Masatoshi Katabuchi (片渕正紀)

I am an Associate Professor at Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). My research focuses on using functional traits and statistical and simulation models to better understand forest diversity, including how they respond to climate change.


News

December 2025

  • New R package, for computing conspecific and total neighborhood basal area in mapped forest plots, is out. GitHub.
  • New paper, led by Hiroko Kurokawa, examining leaf litter decomposition along elevation gradients across contrasting forest types is now online in Ecological Research.

November 2025

  • Taught a session on community ecology in the AFEC-X course, followed by field-based training in the Xishuangbanna 20 ha plot.

July 2025

  • New paper showing how hydraulic conductivity drives systematic parameter variation in thermal-dissipation sap-flow techniques is now online in New Phytologist.

June 2025

April 2025

  • New paper on LMA components is now online in Oecologia
  • New paper, led by graduate student Thi Duyen Nguyen, revealing how wood density shapes global tree architecture is now online in Journal of Forestry Research.

November 2024

  • Taught a session on community ecology in the AFEC-X course, followed by field-based training in the Ailaoshan 20 ha plot.

May 2024

  • New paper on how drought tolerance and species abundance mediate dry-season negative density dependence in a tropical forest is now online in Ecology.

November 2023

  • New paper, led by graduate student Cong Zhou, showing how artificial light at night (ALAN) influences understory plant traits in a rubber plantation is now online in Ecologies.

July 2023

  • New paper, led by graduate student Kittisack Phoutthavong, on fern leaf-trait adaptations across limestone and non-limestone forests is now online in Journal of Plant Ecology.
Research

Community assembly and dynamics of tropical trees

How tropical forest tree communities are assembled from species pool? Numerous hypotheses have been proposed to explain patterns of diversity in tropical tree communities. For example, we showed that soil fertility works as a strong habitat filter for a tropical forest tree community. A long-term goal of this work is to create a more quantitative approach for understanding community assembly rules and for predicting future biodiversity.

The composition of natural communities is changing as species respond to multiple anthropogenic drivers. We are contrasting multiple-level (i.e., species, community…) analyses of change in the functional composition in tropical forests to gain mechanistic understanding of forest responses.

Leaf functional diversity

Across the global flora, photosynthetic and metabolic rates depend more strongly on leaf area than leaf mass. In contrast, intraspecific variation in these rates is strongly mass-dependent. This inconstancy poses a fundamental question for ecophysiologists, as well as challenge for accurately representing leaf function in dynamic global vegetation models (DVGMs).

We are developing new quantitative framework to understand causes and consequences of leaf trait variation.

PUBLICATION

-2026-

  1. Leaf litter decomposition along an elevation gradient across two contrasting forest types: Implications for future climate change
    Kurokawa H, Arai T, Takayanagi S, Kobayashi M, Fukuzawa K, Katabuchi M, Oguro M, Aiba M, Nagano S, Hikosaka K, Shibata H, Kaneko N, and Nakashizuka T.
    Ecological Research 2026
    10.1111/1440-1703.70021

-2025-

  1. Saturating Allometric Relationships Reveal How Wood Density Shapes Global Tree Architecture
    Nguyen TD, and Katabuchi M,
    Journal of Forestry Research 2025
    10.1007/s11676-025-01898-9 Github
  2. Decomposing Leaf Mass into Metabolic and Structural Components Explains Divergent Patterns of Trait Variation within and among Plant Species
    Katabuchi M, Kitajima K, Wright SJ, Van Bael SA, Osnas JLD, and Lichstein JW.
    Oecologia 2025
    10.1007/s00442-025-05714-3 Github
  3. Hydraulic conductivity-induced systematic parameter variation in a widely used thermal dissipation sap-flow technique
    Chen Y, Maenpuen P, Katabuchi M, Tor-ngern P, Palmroth S, Zhang S, Xiao Y, Liu M, and Oren R.
    New Phytologist 2025
    10.1111/nph.70488 Github
  4. Earth Observations for Deforestation
    Yang D, Tai X, He Y, Liu T, Li S, and Katabuchi M,
    In Data-Driven Earth Observation for Disaster Management: From Theory to Practical Applications 2025

-2024-

  1. Drought Tolerance and Species Abundance Mediate Dry Season Negative Density Dependence in a Tropical Forest
    Song X, Katabuchi M, Chase JM, Johnson DJ, Zhang W, Deng X, Cao M, and Yang J.
    Ecology 2024
    10.1002/ecy.4382 Github

