wetland
A wetland is a distinct semi-aquatic ecosystem whose groundcovers are flooded or saturated in water, either permanently, for years or decades, or only seasonally. Flooding results in oxygen-poor ( anoxic) processes taking place, especially ...
Hokkaidō
is the second-largest island of Japan and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by railway via the Seikan Tunnel.
The ...
,
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
. It is also called because numerous flowers can be seen in summer.
Kiritappu wetland is the third largest wetland in Japan, following the Kushiro Shitsugen National Park and Sarobetsu field.
The peatland in the center of Kiritappu wetland (803ha) was nominated as a natural treasure of Japan in 1922. In 1993, it was registered as one of the
Ramsar sites
A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention,8 ha (O)
*** Permanent 8 ha (P)
*** Seasonal Intermittent < 8 ha(Ts)
**
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...
between
Kushiro
is a city in Kushiro Subprefecture on the island of Hokkaido, Japan. Located along the coast of the North Pacific Ocean, it serves as the subprefecture's capital and it is the most populated city in the eastern part of the island.
History
An ...
and Nemuro. It is 9 km long and 3 km wide. On the north hill lies , a visitors' center run by Kiritappu Shitsugen Trust N.P.O. On the height of the west part of the wetland there is an observation deck. Hokkaidō road no. 808 runs there which is also called "MG Road" (Marshy Grassland Road).
Flora
It is called "Wetland of flowers" because there are relatively more flowers compared to other wetlands. These flowers include:
* '' Lysichiton camtschatcense'' ミズバショウ、white (June)
* ''
Fritillaria camschatcensis
''Fritillaria camschatcensis'' is a species of flowering plant native to northeastern Asia and northwestern North America, including northern Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, Alaska, northern Japan, and the Russian Far East (Amur, Kamchatka ...
'' クロユリ、deep purple(June)
* ''
Eriophorum vaginatum
''Eriophorum vaginatum'', the hare's-tail cottongrass, tussock cottongrass, or sheathed cottonsedge, is a species of perennial herbaceous flowering plant in the sedge family Cyperaceae. It is native to bogs and other acidic wetlands throughout t ...