Yatsugatake Mountains

Geobox|Range
name = Yatsugatake Mountains

native_name = 八ヶ岳 "Yatsugatake"
other_name =
category = Range
etymology = Mountain with eight peaks

---

image_caption = Yatsugatake Mountains with Mount Mizugaki in the foreground. (October 2007)
country = Japan
state = Nagano Prefecture
state1 = Yamanashi Prefecture
region = Chūbu
district =
municipality = Chino
municipality1 = Fujimi
municipality2 = Hara
municipality3 = Hokuto
municipality4 = Koumi
municipality5 = Minamimaki
municipality6 = Saku
municipality7 = Sakuho
municipality8 = Tateshina
range =
border =
part =Northern Yatsugatake Volcanic Group
part1 =Southern Yatsugatake Volcanic Group
city =
landmark =
river =
highest = Mount Aka
highest_location = | highest_region = | highest_country =
highest_elevation = 2899
highest_lat_d = | highest_lat_m = | highest_lat_s = | highest_lat_NS =
highest_long_d = | highest_long_m = | highest_long_s = | highest_long_EW =
lowest =
lowest_location = | lowest_region = | lowest_country =
lowest_elevation =
lowest_lat_d = | lowest_lat_m = | lowest_lat_s = | lowest_lat_NS =
lowest_long_d = | lowest_long_m = | lowest_long_s = | lowest_long_EW =
length = 30 | length_orientation = North-South
width = | width_orientation =
area =
geology = Volcanic
orogeny = Island arc
period = Quaternary
biome = Alpine climate
plant = Siberian dwarf pine
plant1 = Picea koyamae
plant2 = Abies veitchii
plant3 = Abies mariesii
animal = Japanese Serow
animal1 = "Lagopus mutus"
free = | free_type =


map_caption =
map_background =
map_location =
map_locator =
website =
footnotes =

Yatsugatake Mountains is a volcanic mountain range on the border between Nagano Prefecture and Yamanashi Prefecture on the island of Honshū in Japan.

Description

The mountain range consists of two volcanic groups, Northern Yatsugatake Volcanic Group and Southern Yatsugatake Volcanic Group. The two volcanic groups of Yatsugatake, North and South, have different characteristics. The South Yatugatake mountains are steep and are more alpine in nature. The mountains belongings to North Yatsugatake mountains are gentler and lower than the South Yatsugatake mountains.

The southern group ranges from the Natsuzawa Pass to the end of the mountain range. The northern range includes Mount Kitayoko to the other end of the range. Mount Tateshina is also included.

These mountains form a major part of the Yatsugatake-Chūshin Kōgen Quasi-National Park.cite web|url=http://www.biodic.go.jp/jpark/qnp/yatugata.html|title=八ヶ岳中信高原国定公園|work=Japan Integrated Biodiversity Information System|publisher=Ministry of the Environment, Government of Japan|language=Japanese|accessdate=2008-09-05]

Geology

These mountains consist of older eroded complex volcanoes, which were made by repeated volcanic eruptions over many thousands years. The last eruption was estimated from 600 to 800 years ago at Mount Kitayoko of North Yatsugatake Mountains. This is the only remaining active volcano.cite web|url=http://riodb02.ibase.aist.go.jp/strata/VOL_JP/EN/vol/65.htm|title=KITA YATSU-GA-TAKE (TATESHINA-YAMA, YOKO-DAKE etc.)|date=2006|work=Quaternary Volcanoes of Japan|publisher=Geological Survey of Japan, AIST|language=English|accessdate=2008-08-21] The other volcanoes are extinct.cite book|last=Hunt|first=Paul|title=Hiking in Japan: An Adventurer's Guide to the Mountain Trails|publisher=Kodansha International Ltd.|location=Tokyo|date=1988|edition=First Edition|pages=pp. 111-112|chapter=14. Eight Peaks: Yatsu-ga-take 八ヶ岳|isbn=0-87011-893-5|language=English]

The volcanoes consist mostly of pyroxene andesite. Yatsugatake also lies nearby to the Fossa Magna.

Local legend

According to legend, Yatsugatake was once higher than Mount Fuji, but Fuji rose up and threw down its rival leaving the collection of peaks we have today. Paul Hunt muses that this might not be far from the truth considering that Yatsugatake is older than Fuji and as Fuji rose in prominence Yatsugatake wore away.

Ecology

Deciduous forests reach up 800-1700m above sea level. Above this zone is the subalpine zone reaching up to 2500m. Siberian dwarf pine inhabits this subalpine zone. On one part of Mount Nishi under 1700m grows a rare form of spruce, Picea koyamae. Ptarmigan ("Lagopus mutus") are also native to these mountains, but are under threat due to loss of the Siberian dwarf pine habitat and also due to expansion of the range of the red fox. Humans have enabled the expansion of the red fox by leaving trash behind in the mountains. Also growing in the subalpine zone are Abies veitchii and Abies mariesii.cite web|url=http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%85%AB%E3%83%B6%E5%B2%B3|title=八ヶ岳|work=Japanese Wikipedia|publisher=Wikimedia|language=Japanese|accessdate=2008-09-08]

References