-2023-

  1. Interspecific and intraspecific adaptations of pteridophyte leaf traits in limestone and non-limestone forests of monsoon tropical regions of southwest China
    Phoutthavong K, Katabuchi M, Nakamura A, Cheng X, and Cao M.
    Journal of Plant Ecology
    10.1093/jpe/rtad026
  2. Artificial Light at Night (ALAN) Influences Understory Plant Traits through Ecological Processes: A Two-Year Experiment in a Rubber Plantation in China
    Zhou C, Nakamura A, Song X, and Katabuchi M,
    Ecologies
    10.3390/ecologies4040046

-2022-

  1. Sources and Consequences of Mismatch between Leaf Disc and Whole-Leaf Leaf Mass per Area (LMA)
    Maenpuen P, Katabuchi M, Onoda Y, Zhou C, Zhang J, and Chen Y.
    American Journal of Botany
    10.1002/ajb2.16038 Github

-2021-

  1. Hydraulic Prediction of Drought-Induced Plant Dieback and Top-Kill Depends on Leaf Habit and Growth Form
    Chen Y, Choat B, Sterck F, Maenpuen P, Katabuchi M, Zhang S, Tomlinson KW, Oliveira RS, Zhang Y, Shen J, Cao K, and Jansen S.
    Ecology Letters 2021
    10.1111/ele.13856 Github
  2. Quantifying Vulnerability to Embolism in Tropical Trees and Lianas Using Five Methods: Can Discrepancies Be Explained by Xylem Structural Traits?
    Chen Y, Maenpuen P, Zhang Y, Barai K, Katabuchi M, Gao H, Kaewkamol S, Tao L, and Zhang J.
    New Phytologist 2021
    10.1111/nph.16927

-2020-

  1. Long-Term Shifts in the Functional Composition and Diversity of a Tropical Dry Forest: A 30-Yr Study
    Swenson NG, Hulshof CM, Katabuchi M, and Enquist BJ.
    Ecol. Monogr. 2020
    10.1002/ecm.1408

-2018-

  1. Climate sensitive size-dependent survival in tropical trees
    Johnson DJ, Needham J, Xu C, Massoud EC, Davies SJ, Anderson-Teixeira KJ, Bunyavejchewin S, Chambers JQ, Chang-Yang C, Chiang J, Chuyong GB, Condit R, Cordell S, Fletcher C, Giardina CP, Giambelluca TW, Gunatilleke N, Gunatilleke S, Hsieh C, Hubbell S, Inman-Narahari F, Kassim AR, Katabuchi M, Kenfack D, Litton CM, Lum S, Mohamad M, Nasardin M, Ong PS, Ostertag R, Sack L, Swenson NG, Sun IF, Tan S, Thomas DW, Thompson J, Umaña MN, Uriarte M, Valencia R, Yap S, Zimmerman J, McDowell NG, and McMahon SM.
    Nature Ecology & Evolution 2018
    10.1038/s41559-018-0626-z
  2. Spatial scale changes the relationship between beta diversity, species richness and latitude
    Sreekar R, Katabuchi M, Nakamura A, Corlett RT, Slik JWF, Fletcher C, He F, Weiblen GD, Shen G, Xu H, Sun I, Cao K, Ma K, Chang L, Cao M, Jiang M, Gunatilleke IAUN, Ong P, Yap S, Gunatilleke CVS, Novotny V, Brockelman WY, Xiang W, Mi X, Li X, Wang X, Qiao X, Li Y, Tan S, Condit R, Harrison RD, and Koh LP.
    Open Science 2018
    10.1098/rsos.181168
  3. Divergent drivers of leaf trait variation within species, among species, and among functional groups
    Osnas JLD, Katabuchi M, Kitajima K, Wright SJ, Reich PB, Van Bael SA, Kraft NJB, Samaniego MJ, Pacala SW, and Lichstein JW.
    Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 2018
    10.1073/pnas.1803989115

