| Mount Apoi Geopark | |
| Type: | UNESCO Global Geoparks |
| Nearest City: | Samani |
| Coordinates: | 42.1078°N 143.0256°W |
| Location: | Mount Apoi, Hokkaidō, Japan |
| Website: | https://www.apoi-geopark.jp/english/ |
The is a geopark covering the whole territory of Samani in Japan's northern island of Hokkaidō. The area was declared a Japanese Geopark in 2008,[1] and a UNESCO Global Geopark in 2015.[2] [3]
Mount Apoi is part of the Hidaka Mountains, a mountain range in southeastern Hokkaidō which was formed from a collision between two continental plates 13 million years ago. The relatively fresh peridotites on and around Mt. Apoi offer a rare visible glimpse of the Earth's mantle, thrust up from the depths of the earth by global-scale dynamic ground movement.[4]
Mt. Apoi provides habitats for alpine vegetation due to its unique soil, weather and geographical conditions. It is home to Hidakaso (Callianthemum miyabeanum) and a host of other endemic species. The area's alpine plant communities have been collectively designated as a Special Natural Monument of Japan.[5]