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Green Space Ecology Lab (Yoichi Watanabe)
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A lab that explores the diversity and evolution of wild plants through field surveys and genetic analysis.
AboutAbout the lab
Exploring plant diversity and evolution through the field and genes
The Green Space Ecology Lab studies the species diversity and ecology of wild plants through both field surveys and genetic analysis.
Focusing on plants such as those in the genus Rhododendron (azaleas and their relatives) and plants of heavy-snow regions, the lab explores how plants have evolved and shifted their distributions.
In the lab seminar, students present research plans and progress reports and introduce papers, and there are also field excursions to see natural vegetation and environments.
Research themes are sometimes proposed by the lab, and themes that students bring in themselves, such as vegetation surveys, are also welcome.
Key terms
- Genetic analysis
- A method that examines differences in DNA to clarify kinship among organisms and the history that populations have followed
- Population
- A group of organisms of the same species living in the same area
- Field excursion
- Going out into the field to learn by directly observing vegetation, terrain, and the like
ResearchResearch themes
The lab clarifies the species diversity and ecology of wild plants through field surveys and genetic analysis. It aims to contribute to the appropriate use, management, and conservation of species and populations.
*Illustrative imageWhy Is the Rhododendron Group So Diverse?
The genus Rhododendron has more than 1,000 known species, from cold regions to the tropics, making it one of the more species-rich groups among woody plants. Using multiple species in Japan, the lab investigates how neutral and adaptive processes that affect evolution contributed to this diversity.
*Illustrative imageEvolution and History of Plants in Heavy-Snow Regions
In the heavy-snow regions on the Sea of Japan side, there are groups of plants that evolved in adaptation to that environment. The lab clarifies the history of how these plants evolved and how they have survived.
*Illustrative imageTracing Changes in Plant Distribution with DNA from Fossils
Ancient DNA extracted from fossils makes it possible to trace the past records of organisms in detail. The lab is examining whether this approach, which is well advanced in human studies, can also be used for plants.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Green Space Ecology Lab consist of faculty, master's students, and undergraduate students.As of 2026
- Associate ProfessorYoichi Watanabe
VoicesStudent voices
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “Khndzoresk, Wild flowers, Wild flora, Armenia” Vyacheslav Argenberg / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Why Is the Rhododendron Group So Diverse?: “Rhododendron campanulatum shrubbery” Subhajit Saha / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Evolution and History of Plants in Heavy-Snow Regions: “Snowy forest ( )” Takashi Hososhima from Tokyo, Japan / CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped)
- Tracing Changes in Plant Distribution with DNA from Fossils: “Ginkgoites australis fossil at Melbourne Museum” Ethmostigmus / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Green Space Environment Informatics Lab): “Sunbeams Filtering Through the Forest Canopy at National Botanical Garden, Bangladesh” Mahbub Hasan Mreedul / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Regional Planning Lab): “Teshima Terraced Rice Fields 02” Kentaro Ohno / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Green Space Environment and Resources Lab (Kato)): “Tall open forest canopy from below Mt Glorious 01” John Robert McPherson / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Green Space Welfare Lab): “Healing Garden & Tree” Mbrickn / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
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