Forest Ecology
Ecophysiological analysis of environmental stress on tree species Nutrient dynamics in forest ecosystems Ecological studies on forest dynamics and the reproductive system of forest trees
Staff
Research Topics
We conduct research at various scales, from genes to entire ecosystems, with the aim of understanding the structure, function, and dynamics of forest ecosystems that provide a variety of ecosystem services to humankind. Special attention is given to mechanisms of elemental cycles, the role of organisms in elemental cycles, and plant reproduction and recruitment.
Material cycling in forest ecosystems
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To understand the structure and function of forest ecosystems, we conduct research to clarify the mechanisms of material circulation, which is the fundamental action of ecosystems. Since material cycles vary widely over a wide range of spatio-temporal scales, we pay particular attention to the spatial heterogeneity of material cycles at small spatial scales below the landscape scale (differences in properties depending on the location), and we are trying to understand their patterns of variation and analyze the factors that cause such variation. Our research has covered a wide range of forests, including planted and natural forests in Japan, wet tropical forests in Malaysia, subarctic forests in Siberia and Alaska, and terrestrial ecosystems other than forests (semi-arid shrublands and grasslands in China and Mongolia). |
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The Role of Organisms in Material Cycles in Forest Ecosystems
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We are interested in functions of consumer organisms (including invertebrates and soil microbes) in biogeochemical cycles of ecosystems. More recently, we are focusing on how their functions are affected by human activities, such as land use change. To examine this, we have been using several techniques, such as isotope analyses. Our current field sites include tropical rain forests in Malaysia, and sub-tropical and temperate forests in Japan. |
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Study on the Contribution of Microscopic Pollinators to Plant Species Diversification
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The diversification of angiosperms, which include approximately 300,000 species, is thought to be drove by interactions with various pollinators. While intensive attention has focused on relatively large pollinators (e.g., bees and hawkmoths), some plants employ small insects (less than 1 cm in length) as pollinators. In order to clarify the hidden role of small insects in the plant diversification, we study the pollination system of Japanese Arisaema species, which depends on small fly pollinators (fungus gnats). |
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Publication List
- Hyodo F, Tanaka OH (2022) Stable‐and radio‐isotopes and a bait‐choice experiment reveal changes in feeding habits of the ant community during primary succession. Ecological Entomology 47: 447-459.
- Hishi T, Urakawa R, Saitoh S, Maeda Y, Hyodo F (2022) Topography is more important than forest type as a determinant for functional trait composition of Collembola community. Pedobiologia 90: 150776.
- Yokobe T, Hyodo F, Tateno R, Tokuchi N (2021) Linkage of fine and coarse litter traits to soil microbial characteristics and nitrogen mineralization across topographic positions in a temperate natural forest. Plant and Soil 459: 261-276.
- Hyodo F, Takebayashi Y, Makabe A, Wardle DA, Koba K (2021) Changes in stable nitrogen isotopes of plants, bulk soil and soil dissolved N during ecosystem retrogression in boreal forest. Ecological Research 36: 420-429.
- Sakamoto K, Tomonari M, Ariya U, Nakagiri E, Matsumoto TK, Akaji Y, Otoda T, Hirobe M, Nachin B (2021) Effects of large-scale forest fire followed by illegal logging on the regeneration of boreal forests in Mongolia. Landscape and Ecological Engineering 17: 267-279.
- Matsumoto TK (2021) Application of multivariate morphometrics to delimit three Japanese species of Arisaema sect. Pistillata (Araceae). Nordic Journal of Botany 39: e03075.
- Matsumoto TK, Hirobe M, Sueyoshi M, Miyazaki Y (2021) Selective pollination by fungus gnats potentially functions as an alternative reproductive isolation among five Arisaema species. Annals of Botany 127: 633-644.
- Chikamasa T, Shibata H, Urakawa R, Fukuzawa K, Hirobe M, Inagaki Y (2021) Spatial distribution of mercury accumulation in the surface soil of Japanese forests. Journal of Forest Research 26: 161-167.
- Matsumoto TK, Hirobe M, Akaji Y, Miyazaki Y (2020) Population structures and spatial patterns of two unpalatable Arisaema species (Araceae) with and without clonal reproduction in a riparian forest intensively grazed by Sika deer. Journal of Forestry Research 31: 155-162.