Research

We are broadly interested in how plants respond to environment via ecological processes ranging from individual to plant community level. Both experimental and field study are combined to investigate the mechanisms and processes that plants adapt themselves to changing environment. Our current research themes focusing on tropical forest ecosystems are:

1. Mangrove ecology and carbon balance

Projects

  • A long-term monitoring plot of secondary mangrove forest at Trat province, eastern Thailand (2001-present)
  • The chrono-sequence mangrove plantations at Bangpu, Samutprakarn province, Thailand (2019-2021)

Recent key publications:

Komiyama, A. Poungparn, S., Umnouysin, S., Rodtassana, C., Pravinvongvuthi, T. & Kato, S. Daily inundation induced seasonal variation in the vertical distribution of soil water salinity in an estuarine mangrove forest under a tropical monsoon climate. Ecological Research (In press).

Komiyama, A. Poungparn, S., Umnouysin, S., Rodtassana, C., Pravinvongvuthi, T., Noda, T. & Kato, S. 2019. Occurrence of seasonal water replacement in mangrove soil and the trunk growth response of Avicennia alba related to salinity changes in a tropical monsoon climate. Ecological Research 34: 428-439. DOI: 10.1111/1440-1703.12005.

2. Forest response to climate change

Collaboration projects

  • GLiMP: Gigante litter manipulation experiment, Panama (Dr. Emma Sayer, Lancaster University, UK and Dr. Edmund Tanner)
  • Litterfall dynamics in different successional stages of tropical rainforests at Mo Singto, Khao Yai National Park, Thailand (Dr. Pantana Tor-ngern, Dr. Wirong Chantorn, BIOTEC (Prof. Dr. Warrren Brockelman and Dr. Anuttara Nathalang) (2019-2021)

Recent key publications:

Sayer, E.J., Rodtassana, C., Sheldrake, M., Bréchet, L.M., Ashford, O.S., Lopez-Sangil, L., Kerdraon-Byrne, D., Castro, B., Turner, B.L., Wright, S.J., & Tanner, E.V.J. Revisiting nutrient cycling by litterfall—Insights from 15 years of litter manipulation in old-growth lowland tropical forest. Advances in Ecological Research (In press).

Sayer, E.J., Lopez-Sangil, L., Crawford, J.A., Bréchet, L.M., Birkett, A.J., Baxendale, C., Castro, B., Rodtassana, C., Garnett, M., Weiss, L. & Schmidt, M.W.I. 2019. Tropical forest soil carbon stocks do not increase despite 15 years of doubled litter inputs. Scientific Report 9, 18030. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-54487-2.

3. Man-made forest ecosystems

Projects

  • Litter and arthropod relationships in man-made ecosystems (2019-present)
  • Litterfall dynamics, TOYOTA Banpho, Chachoengsao province, Thailand (2018)