Soil: where biology meets geochemistry
Homepage of Rota Wagai (Soil Science)
I study soil processes and functions
from nano & micro-scale interaction of carbon (organic matter) and minerals
to global-scale soil & sustainability issues
using the ideas and tools from Soil Science, Ecology, and Biogeochemistry
Research Topics
Research theme
Soil Organic Matter
Questions : Questions: How is the largest carbon pool on land formed and maintained? Why is it stable without microbial degradation? Why can volcanic ash soil (Andosols) hold a large amount of SOM? What is the relationship between soil carbon and nitrogen / phosphorus?
Approaches : Search for parameters that predict SOM storage and its stability, "dynamic carbon pool" and "stable carbon pool" by physical fractionation of SOM, and soils with different origins and reactivity C, N, P Quantitative evaluation of SOM decomposition and its temperature dependence by culture experiment, litter decomposition experiment in the field
With aggregate formation Organic / mineral interaction
Questions : What is the aggregate hierarchy that enables microbial diversity in soil? What is the interaction of organic matter, metal, and clay that controls the material cycle of terrestrial ecosystems? What is the stabilization mechanism of soil carbon and nitrogen?
Approaches : Visualization of three-dimensional structure of soil by X-ray micro CT, evaluation of soil mineral composition and organic matter coating on mineral surface, chemistry of raw elements and mineral elements by solid analysis methods such as SEM / TEM / EDX, radiation source X-ray STXM, NanoSIMS, etc. Evaluation of morphology and spatial distribution (micro / nanometer scale)
Agricultural land management, fertility, sustainability
Questions : What is soil preparation? How can soil organic matter, soil fertility and fertility change over decades and be predicted? What is the role of SOM and soil nitrogen in paddy fields? Is it possible to balance carbon sequestration and nutrient supply to crops?
Approaches : Utilization of long-term continuous test fields, tracer experiments using stable isotopes and radioactive carbon, refinement of soil carbon model, promotion of research network ( ALTENA ) of long-term continuous test fields in Asia
Plant-soil interactions in natural ecosystems
Questions : What is soil preparation? How can soil organic matter, soil fertility and fertility change over decades and be predicted? What is the role of SOM and soil nitrogen in paddy fields? Is it possible to balance carbon sequestration and nutrient supply to crops?
Approaches : Utilization of long-term continuous test fields, tracer experiments using stable isotopes and radioactive carbon, refinement of soil carbon model, promotion of research network ( ALTENA ) of long-term continuous test fields in Asia
Contact Us
Email: rota.wagai <at> gmail.com
Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan