaptomus japonicus (Copepoda: Calanoida) determined using an optical

oxygen meter. Journal of Plankton Research, doi:10.1093/plankt/fbw084

13) Ohba, S., N. Okuda & S. Kudo (2016) Sexual selection of male parental care in

giant water bugs. Royal Society open science 3: 150720

14) Okuda, N., S. Asano & K. Wakita (2017) Adaptive watershed governance based

on transdisciplinary science: Biodiversity-driven nutrient cycling and human

well-being. Geography, 62 (1): 32-39 (in Japanese)

15) Tordesillas, D.T., N.K.P. Abaya, M.A.S. Dayo, L.E.B. Marquez, R.D.S. Papa & S.

Ban (2016) Effect of temperature on life history traits of the invasive calanoid

copepod Arctodiaptomus dorsalis (Marsh, 1907) from Lake Taal, Philippines.

Plankton & Benthos Research 11: 1-7

6. PROJECT ORGANIZATION AND MEMBERS Please describe the organization of the Project in one page. The possible content includes sub-groups with its brief description and names of project leader, in-house project members and project members who make significant contributions to the project. Please use “Century” in size 12 for letters to be used in description. In addition to what will be presented here, please fill out Form3 “Project members” to list all the project members.

Our project is composed of 7 discipline-based research units, which to put

forward and test working hypotheses on natural and social processes of

watershed governances, and 15 site-specific or issue-specific working groups

to co-work with a variety of stakeholders in society from local to watershed

scales (Fig. 2). Each research unit and working group has a unit leader and a

group coordinator, respectively. Core-member is composed of a project leader

(Noboru Okuda), unit leaders and executive office.

River Research Unit (Tomoya Iwata): Theoretical and empirical researches

on biodiversity and nutrient cycling in river ecosystems.

Lake Research Unit (Syuhei Ban): Theoretical and empirical researches on

biodiversity and nutrient cycling in lake and lagoon ecosystems.

Terrestrial Research Unit (Takashi Osono): Theoretical and empirical

researches on biodiversity and nutrient cycling in terrestrial ecosystems.

Analytical Research Unit (Ichiro Tayasu): Application of advanced technique

and methods to study biodiversity and nutrient cycling.

Human Research Unit (Kenichi Wakita): Social science researches on

governance, well-being and ecosystem services.

Nutrient Management Unit (Santos-Borja Adelina): Research and politics on

nutrient management to mitigate eutrophication in developing countries.

Network Research Unit (concurrently held by a project leader): Research on

ecosystem networks. It also functions to facilitate linkages among a variety

of stakeholders in society as well as to construct international networking of

governance research.

Fifteen working groups are coordinated by Satoshi Asano, Ikeya Tohru,

Takuya Ishida, Yoshitoshi Uehara, Jun Nishihiro, Hiroshi Kamiya,

Yoshimitsu Taniguchi, Kazuyo Matsubae and some of the above unit leaders.

The former four take charge of the executive office. For each working group,

details of its mission are omitted because of page space limitation.

Kirie Watanabe and Makiko Terai take a role of logistic supports and

public relations as a member of the executive office, respectively.

Fig. 1 A hypothetical schema on how biodiversity, nutrient cycling and well-being are enhanced through multi-level governance. These four gears are interdependently driven by action research to facilitate community activities at local scales. Social-ecological systems become more sustainable when these gears are accelerated for each of communities in the watershed. Processes in which each gear is driven are indicated by arrows.

Fig. 2 Research organization in which each of project members belongs to both discipline-based research units and site-specific or issue-specific working groups. The research units test the hypothesis in Fig. 1, while the working groups facilitate social involvement by a variety of stakeholders from local to watershed scales.

Bridging social capitals

Public interests

Social involvement

Assessment

Bonding social capitals

Well-beingBiodiversityCommunity

activityNutrient cycling

Environmental icon for community-based well-being

Green consuming

Institutional support

Watershed research

Local scale

Watershed scale

Dissemination

Other watersheds

Coast(Urban)

Down-stream(Shina)

Down-stream(Suhara & Awaji)

Middle-stream(Kosaji)

Discipline-based research units

Site-specificworking groups

TerrestrialRU

RiverRU

LakeRU

AnalyticalRU

NetworkRU

HumanRU

Spatial scales

Up-stream(Ohara)

Stakeholder engagement

Producer

Consumer

Company

Government

NPO&NGO Educator

NutrientManagement RU

Lake Shinji WGInba Marsh WG

Hachiro Lagoon WGLake Laguna WG

Lagoon restoration WG

Nurserypaddy field WG

MacrophyteCompost WG

SATOYAMAConservation WG

Forestconservation WG

Catchment

Nutrient flow analysis WG

Dialogue & Mutual learning

Lake BiwaWatershed Governance

method WG

Human well-being WG

Ecosystem service WG

Yasu River WG

Lake Biwa WG Lake basin

Issue-specificworking groups

7. FIGURES AND SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS Post supplementary figures, tables and pictures within five pages.

Fig 3 Spatial statistical analysis based on GIS to examine what characteristics of paddy field are preferred by brown frogs for their winter spawning in the middle-stream community (a). The location of paddy fields in which traditional irrigation systems, such as inner drainage and winter irrigation, were reintroduced for conservation of indigenous nature (b). The conservation activities were empowered after introduction of indigenous environmental

icon to this community (c). Fig. 4 A schematic view of preliminary result from text analysis based on inquiry survey targeted at farmers who practiced traditional (yellow plots) and modern (blue) irrigations. For the farmers who practiced the traditional irrigation, their subjective well-being was closely linked to natural capitals through sharing of knowledge on cultural values of indigenous environmental icon among the community member. Fig. 5 Soluble reactive phosphorous concentration in irrigation waters of paddy fields in which traditional (green) and modern (brown) irrigations were practiced.

No. of spawning

LegendInner drainage 2016

Inner drainage 2015

Inner drainage 2014Winter irrigation

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

2014 2015 2016

Winter irrigation

Inner drainage

Introduction of environmental icon

(a)

(b) (c)

FoodAmphibian

Retirement

FishLivelihood

EnvironmentPaddy field

Well-being

Nvivo ver11 Pro

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

3/31 5/1 6/1 7/2

SRP

co

nc

of

pad

dy

fiel

d w

ater

(m

mo

l L-1

)

Traditional (n=4)

Modern (n=3)Puddling Planting

Fig. 6 The map of sampling stations for sequential extraction method to isolate and quantify speciation of particulate phosphorous (PP) (a). The downstream of main stream (Y4) and two river branches (S1 and Y1), in which the proportional areas of cropland (in parentheses) in their catchment are different from each other. Seasonal pattern of PP, dissolved organic P and soluble reactive P at three stations (b). The PP was further fractionated to each phosphorous speciation in terms of bioavailability (c). NH4Cl-SRP and BD-SRP are considered bioavailable.

Y1

S1

Y4 Yasu River sub-watershedSampling stationS1 (29.7%)Y1 (13.2%)Y4 (21.6%)

(a)

Irrigation Irrigation(b)

Irrigation Irrigation(c)

Fig. 7 Phosphate oxygen isotope (δ18Op) signatures of dissolved inorganic phosphate in river waters and the potential sources of natural and anthropogenic phosphorous loadings in the Yasu River sub-watershed.

Fig. 8 The δ18Op signatures in river waters at each station with different proportional area of cropland in the catchment of Yasu River.

Fig. 9 Institutional framework of governmental support for local community activities in the Yasu River sub-watershed.

0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

δ18

OPO

4 (‰

)

Temperature-dependent isotopic

exchange equilibrium

Plutonicrock

Accretionary complex

Sedimentary rock

Fertilizer

Human wastes(Expected value)

Biological recycling

Sewage treatment wastes

Anthropogenic sources Natural sources

River water

10.0

12.0

14.0

16.0

18.0

20.0

0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5

δ18

OPO

4(‰

)

Proportional area of cropland in catchment

Agri. SectSwage Sect. Fishery SectEnviron. Politic. Sect.

LBRI

Forestry Sect.

Environ. Conserve. Sect

Coastal

Macrophytecomposting

Nursery paddy fields

Forest conservationSATOYAMA

conservation

Down-stream

Middle-stream

Up-streamLagoonrehabilitation

NIES

GIAHS: Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems

Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries Ministry of Environment

Law of Lake Biwa Conservation & Rehabilitation

Municipal

Prefectural

International & National

Municipal Fishery Sect. Municipal Agri. Sect.

Fishery Exp. StationLake Biwa MuseumEnviron. Conserve.

FoundationMunicipal Forestry

Sect.Forestry Cooperative

River

LagoonCoast

Cropland

Forest

Recycling

CNPWatershed system

Fig.10 The nitrate concentration of ground waters in the Silang-Santa Rosa sub-watershed. Plot size represents its concentration. The guideline of nitrate concentration for drinking waters is set at less than 50mg/L by WHO.

Fig. 11 The nitrate nitrogen isotope ratio (δ15NO3) for ground waters in the Silang-Santa Rosa sub-watershed. The high δ15NO3 signals may be due to anthropogenic loadings and denitrification under hypoxic condition.

Year 2010

NO3- (mg/l)

Year 2010

δ15N-NO3- (‰)

Form7-4 (FR2→FR3)

FINANCIAL RESULTS AND PLANNING OF THE PROJECT （決算・予算計画書）

○ Project title：Biodiversity-driven Nutrient Cycling and Human-wellbeing in Socio-Ecological Systems

○ Project leader：OKUDA Noboru

○ Project abbreviation: e-REC Project

RESULTS Unit: 1,000JPY

Fiscal Year and Project

Stage Total

Breakdown of the Total

Facility and

Equipment Supplies Personnel Travel Honorarium Others

PR 9,313 790 1,700 2,803 2,700 470 850

FR1 68,000 3,123 12,421 18,968 9,962 1,368 22,158

FR2 64,000 5,360 10,400 22,400 12,000 1,200 12,640

PLAN

Fiscal Year and Project

Stage Total

Breakdown of the Total

Facility and

Equipment Supplies Personnel Travel Honorarium Others

FR3 64,000 1,000 10,700 22,800 12,000 2,000 15,500

FR4 56,000 0 6,200 22,800 13,000 2,000 12,000

FR5 45,000 0 2,200 22,800 11,000 1,000 8,000

ANNOTATIONS

13.OKUDA Noboru FR213.OKUDA Noboru FR2 budget