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Research topics: Effect of forestry activities on carbon & water cycles; Effect of global warming on soil respiration; Inter-site comparison of carbon cycles of Asian forests; Regional scale evaluation of forest carbon cycle

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Research topics: Snow accumulation and melting processes in forests of northern Hokkaido; Water budgets and hydrological processes in forest catchments

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“How does forest contribute to stream environments and assemblages?” is my fundamental research question. I examine responses of stream assemblages to forest disturbance, succession, and management with evaluating changes of forest conditions and functions. I also explore the contributions of forest to downstream and the related watershed-scale management.

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Wildlife species receive various natural fluctuations and artificial impacts. How does wildlife adapt their ecologies to these disturbances? From this point of view, I am studying adaptations of mammal species to these disturbances. I am also studying the interaction between herbivores and forest ecosystem by field experiments.

I basically accept students who have concrete research themes and plans that are suitable for my supervising. If you wish to receive my instructions in our postgraduate course, send me your research plans firstly. My students must work in the facility of our University Forests which locates the rural city far from Sapporo main campus of Hokkaido University.

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Herbivore insects are the largest group of terrestrial animals on earth. To understand how herbivore insects respond to environmental changes, I conduct warming experiments of oak and birch mature trees (20m in height) using electric heating cables with collaborators. Moreover, I am very interested in the effects of species richness of trees (biodiversity) on variability in forest disturbance from herbivory (ecosystem function).

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My research is focused on the ecology and evolution in biological interactions, in particular the role of phenotypic plasticity and intraspecific variation of animals in affecting population dynamics and shaping communities. I am also interested in adaptive strategy in life history, morphology and behavioral traits of animals. This work involves laboratory projects and field research using amphibian larvae.

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Invisible microbial life exists in our surrounding environment, such as soil and water, and that is also in harsh environments such as air, snow, and ice. Both outdoor fieldwork and indoor lab work( DNA and chemical analysis) enable them to reveal their community structure, community relationship, and ecology relating to the material cycles. Moreover, the microbial ecosystem is sometimes powerful enough to change the global environment, for example, 1: Ice Nucleating organisms, which can promote the ice formation to change the radiation balance in the cloud, and 2: Glacier melt enhancing organisms, which accelerate the glacier ice melting by reducing radiation reflectance due to their pigments in the cells. Therefore, we are collaborating with scientists for earth science and climatologyto tackle the global-scale subject.

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Climate changes influence the geographic ranges of many living organisms. In addition, recent drastic climate changes due to human disturbances increase the risk of extinction for many living organisms. My research field includes plant taxonomy, phylogeography, and conservation genetics. By using genetic and morphological information, we can discuss and elucidate natural history patterns, phylogenetic relationships,and extinction risk of plant species.

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Interactions between biological organisms are changing with time and circumstances. I study how these changes relate to the number and diversity of living organisms. I also consider how we humans can coexist and co-prosper with other living organisms within the limited resources available to us.

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Utilization of wood materials, a renewable natural resource, is significant for developing ecologically sustainable society. However, forestry practices have often caused degradation of the target ecosystem. I’m conducting studies on structure, dynamics and diversity of managed forests, and am trying to establish alternative management regimes which make harmony with conservation issues.

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How can we evaluate the health condition of forest? One of the powerful tools is the optical remote sensing (RS) technique. Optical RS deals mainly with the spectral feature of foliar reflectance which related to the ecophysiological characteristics such as photosynthesis and nutrient status. In my laboratory, some field experiments are conducted, and we are analyzing the relationship between the optical characteristics and tree responses to the environmental stresses such as warming. Let's study the potential and application of RS for the risk assessment of natural forest with us!

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I evaluate environmental function of forests by determining carbon and nutrient cycling from fieldwork and chemical analysis. I am interested in the role of root and clarified that net primary production of fine root, which is the interface of plant and soil, corresponds to litterfall. Shall we determine forest function by ourselves?

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“How does the climate change affect plant and soil linkage?” This is the question that keeps me awake at night! By utilizing biochemical technique, field survey and field manipulation experiment, I am clarifying the mechanisms of the effects. Recently I am especially focusing on the relationship between soil fauna and tree ecophysiological traits and on winter climate change.

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I'm researching long-term forest dynamics and changes on a scale ranging from decades to a century, which are beyond the scope of observation for an individual. Particularly, I'm studying how factors such as climate and environmental changes, natural disturbances, and human-induced disturbances and management practices relate to these long-term changes. I combine field surveys, utilization of past data, various analyses, and statistical techniques in my research. Currently, I'm addressing the challenge of how to manage forests in Hokkaido, where forest dynamics are changing due to influences like climate change, including considerations for timber production.

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The largest and oldest organism that is alive on earth is Armillaria. How is it possible? It is possible due to the relationship forming networks that Armillaria and other living creatures like plants and other fungi as parasite, decomposer and symbiont. The investigation of fungal networks in forest ecosystem is the most interesting subject in my research.