(1) Support for the Improvement of the Herbarium of the Faculty of Forestry, National University of Laos            The research team for forest and agriculture, one of the teams of the research project “A Trans-Disciplinary Study on the Regional Eco-History in Tropical Monsoon Asia: 1945-2005”（Project Leader: Professor AKIMICHI Tomoya）of the Research Institute for Humanity and Nature, National Institute for the Humanities, Japan, is surveying and studying the dynamics of ecology, economy, society and culture of various groups in northern Laos whose daily lives are mainly based on forest and agriculture. It is carrying on improvements of the herbarium of the Faculty of Forestry, National University of Laos in collaboration with the faculty, in order to promote the study of forestry in Laos. The Laos Field Station (LFS), which has its office in the above faculty, has also given all-out support to the improvements since FY2004, in consideration of the importance of the herbarium.           During August and September, 2004, Associate Professor OCHIAI Yukino of Kagoshima University Museum, who is also a member of the research team for forest and agriculture, visited the Faculty of Forestry, and many activities were conducted under her leadership, including the installation of a specimen drier and instruments for fixing specimens to backing papers, a course in making botanical specimens for the teachers and other staff of the Faculty of Forestry, procurement of someitems necessary for opening the herbarium and making specimens (such as specimen cases, storage frames, a worktable, backing papers, species covers, and genus covers). The LFS tried to keep close contact with their Lao counterparts and to offer every convenience in procuring goods on the spot so that Dr. OCHIAI’s activities could be conducted smoothly. Course for making botanical specimens (Left: Dr. OCHIAI Yukino (far left) and teachers and other staff, Right: Explanation of how to use an instrument for fixing specimens onto backing papers)           Through the kind offices of Dr. OCHIAI, the herbarium in the Faculty of Forestry, National University of Laos, has just opened fully. In the future, the LFS will continue to support the collection of botanical specimens and the training of botanical taxonomists, in collaboration with domestic and foreign universities, research institutes, foundations, and so on. ―To those who collect botanical specimens during field surveys in Laos― We would appreciate if you could contribute a set of specimens which you have collected to the herbarium of the Faculty of Forestry, National University of Laos?

(2) Support for Field Surveys by Researchers and Graduate Students            The LFS provides appropriate and necessary support to researchers, graduate students, etc., who come to Laos for field surveys. The visitors to the LFS during May and October 2004, were as follows: Date Name(Position) Matters for Survey（Site） June 16 - 23 Dr. KATO Makoto (Professor, Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University) Mr. KOSAKA Yasuyuki (Graduate Student, ASAFAS, Kyoto University) Mr. KAWAKITA Atsushi (Graduate Student, Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University) 1. Pollination biology of various plant species in Laos 2. Leaf-miner fauna in Laos (Vientiane, Tha Khek and Lak Xao) September 18 - October 4 Mr. HIROTA Isao (Graduate Student, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University） Resilience of vegetation in agro-ecosystems in northern Laos(La and Namo districts, Udomxay Province)   Field Survey of Professor KATO and others Survey in an mountainous evergreen forest (near the Laos-Vietnam border, Bolikhamxay Province) View of rice planting in a limestone region (near Lakxao, Bolikhamxay Province)   Field Survey of Mr. HIROTA View of fallow land in shifting cultivation (Houay Phee village, La district, Udomxay province) Survey of useful plants in fallow forest in shifting cultivation (Mai natao village, Namo district, Udomxay province) Salt well survey (Khouang village, Namo district, Udomxay province) Soil profile survey (Ay village, Namo district, Udomxay province) Report <<No.1