We aim to better understand the relationship between three components in ecosystem (abiotic environment, biodiversity, and ecosystem functioning) through theoretical approach (modeling and bioinformatics).
Research topics include:
Quantitative estimation of acceptable levels of microbial diversity reduction (link, link2)
Improving the statistics in EcoPlate metabolic profile of microbial community (link)
Quantitative estimation of the contribution of parasitic fungi to material transfer and trophic interaction in aquatic ecosystems (link1, link2, link3)
Quantitative estimation of multiple infections in chytrid-phytoplankton interactions (link)
Quantitative estimation of power-law decay pattern in bacteria and particles in the oceans (link)
Quantitative habitat design for metapopulation/metacommunity (link)
Every ecosystem consists of two fundamental subsystems: community of primary producers and that of decomposers. They are tightly linked not only at the level of biogeochemical functions (primary production and decomposition) but also at the level of inter-specific interactions and community composition. In particular, we focus on the roles of biodiversity of primary producers and decomposers in determining their biogeochemical functions.
Research topics include:
Modeling on plant-soil feedbacks focusing on litter-chemistry (link), diversity of microbial decomposers (link), environmental changes (link), diversity of rhizosphere microbes (link), and plant phenology shift under warming (link)
Modeling on plant-microbe competition (link)
Modeling on methane oxidizing bacteria and its link to pelagic food webs (link)
Traditional ecosystem models have parametarized microbes as a single black box that has “complete” functionality even with environmental changes. However, recent studies demonstrate the importance of biodiversity and community composition of microbes in determining their biogeochemical functions. In particular, we focus on the roles of interactions between microbes within microbial food web in maintaining high processes rates and its stability against environmental changes.
Research topics include:
Modeling on interactions between bacteria, particulate and dissolved organic carbon in the oceans (link1, link2)
Modeling on interactions among bacteria, phages and protozoa and its roles in carbon cycling (link)
Studies on the relationship between bacterial community structure and environments (link)
Studies on roles of parasitic fungi of phytoplankton in aquatic food webs (link)