Division of Biosphere Science

Biosphere is the global ecological system integrating all living organisms. Mission of the “Division of Biosphere” is to introduce the mechanisms how biological diversity is maintained and developed that are responsible for the function of biosphere. The mechanisms include molecular or cellular levels and interactions between different organisms to form each biome. Our research activities take advantage of finding evidence and collecting data from the fields, so called field science. Laboratories are highly equipped with advanced facilities enough to explore unknown mechanisms. The final goal of education is to provide students with the viewpoint of feedback effects of living organisms on forming physicochemical environments and also with the ability to work on important environmental issues. Bioremediation is also within our scope.

Course in Ecosystem Biology

This course focuses on the mechanisms of creation, maintenance and decline of biological diversity, paying attention to environment structure, population structure, spatial genetic structure, and biological interaction.

Course in Ecological Genetics

This course focuses on the population dynamics under environmental changes, biological interactions, and developmental and environmental adaptations in mammals, insects and plants, especially paying attention to their genetic systems and genetic diversity.

Course in Molecular Biology

基礎生産者の植物とそれらを食する動物、そして多様な代謝機能を有する微生物が営む生命の諸過程を明らかにすると共に、環境条件がそれらに与える影響、および環境変化に対する生物の適応機構を分子から群集構造レベルまで、広視野に理解することを目指した教育・研究を行う。

Course in Plant Ecology

Plant Ecology Course deals with land plants at varying scales, from physiological ecology, reproduction and population processes, multi-species natural communities, and maintenance mechanisms of terrestrial ecosystems. Our target regions are ranging from tropical rain forests to sub-arctic vegetation to understand the adaptation to varying environments, with empirical, modeling and theoretical approaches.

Course in Animal Ecology

This course focuses on the interactions that determine the distribution and abundance of animals, paying attention to animal behavior, population dynamics, biological interaction, and community organization. The educational and research activities also cover wild animal conservation and ecosystem management in aquatic and terrestrial environments.

Course in Marine Biogeochemistry and Physics

This course provides teaching of the characteristics for the biological production processes in the various marine environments and of the biological response and adaptation for the environmental changes. The educational and research activities cover wide areas of biogeochemical and physical oceanography in order to understand the relationship between marine environmental factors and biological production processes. The studying purpose in this course is to understand throughout ship-board researches, chemical and biological laboratory works and marine ecosystem modeling how the changes in marine chemical and physical environments influence the marine ecosystem.

Course in Aquatic Biology

This course focuses on the mechanisms of response and adaptation of various aquatic organisms (algae, plankton, squid, fish, marine mammal) against their living environments from freshwater (river, lake, bog) to marine (coastal and open sea) ecosystems. Research and education are carried out from the molecular and cell biology to the population and community ecology.

Course in Forest Conservation

変動環境下での森林生態系の持続的利用に関する保全生物学的教育を行う。本コースは森林動態、生態系機能、野生生物の保全、地域資源管理の４つの大きな研究内容を含む。広大で多様なフィールドと充実した技術スタッフによる研究支援体制のもとに、長期モニタリングや大規模野外操作実験などを通して森林生態系の維持機構を解明し、環境修復、環境保全、生物多様性保全に関わる実践目標とともに、研究林の森林生態系と地域社会を合わせて持続的に管理していく理論についても教育・研究を行う。

Course in Agro-Ecosystem Science

農耕地においては効率的な食料生産と将来の持続的生産を保証する管理技術が求められる。本コースは北大の生物生産研究農場や研究牧場を研究フィールドとし、農耕地の特徴とそこでの生物生産体系と環境との関係、さらに持続的農業生産のための有用資源の開発・利用に関して教育・研究を行う。