I am interested in plant-animal interactions, particularly the role of large frugivores in seed dispersal and its relevance to forest and wildlife conservation in Southeast Asia.
Khao Yai NP covers an area of 2168 km2 In lower northeastern Thailand and lies in latitudes 14°05’-15’N and longitudes 101°05’-50’E in the Dongruk Mountain range. Its elevation ranges from 250 to 1351 m ASL. The main study area, about 70 km2 around the headquarters of Khao Yai, had an altitudinal range of 600-800 m ASL and comprised moist evergreen forest. The moist evergreen forest covers approximately 64% of the total park area, or 1375 km2, ranging from 400 to 1000 m ASL. Characteristic tree species in this forest are: Acrocarpus fraxinifolius (Leguminosae), Anthocephalus chinensis (Rubiaceae), Balakata baccata (Euphorbiaceae), Cinnamomum subavenium (Lauraceae), Cleistocalyx nervosum (Myrtaceae), Dipterocarpus gracilis (Dipterocarpaceae), Elaeocarpus robustus (Elaeocarpaceae), Gironniera nervosa (Ulmaceae), Mastixia pentandra (Cornaceae), Platymitra macrocarpa (Annonaceae), and Sloanea sigun (Elaeocarpaceae). The mean annual rainfall is 2360 ± 474 mm (mean ± SD, 1993-2002), with a marked wet season from May to October and relatively dry conditions from November until April. The mean monthly temperature ranges from 21°C (December and January) to 32°C (April and May).
Budo and Hala-Bala are located at the southern tip of Thailand, close to the Malaysian border. Both are newly protected areas and were, until recently, controlled by Muslim separatists. Budo-Sungai Padi National Park comprises Budo (189 km2) and Sungai-Padi sectors (152 km2) in southern Thailand (6°00’-40’N & 101°30’-55’E) support a Malaysian or Sunda flora, that has not been logged commercially since 1989, but still experiences illegal logging even though designated a national park in 1999. The 90 km2 study area on the 189 km2 Budo mountain complex. Disturbance of hornbills by people (poaching, illegal logging and forest clearance) appeared to be the main threat and involvement of the local community in conservation was the main countermeasure.
Hala-Bala Wildlife Sanctuary, established in 1996, and covering a total of 433 km2, is actually two sites with markedly different attributes. The Bala portion of the Sanctuary is 111.5 km2 in area and is isolated from other forests by agricultural lands on the Thai side of the border (the 314 km2 Hala portion of the Sanctuary lies approximately 22 km to the west) and a mix of forest and agriculture on the Malaysian side. Bala ranges in elevation from 50 to 960 m ASL and is broadly classified as tropical lowland evergreen forest. During 1987-1992 Bala was partly logged along the paved road that bisects the lower one-third of the site, and sporadically (and illegally) logged elsewhere in the sanctuary. However, with the nine species of hornbills or approximately 29% of the currently recognized Asian hornbills present at the site, it is still one of richest in Southeast Asia.
The Ecological Society of Japan (ESJ, 1999-)
The Japan Society of Tropical Ecology (JASTE, 2003-)
Associations for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ATBC, 2008-2020)
The Ecological Society of America (ESA, 2013-)
石川県地域植物研究会 (2013-)
白山自然保護調査研究会 (2015-)
石川県哺乳類研究会 (2015-)
石川県自然史センター (2015-)
石川県絶滅危惧植物等調査会 (2021-)
Editorial Board: TROPICS (JASTE, 2010-), Ecological Research (ESJ, 2014-)
Referee: Acta Oecologica, African Journal of Agricultural Research, American Journal of Botany, Animal Conservation, AoB PLANTS, Biodiversitas, Biotropica, Biodiversity and Conservation, Biological Conservation, CABI Publishing, Conservation Science and Practice, Current Biology, Ecography, Ecological Entomology, Ecological Research, Ecology, Ecology and Evolution, Ecotropica, Forest Ecology and Management, Forktail, Global Ecology and Conservation, Hornbill Conservation and Natural History, Humans and Nature, Integrative Zoology, International Journal of Primatology, ISSAAS Journal, Journal of Arid Environments, Journal of Avian Biology, Journal of Ecology, Journal of Ecology and Field Biology, Journal of Ethology, Journal of Forest Research, Journal of Natural History, Journal of Plant Research, Journal of the Yamashina Institute for Ornithology, Journal of Threatened Taxa, Journal of Tropical Ecology, Mammalian Biology, Mammal Study, Natural History Bulletin of the Siam Society, Oikos, Ornithological Science, Oryx, PeerJ, Philippine Journal of Science, Plant Biology, Plant Ecology & Evolution, Plant Species Biology, Plants, People, Planet, PLoS ONE, Population Ecology, Proceedings of the 4th International Hornbill Conference, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, Reintroduction, The Science Reports of Kanazawa University, Tropical Conservation Science, Tropical Nature History, TROPICS, Wilson Journal of Ornithology, Zoologia.
Referee (in Japanese): Bulletin of Ishikawa Prefectural University, Chubu Forestry Research, Japanese Journal of Conservation Ecology, Japanese Journal of Ecology, Japanese Journal of Ornithology, Journal of JSCE (Japan Society of Civil Engineers ), Nihon Kaiiki Kenkyu, Primate Research, Seibutsu Kagaku, Strix.
Grant Referee: Rufford Small Grant (India), Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (Japan).