Unusual Plant Species
Species of plants usually found only in warm or subtropical climates grow here on the banks of Lake Akan. These include a type of moss called yamato fudegoke (Campylopus japonicus Broth.) and a sedge commonly known as the forked fimbry (Fimbristylis dichotoma), both pictured on the right.
Hokkaido has a cold climate, but geothermal energy in this area keeps the soil warm, making it possible for these unusual plant species to survive. The plants grow in the fields that surround mud volcanoes (bokke) but cannot grow too close to these bubbling pools because of the toxic sulfuric gases they emit.