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The Mitsui & Co. Environment Fund

Introduction to Grant Projects

Okayama University Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science Keiji Sakaomoto, Professor

Researching deterioration mechanisms in northern Mongolian forests caused by climate change and social factors, and working to restore and conserve these forests

Research grant

Project Description

Researching deterioration mechanisms in northern Mongolian forests caused by climate change and social factors, and working to restore and conserve these forests.
This project has established four research areas in northern Mongolian forests to determine whether fires or illegal logging have occured, and monitor environmental conditions and whether seedlings and young trees are taking root and growing. By analysing this, it will verify the effects of large scale wildfires caused by climate change and social factors such as illegal logging on the regeneration of the trees making up these forests and identify the mechanisms causing forest deterioration. It will also carry out planting experiments based on these results, and establish methods to restore and conserve forests following wildfires. [Project No. R15-0024]

Fields
Ecosystems and the Symbiotic Society
Grant year
FY2015 Research Grants
Grant term
3 years
April 2016 - March 2019
Grant amount
4,972,000 yen
Activity region
Mongolia
The remnants of a northern Mongolian forest following a wildfire. Tree stumps resulting from illegal logging can also be seen.

Overview of the Organization

Keiji Sakamoto, Professor
Project organization
Okayama University
Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science
Representative
Keiji Sakamoto, Professor
Profile
Specialist field: forest ecology
Affiliated academic societies: The Japanese Forest Society, the Japanese Society of Revegetation Technology, the Society of Vegetation Science, the Ecological Society of Japan, the Japanese Institute of Landscape Architecture
Background:
  • 1987 Awarded doctorate in agriculture
  • January 1988 - March 1997 Research assistant at Okayama University Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology
  • January - November, 1991 Monbusho overseas researcher at California State Polytechnic University
  • April 1997 - March 2000 Assistant professor at Okayama University Faculty of Agriculture
  • April 2000 - March 2005 Assistant professor at Okayama University of Natural Science and Technology
  • April 2005 - March 2012 Professor at Okayama University Graduate School of Environmental Science
  • From April 2012 Professor at Okayama University Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science
Research record
  1. Ariya, U., Hamano, K., Makimoto, T., Kinoshita, S., Akaji, Y., Miyazaki, Y., Hirobe, M., and Sakamoto, K.: "Temporal and spatial dynamics of an old-growth beech forest in western Japan." J. For. Res. 21: 73-83(2016)
  2. Usuda, M., Makimoto, T., Akaji, Y., Hirobe, M., Sakamoto, K.,: "Reconstruction of establishment process in a secondary deciduous broad-leaved forest by tree ring analysis." Journal of the Japanese Society of Revegetation Technology 41(1): 103-108(2015)
  3. Hirobe, M., Miyamoto, S., Sakamoto, K., Kondo, J., Otoda, T., Akaji, Y., Yamanaka, N.: "The spatial distributions of understory trees in relation to dwarf bamboo cover in a cool-temperate deciduous broadleaf forest in Japan." J. For. Res. 20: 357-362(2015)
  4. Akaji, Y., Hirobe, M., Harada, M., Otoda, T., Yamanaka, N., Sakamoto, K.: "Microphysical environmental factors affecting the local distribution of dwarf bamboo(Sasa palmata) in a cool-temperate deciduous broadleaf forest in Japan." Écoscience 20: 339-344(2013)