The vulnerability of alpine ecosystems to climate change, as pointed out by IPCC, and the necessity to conduct monitoring in the alpine zone have been recognized worldwide. We are, therefore, monitoring the ecosystems in the Japanese alpine zone by using digital repeat photography in order to understand the snow cover period and the phenology of the alpine plants. By comparing the photographs taken at the same time each year, we can determine the time for snow fall and melting and the spatial differences in their speed, as well as the phenology of the alpine flora from leaf flush to autumn coloring. Long-term continuous camera-based monitoring provides information on the response of alpine flora to the climate, and helps us understand the variations in the distribution of alpine flora. These photographs are also released to the public from our web site in a near-real-time manner.

Observation dataset is copyrighted to Center for Global Environmental Research (CGER), National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES). You can use the data only for noncommercial purpose. For any publication using data, CGER/NIES must be informed and its approval must be obtained prior to publishing. The data provider may request co-authorship or acknowledgements. Please be informed that we have no concern with your cost by using the data.