-2017-

  1. Contrasting outcomes of species- and community-level analyses of the temporal consistency of functional composition
    Katabuchi M, Wright SJ, Swenson NG, Feeley KJ, Condit R, Hubbell SP, and Davies SJ.
    Ecology 2017
    10.1002/ecy.1952 Github
  2. Habitat filtering determines the functional niche occupancy of plant communities worldwide
    Li Y, Shipley B, Price JN, L. Dantas V, Tamme R, Westoby M, Siefert A, Schamp BS, Spasojevic MJ, Jung V, Laughlin DC, Richardson SJ, Bagousse-Pinguet YL, Schöb C, Gazol A, Prentice HC, Gross N, Overton J, Cianciaruso MV, Louault F, Kamiyama C, Nakashizuka T, Hikosaka K, Sasaki T, Katabuchi M, Dussault CF, Gaucherand S, Chen N, Vandewalle M, and Batalha MA.
    Journal of Ecology 2017
    10.1111/1365-2745.12802

-2016-

  1. Identifying indicator species of elevation: Comparing the utility of woody plants, ants and moths for long-term monitoring
    Nakamura A, Burwell CJ, Ashton LA, Laidlaw MJ, Katabuchi M, and Kitching RL.
    Austral Ecology 2016
    10.1111/aec.12291
  2. Vertical stratification of moths across elevation and latitude
    Ashton LA, Nakamura A, Basset Y, Burwell CJ, Cao M, Eastwood R, Odell E, Oliveira EG, Hurley K, Katabuchi M, Maunsell S, McBroom J, Schmidl J, Sun Z, Tang Y, Whitaker T, Laidlaw MJ, McDonald WJF, and Kitching RL.
    Journal of Biogeography 2016
    10.1111/jbi.12616
  3. Trait-Based Approaches for Understanding Species Niche, Coexistence, and Functional Diversity in Subalpine Moorlands
    Hikosaka K, Sasaki T, Kamiyama C, Katabuchi M, Oikawa S, Shimazaki M, Kimura H, and Nakashizuka T.
    In Structure and Function of Mountain Ecosystems in Japan 2016
    10.1007/978-4-431-55954-2_2

-2015-

  1. Impact of Striped-Squirrel Nectar-Robbing Behaviour on Gender Fitness in Alpinia roxburghii Sweet (Zingiberaceae)
    Deng X, Mohandass D, Katabuchi M, Hughes AC, and Roubik DW.
    PLOS ONE 2015
    10.1371/journal.pone.0144585
  2. A global meta-analysis of the relative extent of intraspecific trait variation in plant communities
    Siefert A, Violle C, Chalmandrier L, Albert CH, Taudiere A, Fajardo A, Aarssen LW, Baraloto C, Carlucci MB, Cianciaruso MV, L. Dantas V, Bello F, Duarte LDS, Fonseca CR, Freschet GT, Gaucherand S, Gross N, Hikosaka K, Jackson B, Jung V, Kamiyama C, Katabuchi M, Kembel SW, Kichenin E, Kraft NJB, Lagerström A, Bagousse-Pinguet YL, Li Y, Mason N, Messier J, Nakashizuka T, Overton JM, Peltzer DA, Pérez-Ramos IM, Pillar VD, Prentice HC, Richardson S, Sasaki T, Schamp BS, Schöb C, Shipley B, Sundqvist M, Sykes MT, Vandewalle M, and Wardle DA.
    Ecology Letters 2015
    10.1111/ele.12508
  3. LeafArea: an R package for rapid digital image analysis of leaf area
    Katabuchi M.
    Ecological Research 2015
    10.1007/s11284-015-1307-x Github
  4. The role of human disturbance in island biogeography of arthropods and plants: an information theoretic approach
    Nakamura A, Burwell CJ, Lambkin CL, Katabuchi M, McDougall A, Raven RJ, and Neldner VJ.
    Journal of Biogeography 2015
    10.1111/jbi.12520

-2014-

  1. Leaf-trait responses to environmental gradients in moorland communities: contribution of intraspecific variation, species replacement and functional group replacement
    Kamiyama C, Katabuchi M, Sasaki T, Shimazaki M, Nakashizuka T, and Hikosaka K.
    Ecological Research 2014
    10.1007/s11284-014-1148-z
  2. Vulnerability of moorland plant communities to environmental change: consequences of realistic species loss on functional diversity
    Sasaki T, Katabuchi M, Kamiyama C, Shimazaki M, Nakashizuka T, and Hikosaka K.
    Journal of Applied Ecology 2014
    10.1111/1365-2664.12192

