Noboru Okuda, Ph.D.

Professor, Division of Biodiversity, Ecology and speciation

Research Interests

A watershed from mountain tops to coasts is composed of diverse ecosystems which harbor a variety of organisms. I am studying behavior, ecology, evolution and life history of organisms and their ecosystem functions in watersheds. My special interest is in multitrophic perspectives on biodiversity-ecosystem functioning (BEF), which provides multiple ecosystem goods and services for humanity. I aim to deepen understanding of BEF from molecular to landscape levels through integration of scientific knowledge produced by research collaborators who have different disciplines and unique methodology. To reach this goal, I combine field observation and experimental manipulation, taking advantage of advanced technology, such as stable isotope, fatty acid and DNA/RNA analyses. As the first step to mechanistic understanding of natural phenomena, my motto is to observe in nature and know by intuition. Let’s go to the field!
For scientists, it is important to make good use of scientific knowledge for the solution of social and environmental issues through transdisciplinary approach, that is, not only through collaboration with different disciplined researchers but also through coworking with diverse stakeholders in the society. Local anthropogenic activities in catchment have impacts directly on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in the downstream, while rapidly growing socio-economic activities also affect them indirectly through the global environmental changes. Through comprehensive understanding of human-nature interactions, I try to make contributions to biodiversity conservation and ecosystem restoration toward the sustainable development of human society.

Research Focus

・Multitrophic approach to biodiversity-ecosystem functioning in watershed ecosystems
・Restoration of ecosystem linkages and biodiversity conservation in watershed ecosystems
・Development of new isotope technique to assess nutrient balances in watershed ecosystems
・Latitudinal comparison of lake ecosystem responses to climate changes
・Studies on behavior, ecology, evolution and life history of aquatic organisms

Recent Publications

• Aguilar, J. I., M. U. Mendoza, K. S. A. R. Padilla, R. D. S. Papa &　N. Okuda (2023)
  Mixing regimes in a cluster of seven maar lakes in tropical Monsoon Asia.
  Inland Waters https://doi.org/10.1080/20442041.2023.2167484
  
• Osaka, K., S. Chishiro, Y. Matsumoto, T. Iwata & N. Okuda (2022)
  Hydrological control of the chemical characteristics of suspended particulate phosphorus in the Yasu River watershed, Japan: Implications for its source and bioavailability.
  Hydrological Processes 36:e14734
  
• Ishida, T., I. Tayasu, S. Onodera, S. Ban & N. Okuda (2022)
  A new sampling method with zirconium-loaded resin for phosphate oxygen isotope analysis in oligotrophic freshwater systems.
  Rapid Commun Mass Spectrometry 36:e9393
  
• de Leon, J., M. Fujibayashi, F. M. Petilla, B. I. Yumul, M. Mendoza-Pascual, R. D. Papa & N. Okuda (2022)
  Identification of aquatic consumer trophic pathways in four volcanic tropical lakes using fatty acid biomarkers.
  Journal of Limnology 81:2070
  
• Takahashi, T., S. Asano, Y. Uchida, K. Takemura, S. Fukushima, K. Matsushita & N. Okuda (2022)
  Effects of forests and forest-related activities on the subjective well-being of residents in a Japanese watershed: An econometric analysis through the capability approach.
  Forest Policy and Economics 139:102723
  
• Kuwae, M., N. Tsugeki, B. P. Finney, Y. Tani, J. Onodera, M. Kiyoto, M. Kusaka, T. Sagawa, Y. Nakamura, H. Ohnishi, H. Kuroda, N. Okuda, T. Ohta, M. Ikehara & T. Irino (2022)
  Late Holocene centennial to millennial-scale variability in lower trophic level productivity off southern Hokkaido, Japan, and its response to dissolved iron-replete Coastal Oyashio dynamics.
  Quaternary Research 2022:1-16
  
• Ho, P.-C., N. Okuda, C.-F. Yeh, P.-L. Wang, G.-C. Gong & C.-h. Hsieh (2021)
  Carbon and nitrogen isoscape of particulate organic matter in the East China Sea.
  Progress in Oceanography 197:102667
  
• Wang, K., S. Onodera, M. Saito, N. Okuda & T. Okubo (2021)
  Estimation of phosphorus transport influenced by climate change in a rice paddy catchment using SWAT.
  International Journal of Environmental Research 15:759–772
  
• Kakioka, R., N. Sutra, H. Kobayashi, S. Ansai, K. W. A. Masengi, A. J. Nagano, N. Okuda, R. Tanaka, M. Sato & K. Yamahira (2021)
  Resource partitioning is not coupled with assortative mating in sympatrically divergent ricefish in a Wallacean ancient lake.
  Journal of Evolutionary Biology 34:1133–1143
  
