Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo

Department of Biological Sciences
Graduate School of Science
The University of Tokyo

Labs Kawakita Lab

JP

Affiliated Division, Joint faculties / Basic Biosciences Kawakita Lab Plant Systematics

Laboratory Website

Professor Atsushi Kawakita

Associate Professor Haruhiko Taneda

Assistant Professor Ko Mochizuki

Specially Appointed Assistant Professor Tavares Vasques Diego

Subject of research

  1. 1. Diversity and evolution of angiosperm pollination systems
  2. 2. Diversity of plant–herbivore and plant–seed disperser interactions Plant adaptation strategies to elevation gradients
  3. 3. Taxonomic study of vascular plants
  4. 4. Museomics using herbarium specimens

Using the botanical garden's resources to understand plant diversity from broad perspectives

The Botanical Garden comprises the main garden, Koishikawa Botanical Garden, in Hakusan, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, and the Nikko Botanical Garden branch in Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture. Together, the two gardens maintain around 6,000 species of wild plants and have a collection of about 800,000 herbarium specimens, including 5,000 types. Koishikawa Botanical Garden has a large glasshouse and a cold temperate room where tropical and cool-temperate plants from various regions of the world are cultivated for research purposes. The Koishikawa garden conducts ecological and taxonomic research focusing on the evolution of angiosperm pollination systems. Notable studies include the discovery of pollination mutualism between Phyllanthaceae plants and Epicephala moths, the identification of plants pollinated by fungus gnats and the determination of the defensive role of lobed leaves against herbivores. With the support of modern approaches such as next-generation sequencing, the historical herbarium collection at the Koishikawa Botanical Garden serves as a valuable resource for phylo-taxonomic studies, fostering global collaboration and enabling the discovery of plant lineages new to science. The Nikko garden aims to elucidate the diverse adaptation strategies of plants to their native environments by measuring physiological and ecological properties, such as photosynthetic capacity and water use. For instance, we are now investigating the physiological responses of evergreen conifers to low temperatures and frost drought as well as the functions of various morphological and anatomical traits. These factors lead to interspecific variation in the adaptation strategy and geographic distribution along elevation gradients. Research on plant diversity uses a variety of approaches, including fieldwork in native habitats, morphological and chemical analyses, and molecular phylogenetic analyses. This makes use of the extensive plant collections and research facilities in the Koishikawa and Nikko gardens.
  • Epicephala moth pollinating a Glochidion flower

  • Overwintering strategies of evergreen conifers that experience intense low temperature and drought stress in winter