-2013-

  1. Robustness of trait distribution metrics for community assembly studies under the uncertainties of assembly processes
    Aiba M, Katabuchi M, Takafumi H, Matsuzaki SS, Sasaki T, and Hiura T.
    Ecology 2013
    10.1890/13-0269.1
  2. Relative importance of habitat use, range expansion, and speciation in local species diversity ofAnolislizards in Cuba
    Cádiz A, Nagata N, Katabuchi M, Dı́az LM, Echenique-Dı́az LM, Akashi HD, Makino T, and Kawata M.
    Ecosphere 2013
    10.1890/es12-00383.1
  3. Relationships between functional traits and the ability of forest tree species to reestablish in secondary forest and enrichment plantations in the uplands of northern Thailand
    Asanok L, Marod D, Duengkae P, Pranmongkol U, Kurokawa H, Aiba M, Katabuchi M, and Nakashizuka T.
    Forest Ecology and Management 2013
    10.1016/j.foreco.2013.01.029
  4. Variations in Species Composition of Moorland Plant Communities Along Environmental Gradients Within a Subalpine Zone in Northern Japan
    Sasaki T, Katabuchi M, Kamiyama C, Shimazaki M, Nakashizuka T, and Hikosaka K.
    Wetlands 2013
    10.1007/s13157-013-0380-6

-2012-

  1. Nestedness and niche-based species loss in moorland plant communities
    Sasaki T, Katabuchi M, Kamiyama C, Shimazaki M, Nakashizuka T, and Hikosaka K.
    Oikos 2012
    10.1111/j.1600-0706.2012.20152.x
  2. Diversity partitioning of moorland plant communities across hierarchical spatial scales
    Sasaki T, Katabuchi M, Kamiyama C, Shimazaki M, Nakashizuka T, and Hikosaka K.
    Biodiversity and Conservation 2012
    10.1007/s10531-012-0265-7
  3. Soil resource availability shapes community trait structure in a species-rich dipterocarp forest
    Katabuchi M, Kurokawa H, Davies SJ, Tan S, and Nakashizuka T.
    Journal of Ecology 2012
    10.1111/j.1365-2745.2011.01937.x

-2008-

  1. Development of 17 microsatellite markers for Ceratosolen constrictus, the pollinating fig wasp of Ficus fistulosa
    Katabuchi M, Isagi Y, and Nakashizuka T.
    Molecular Ecology Resources 2008
    10.1111/j.1755-0998.2007.02084.x
  2. Documenting the Effect of Foundress Number in a Dioecious Fig, Ficus fistulosa, in Malaysia
    Katabuchi M, Harrison RD, and Nakashizuka T.
    Biotropica 2008
    10.1111/j.1744-7429.2008.00405.x
software

calba (R package)

Fast 'C++'-backed tools for computing conspecific and total neighborhood basal area in mapped forest plots. Includes unweighted and distance-weighted neighborhoods, multiple radii, decay kernels, and basic edge correction. Outputs are model-ready covariates for forest competition, growth, and survival models, following neighborhood modeling workflows commonly used in spatial ecology . CRAN Github

LeafArea (R package)

The package LeafArea allows one to conveniently run ImageJ software within R. The package provides a user-friendly, automated tool for measuring leaf area from digital images ( Katabuchi 2015). CRAN Github

mglmn (R package)

Tools for univariate and multivariate generalized linear models with model averaging and null model technique (used in Nakamura et al. 2015). CRAN Github

ztpln (R package)

Functions for obtaining the density, random variates and maximum likelihood estimates of the Zero-truncated Poisson lognormal distribution and their mixture distribution. CRAN Github

experience

Education

Tohoku University Japan 2012 Ph.D Graduate School of Life Sciences 2009 M.S. Graduate School of Life Sciences 2007 B.S. Department of Biology

Professional experience

2017-2019 Postdoctoral Research Associate, Michigan State University, USA 2016-2017 Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Florida, USA 2014-2016 JSPS Postdoctoral Fellow for Research Abroad, University of Florida, USA 2012-2014 Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China 2012 Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Tohoku University, Japan 2010-2012 JSPS Research Fellow, DC2, Tohoku University, Japan

Teaching experience

2025- Advanced Statistics Workshop, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China

2019- Advanced Field course in Ecology and Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China

2013 Experimental Design and Data Analysis, ATBC Asia-Pacific chapter, Banda Aceh, Indonesia

2013 R and generalized linear models, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China

post
contact

Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden

Chinese Academy of Sciences

Menglun, Mengla, Yunnan 666303 China

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