Tokyo Institute of Technology · Environmental Science
Professor Masaya Yoshikai's research lab specializes in coastal ecosystem dynamics, with a focus on mangrove forests and their role in coastal protection, carbon sequestration, and sediment dynamics. The lab integrates field measurements, hydrodynamic modeling, and individual-based physiological modeling to understand how mangrove root structures influence flow resistance, sedimentation, and ecosystem resilience under changing environmental conditions. A key research direction involves linking plant hydraulics and nutrient uptake to mangrove growth under salinity stress, particularly in restored and naturally regenerating forests. The lab also investigates blue carbon dynamics in tropical estuaries, emphasizing early-stage rehabilitation in low-organic-carbon environments.
Figures are computed from collected data and may differ slightly.
Abstract. In mangrove forests, soil salinity is one of the most significant environmental factors determining forest distribution and productivity as it limits plant water uptake and carbon gain. However, salinity control on mangrove productivity through plant hydraulics has not been investigated by existing mangrove models. Here we present a new individual-based model linked with plant hydraulics to incorporate physiological characterization of mangrove growth under salt stress. Plant hydraulic
Abstract Drag effects of mangrove forests with complex root systems modulate flow and substance transport and promote sedimentation, all of which are linked to mangroves' ecosystem services (e.g., coastal protection, trapping of suspended organic carbon) and resilience (e.g., vertical accretion relative to sea‐level rise). Previous flume studies proposed a predictive model of drag by Rhizophora mangrove forests based on the quadratic drag law using two parameters‐drag coefficient ( C D ) and veg
Abstract. Among the many ecosystem services provided by mangroves, the sequestration of large amounts of organic carbon (OC) in marine ecosystems (also known as “blue carbon”) has given these unique ecological environments enormous global attention. While there are many studies on the blue carbon potential of intact mangroves (i.e., naturally growing), there have been very few studies on restored mangroves (i.e., planted). This study aims to address this knowledge gap by examining the sediment d
Abstract. In mangrove forests, soil salinity is one of the most significant environmental factors determining mangrove forest distribution and productivity as it limits plant water uptake and carbon gain. However, salinity control on mangrove productivity through plant hydraulics has not been investigated by existing mangrove models. Thus, we present a new individual-based model linked with plant hydraulics to incorporate physiological characterization of mangrove growth under salt stress. Plant
Abstract. Coastal wetland vegetation modulates water flow by exerting drag, which has important implications for sediment transport and geomorphic dynamics. This vegetation effect on flow is commonly represented in hydrodynamic models by approximating the vegetation as an array of vertical cylinders or increased bed roughness. However, this simple approximation may not be valid in the case of Rhizophora mangroves that have complicated three-dimensional root structures. Here, we present a new mod
Earth and Space Science Open Archive This preprint has been submitted to and is under consideration at Journal of Geophysical Research - Oceans. ESSOAr is a venue for early communication or feedback before peer review. Data may be preliminary.Learn more about preprints preprintOpen AccessYou are viewing the latest version by default [v1]Field measurement and prediction of drag in a planted Rhizophora mangrove forestAuthorsMasayaYoshikaiiDTakashiNakamuraiDDominic MBautistaiDEugene CHerreraAlvinBa
Abstract. In hydrodynamic models, vegetation is commonly approximated as an array of vertical cylinders to represent its impacts on flow and sediment transport. However, this simple approximation may not be valid in the case of Rhizophora mangroves that have complicated three-dimensional root structures. Here, we present a new model to represent the impacts of Rhizophora mangroves on flow and sediment transport in hydrodynamic models. The model explicitly accounts for the effects of the three-di
Abstract. Among many ecosystem services, macro-climate regulation via the storage of large amounts of organic carbon (OC) in marine sediments (also known as ‘blue carbon’) has given mangroves enormous global attention due to their role in climate change mitigation. While there are many studies on blue carbon potential of intact mangroves (i.e. naturally growing), there have been very few on restored mangroves (i.e. planted). This study aims to address this knowledge gap by examining sediment dev
<strong class="journal-contentHeaderColor">Abstract.</strong> In mangrove forests, soil salinity is one of the most significant environmental factors determining forest distribution and productivity as it limits plant water uptake and carbon gain. However, salinity control on mangrove productivity through plant hydraulics has not been investigated by existing mangrove models. Here we present a new individual-based model linked with plant hydraulics to incorporate physiological characterization o
<strong class="journal-contentHeaderColor">Abstract.</strong> In mangrove forests, soil salinity is one of the most significant environmental factors determining forest distribution and productivity as it limits plant water uptake and carbon gain. However, salinity control on mangrove productivity through plant hydraulics has not been investigated by existing mangrove models. Here we present a new individual-based model linked with plant hydraulics to incorporate physiological characterization o
<strong class="journal-contentHeaderColor">Abstract.</strong> In mangrove forests, soil salinity is one of the most significant environmental factors determining forest distribution and productivity as it limits plant water uptake and carbon gain. However, salinity control on mangrove productivity through plant hydraulics has not been investigated by existing mangrove models. Here we present a new individual-based model linked with plant hydraulics to incorporate physiological characterization o
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