• Ko, C, S. Asano, M. Lin, T. Ikeya, E. M. Peralta, E. M. C. Triño, Y. Uehara, T. Ishida, T. Iwata, I. Tayasu & N. Okuda (2021)
  Rice paddy irrigation seasonally impacts stream benthic macroinvertebrate diversity at the catchment level.
  Ecosphere 12:e03468
  
• Kondo, Y., E. Fujisawa, K. Ishikawa, S. Nakahara, K. Matsushita, S. Asano, K. Kamatani, S. Suetsugu, K. Kano, T. Kumazawa, K. Sato & N. Okuda (2021)
  Community capability building for environmental conservation in Lake Biwa (Japan) through an adaptive and abductive approach.
  Socio-Ecological Practice Research 3:167-183
  
• Mendoza-Pascual, M. U., M. Itoh, J. I. Aguilar, K. S. A. R. Padilla, R. D. S. Papa & N. Okuda (2021)
  Controlling factors of methane dynamics in tropical lakes of different depths.
  Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences 126:e2020JG005828
  
• Ho, P.-C., E. Wong, F.-S. Lin, A. R. Sastri, C. Garcia-Comas, N. Okuda, F.-K. Shiah, G-C. Gong, R. S. W. Yam, C.-h. Hsieh. (2020)
  Prey stoichiometry and phytoplankton and zooplankton composition influence the production of marine crustacean zooplankton.
  Progress in Oceanography 186:102369
  
• Ishida, T., Y. Uehara, T. Ikeya, T. F. Haraguchi, S. Asano, Y. Ogino & N. Okuda (2020)
  Effects of winter flooding on phosphorus dynamics in rice fields.
  Limnology, 21:403–413
  
• Ide, J., T. Ishida, A. P. Cid-Andres, K. Osaka, T. Iwata, T. Hayashi, M. Akashi, I. Tayasu, A. Paytan & N. Okuda (2020)
  Factors characterizing phosphate oxygen isotope 1 ratios in river water: an inter-watershed comparison approach.
  Limnology, 21:365–377
  
• Peralta, E. M., L. S. Batucan Jr., I. B. B. De Jesus, E. M. C. Triño, Y. Uehara, T. Ishida, Y. Kobayashi, C.-Y. Ko, T. Iwata, A. S. Borja, J. C. A. Briones, R. D. S. Papa, F. S. Magbanua & N. Okuda (2020)
  Nutrient loadings and deforestation decrease benthic macroinvertebrate diversity in an urbanised tropical stream system.
  Limnologica 80:125744
  
• Kamiya, E., U. Misako & N. Okuda (2020)
  Do atypical 15N and 13C enrichment in parasites result from isotope ratio variation of host tissues they are infected?
  Limnology 21 (1):139-149
  

• Takahashi, T., Y. Uchida, H. Ishibashi & N. Okuda (2021)
  Subjective well-being as a potential policy indicator in the context of urbanization and forest restoration. Special Issue “Urban Agriculture, Forestry and Green-Blue Infrastructure as ‘Re-discovered Commons’: Bridging Urban-Rural Interface”
  Sustainability 13:3211
  
• Takahashi, T., S. Asano, Y. Uchida, K. Takemura, S. Fukushima, K. Matsushita & N. Okuda (2023)
  Nature and Happiness Levels: New SWB Domains for Rivers, a Lake, and Forests.
  In: Well-Being Across the Globe - New Perspectives - Concepts, Correlates and Geography. (Ed. Mullings, J.) IntechOpen, London
  
• Okuda, N., T. Takeyama, T. Komiya, Y. Kato, Y. Okuzaki, Z. Karube, Y. Sakai, M. Hori, I. Tayasu & T. Nagata (2020)
  A food web and its long-term dynamics in Lake Biwa: a stable isotope approach.
  In: Lake Biwa: Interactions between Nature and People (2nd Edition). (Eds. Kawanabe, H. et al.) Springer Academic, Cham, p331-337
  
• Onodera, S., N. Okuda, S. Ban, M. Saito, A. Paytan & T. Iwata (2020)
  Phosphorus cycling in watersheds: from limnology to environmental science.
  Limnology 21:327–328
  
• Saito, M., N. Okuda & S. Onodera (2020)
  Material transport and cycle in watersheds: toward the interdisciplinary collaboration between limnology and the other research disciplines.
  Limnology 21:427–428
  

Contact

Office:　Building C, room 422, (lab: room 420)　　

Tel:　+81-78-803-5733

E-mail:　nokuda@people.kobe-u.ac.jp

URL:　https://researchmap.jp/read0191812
https://www.chikyu.ac.jp/e-rec/
https://www.facebook.com/chikyu.erec/